Norwich is a city full of surprises. As the regional capital of East Anglia, it has quite an extensive and sometimes unexpected history, for example, Did you know that in Norwich we're more northern than residents in Birmingham...?
We've put together an extensive list of local knowledge, facts and trivia so you can get to know a little more about our 'Fine City'.
Don't forget to follow us on our social media where every sunday we post another Norwich fact #SundayTrivia
A Historic City
Norwich's geographical isolation was such that until 1845, when a railway connection was established, it was often quicker to travel to Amsterdam by boat than to London
In 1976 the city's pioneering spirit was on show when Motum Road, allegedly the scene of "a number of accidents over the years", became the third road in Britain to be equipped with sleeping policemen
From 1280 to 1340 the city walls were built. At around 4 km (2.5 miles), these walls, along with the river, enclosed a larger area than that of the City of London.
Norwich Castle was founded soon after the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book records that 98 Saxon homes were demolished to make way for the castle.
Anglo-Saxons settled in the area between the 5th and 7th centuries, founding the towns of Northwic (from which Norwich gets its name), Westwic (at Norwich-over-the-Water) and the secondary settlement at Thorpe.
Described as Norwich's answer to Gaudi, Son of a Dereham building contractor; George Skipper was Norwich’s best known and most original architect. Designing The Daily Standard building, Jarrolds, the Commercial Chambers, Norwich Union offices and The Royal Arcade
During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of its most important. It remained the capital of the most populous English county until the Industrial Revolution.
Norwich’s underground shopping centre “The castle mall” was the biggest man-made hole in Europe when it was opened in 1993
Tombland was once the main market area of Norwich, before the Normans established a new market area by the castle, where it still stands today.
It is believed that Norwich Castle was the third Norman castle to be built after the Tower of London and Colchester Castle.
On the 21th September 2005, Chapelfield Shopping Centre (Now Chantry Place) built on the site of the old Nestlé factory, opened its doors to shoppers costing a total of £275m (£400m in 2022)
From 1280 to 1340 the city walls were built. At around 4 km (2.5 miles), these walls, along with the river, enclosed a larger area than that of the City of London.
In the 19th century, Norwich’s shawls were world-famous as being the best on the market. They were patterned and colourful, adding class to any woman's outfit. Even Queen Victoria herself was known to style Norwich shawls
Founded in 1814 by Jeremiah Colman, The Colmans mustard company had a forward-thinking cradle-to-grave ethos for their employees, providing education, housing, healthcare and leisure for workers and their families.
The world’s first Rolo chocolate was produced by Caley’s chocolate in Norwich in 1937. Caley's later became Rowntree and then Nestle. The original factory was located where Chantry Place/Chapelfield is now.\
Britain's oldest children’s footwear manufacturer Start-rite was founded in Norwich back in 1792 and were awarded Royal Warrant in 1955 to be the official supplier of shoes to the children of the royal family, including Princes Charles, William, Harry, and George
At 365 feet, the balcony of Norwich City Hall is the longest in the UK.
Described as Norwich's answer to Gaudi, Son of a Dereham building contractor; George Skipper was Norwich’s best known and most original architect. Designing The Daily Standard building, Jarrolds, the Commercial Chambers, Norwich Union offices and The Royal Arcade
On the 21th September 2005, Chapelfield Shopping Centre (Now Chantry Place) built on the site of the old Nestlé factory, opened its doors to shoppers costing a total of £275m (£400m in 2022)
On The Ball
Norwich City FC’s football chant “on the ball city” is older than the football club itself and is one of the oldest football songs in the country
Norwich city football club is the only professional football club in England to play in yellow and green
Norwich City football club are nicknamed the canaries because Norwich was one of the largest breeders of canaries in the country
Norwich City Football Club was formed in 1902, in a café in the city and played at an amateur level from their ground at Newmarket Road. Their first game being against Harwich & Parkeston on September 2nd 1902.
NCFC's first match played at Carrow Road in 1935 was against West Ham United in which Norwich won 4-3.
The Norwich Canary was first introduced into England by Flemings fleeing from Spanish persecution in the 16th century.
Norwich had the first postcode in the country - NR1 1AA
The first branch of Barclays Bank was in Norwich
The Norwich Post was the first provincial newspaper outside London
Born in Berr Street in 1810, William Darby was a British equestrian performer and became the first black circus proprietor in Britain. Owning and operating Pablo Fanque's Circus in Norwich, famous from the song “For the benefit of Mr Kite” by the Beatles on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The first book written by a woman in English was written in Norwich by Julian of Norwich (1342-1416)
The Norwich Canary was first introduced into England by Flemings fleeing from Spanish persecution in the 16th century.
The first provincial civic library in England outside the city of London was founded in Norwich in 1608
In May 2012, Norwich was designated England's first UNESCO City of Literature.
Fun Facts
In a 2021 survey by Which Norwich ranked 5th in best city shopping destination in the UK
Norwich airport was originally the airfield of RAF Horsham St Faith. One of the old RAF hangars was once the home of Air UK, which grew out of Air Anglia and was then absorbed by the Dutch airline KLM.
The Adam and Eve was the first pub in Norwich, dating back to the 13th century. The number of pubs in Norwich rose to as many as 600 in 1884 which would be almost two for every day of the year.
On the corner of Princes Street and Elm Hill, a computer keyboard can be found fossilised into the pavement. Mystery surrounded the find in 2020 when an appeal was launched for information. It was revealed to be an art installation placed there 21 years previous by a Norwich School of Art and Design student.
Norwich was only the second city in the country to have a children’s hospital. A Norwich infirmary for sick children opened in 1854, thanks to the generosity and goodwill of a Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind. (Which some may recognise from 2017 film; The Greatest Showman and who has a ward at NNUH in her name)
Norwich is the only city in England which is situated in a National Park. All 125 miles of The Norfolk Broads are designated as an Area of Outstanding Beauty weaving through beautiful countryside, picturesque towns, villages, and Norwich City.
The biggest collection of British ceramic teapots in the world is owned by Norwich Castle. It is the proud possessor of almost 3,000 teapots!
