Norwich’s Medieval Heart: A Guide to its Rebels, Royals, and Radicals

Norwich is an ancient city and religious centre, boasting two cathedrals and dozens of medieval churches. The people of Norwich, however, are anything but traditional. On this walking tour, you’ll hear the stories of the dissidents and rebels who stood up for what they believed in, sometimes paying a very high price for their convictions.

The tour starts outside Norwich Cathedral, a beautiful example of Norman architecture founded in 1096 by bishop Herbert de Losinga. You’ll enter Tombland (old English for “Empty Space”), an ancient market area where you’ll hear about its surprising past. You’ll wind your way through the old city centre, past lots of tempting cafés, restaurants, and independent shops en route to Norwich Castle.

You’ll follow the banks of the River Wensum, as you make your way towards a brick artillery tower called Cow Tower that was built in 1398 to protect the city. At the end of the tour, you’ll return to Norwich Cathedral where you can visit the grave of the heroic WWI nurse, Edith Cavell, or enjoy refreshments in a nearby café.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• See the Church of John the Baptist on your way to the historic Norwich Market, the largest permanent covered market in Europe
• Discover the history of Whitefriars Bridge, named for the 13th-century Carmelite monastery with its rumoured secret tunnel to the White Lion Pub
• Visit St. Stephen’s Church, one of Norwich’s oldest churches, and hear how it miraculously survived a falling bomb during WWII
• Witness the site of the famous Kett’s Rebellion and learn about its unlikely rebel leader
• Discover Strangers’ Hall’s hospitable past, where Dutch and Flemish weavers who came to Norwich during medieval times were housed
• Hear the story of Peter the Wildman and how he became an unusual figure in Norwich’s history
• Explore St. Peter Mancroft Church, the largest church in Norwich after the cathedrals, which has been described as ”a blaze of daylight, as if the sky itself had been invited to pray”
• Stand beneath Norwich Castle, built by the Normans after 1066, and hear about its transformation from medieval fortress, to Victorian prison, to one of Britain’s earliest public museums

Join me for an inspiring 75-minute walk and find out why Norwich has proudly carried the title of “the fine city” for centuries.