Visiting Norwich, England

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:17:42 +0000

With a 2007 population of 132,000, Norwich is situated on the River Wensum in the East of England region. This ancient city was a thriving prosperous place in the 11th century, second only in size to London, and still has many remnants of the Norman conquests. The Norman marketplace is still in use today, and is the largest open-air six-days-a-week market in the country.

There was a good amount of damage to the city center in World War II, but the city has managed to retain its character despite. The 11th century Norwich Cathedral dominates the skyline, and is in fact the second tallest spire in England after Salisbury. Norwich has more medieval churches than most anywhere else in Western Europe, with most of them existing in the city center. In its medieval days, Norwich was bounded by a huge medieval wall, of which large sections still exist today. The wall was so vast that it encompassed an area larger than the city of London. The 12th century castle is a dominant figure in the city, and has been functioning as a museum since 1895.

Norwich is also known as a shoppers heaven, and besides the open air market in the city center, there are two major malls, The Castle Mall and Chapelfields. The Lanes area and the chic Art Nouveau Royal Arcade are also fine shopping destinations.

Take a boat trip on the River Wensum or just take a stroll along the riverside walk to enjoy the sights. And visit some of Norwich's many fine museums, the largest of which is Norwich Castle Museum, with a fine array of art, local archaeological finds, natural history and much more. Another very interesting visit is the Dragon Hall in King Street, which is a wonderfully restored medieval trading hall, said to be unique in Western Europe.

By: Ian Ellison

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Visiting Norwich, England