Monday, November 24, 2014
A brief history of Norwich
Norwich is one of the most historic cities in Britain and despite the
change in time, many of the older buildings still stand today. Here’s a
brief history of Norwich from all the way back to its original roots.
The Romans
The Romans first invaded Iron Age Britain in AD43, and at this time
Norfolk was the territory of the Iceni people. The leader of this tribe,
Boudicca, led a revolt against the Roman Occupation in around AD60 but was
unsuccessful. After her defeat, the Romans occupied the area for more than 300
years. Today visits can visit the ruins of the then local capital building, Venta Icenorum at Caister St Edmund.
After the Romans, Venta Icenorum was abandoned and a new town grew up on
the River Wensum. There were various settlements, but at the centre stood
Tomblane. Even today, Wensum Street runs from Tombland to Fye Bridge, the
ancient river crossing to ‘Norwich over the water’. One of the settlements here
on the north bank was in fact Norwich, which at the time was known as ‘Norwic’.
The Vikings
Then along came the Vikings, who were originally resisted by Edmund,
Kind of East Anglia, who in turn was killed by the Danes in 870. Afterwards,
the Danes became rulers of the area for almost 50 years. There isn’t much left
to show for their occupation, but they did leave a couple of street names
behind.
East Anglia was then recaptured in 917 by the Saxon King Edward the
Elder, before being reoccupied by the Vikings once again in 1004. During that
year, Swein Forkbeard, the King of Denmark, burnt most of Norwich to the
ground, before the Dandes settled alongside the native Anglo-Saxons. This
created a large productive town with a population of around five to ten thousand
people. This helped set up the Norman period.
The Normans
When the Normans arrived from France, things changed dramatically. They
moved the town centre from Tombland to the current market place, overlooked by
the new castle. Norwich cathedral was built in 1096, using stone that was
imported from Caen in northern France. The Normans also built defensive walls
surrounding the city that measured 2.5 miles long.
The medieval period ended up being an affluent time for Norwich as the
main industry became the wool trade. Large numbers of skilled Walloon and
Flemish weavers ended up in Norwich, originating from Low Countries to escape
persecution. You can see bits of their work today at
The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, Norwich Castle and St Peter Mancroft
Church.
Between 1650 and 1750, Norwich was considered England’s ‘second city’,
meaning they were only second to London in terms of production, with the main
support of the economy being textiles. In the 1800s, newer industries like
printing and leather production started to gain steam.
The railway connection between Norwich and London opened in 1845, thanks
to Victorian entrepreneur Sir Morton Peto. Boot and shoe industries also took
off, as well as the creation of Colman’s Mustard, which to this day is a legacy
of Victorian Norwich.
Norwich today
Over the 20th century, Norwich continued to grow and
evolve. The revolutionary Art Deco City Hall was built in 1930, overlooking the
market place, and in 1963 the University of East Anglia admitted its first
students. In the 1990s, the Norfolk Broads became a National Park, in an effort
to protect one of the area’s biggest attractions. The 21st century saw the Forum building built,
holding the Millennium Library as well. Norwich is a bustling city now with
plenty of companies establishing their roots there. These companies ensure the
local economy is kept strong, needing suppliers, contractors, restaurants and
bars along with office cleaners in Norwich. These industries have seen great growth over the last 20 years and the
spearheading of the commercial sector has been of fantastic benefit to the
area.
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