The village of Thorpe is delightfully situated on the navigable river to Yarmouth, and commands a charming prospect; here are several places of public resort which are well frequented during the summer season.
Chapel-field, which is on the south-west part of Norwich, was formerly a place of much resort as a promenade, particularly on Sunday afternoons; but within the last few years a reservoir has been made, and a large tower built, which by a steam engine, at the New Mills, (which were first erected in 1430, improved in 1695, and brought to perfection in 1802,) and a subteraneous conveyance, is constantly suplied with water, some of which is by machinery conveyed from the reservoir to the tower, for the supply of such parts of the city as are above the level of the reservoir, from whence it is distributed by cylinders and pipes of different materials. The reservoir and tower have however, in some degree, spoil’d its appearance, and together with military parades being generally in the Market, or on the Castle-hill, and Meadow, have occasioned those places to become the principal promenades.
The horse-barracks, about a quarter of a mile north-east of the City, were erected in 1792, and are well worth the observation of a stranger; they are capable of holding about 230 horses and men; the foot barracks, just on the northern side of Coslany-bridge, are calculated to contain about 740 men.
There are five public bridges over the river Wensum, besides one at the New Mills, generally used by sufferance, which is of wood; four of the others, viz.—Blackfriars’, Fye-bridge, Whitefriars, and Bishop-bridge, of stone, and Coslany of iron.
Among the miscellaneous buildings, &c. worthy the attention of the antiquarian or stranger, is Kett’s castle, so called from the famous Norfolk rebel of that name, who encamped there in 1549, at the head of 20,000 insurgents, whose numbers were continually increasing. From this place he attacked the city, where he committed every kind of outrage, wantonly destroying many of the principal inhabitants, merely because they were gentlemen, and burning and plundering most part of the city and country adjacent. Every possible means were used by government to disperse them by lenient means in vain; after which, a sufficient military force was sent to subdue them, which was not effected till many battles and skirmishes had taken place, with great slaughter to the insurgents, and some loss to the army. After the main body were subdued, pardon was again offered to a smaller party who remained in reserve, and who presently complying with the offer, and with one voice cried out “God save King Edward.”
Kett and his brother were soon taken and committed to the Tower of London, where they were tried and convicted of high treason, and shortly after executed on gibbets, and hung in chains, one on the top of Norwich castle, the other upon Wymondham steeple, Wymondham being the place of their nativity, and nearly three hundred others of the ringleaders suffered. It is computed that Kett’s rebellion cost the nation at that time near £20,000. This Castle was founded by Bishop Herbert, about seven hundred years since, as a Chapel dedicated to St. Michael, some small ruins of which are yet standing: it is situate on the brow of Mousehold hill, just over Bishop bridge, near to which, close by the river on the left hand, flows a spring of pleasant water, formerly much resorted to, and over which was erected a handsome freestone conduit, by Sir John Pettus, in 1611. A little further to the left, on the other side of the river, stands the tower in the Hospital meadow, called the Dungeon, or Cow’s tower; it is a circular building, about fifty two feet in height, and twenty four in diameter, with a round spiral staircase reaching to the top; is supposed to have been originally built as an advanced post and watch tower to the castle; Blomfield thinks it was built in order to levy the tolls then belonging to the prior and the church, and says it was used as a prison for the jurisdiction of the Cathedral. The present tower is stated to have been built in 1390, at the expence of the city.
In St. James’s parish, opposite the church, is an old house, said to have been built by the celebrated Sir John Fastolf, and termed in antient records his palace, or city house.
Just within side of the walls near Ber-street, stands St. Catherine’s hill, on which is Mrs. Burroughes’s house, the sight of which will well repay the trouble of a walk. The buildings in Surry-street, among which is Surry-house, a curious specimen of domestic architecture, the windows of which were emblazoned on glass, with many armorial bearings. There are also a number of good houses in St. Giles’s-street, Messrs. Gurneys’ Bank, in St. Michael’s Plea; the Flour mill, by steam, in St. Andrew’s; Mr. Patteson’s brewery, in Pockthorpe, and many others, which will arrest the attention of the stranger in his perambulation about the city.
Norwich, including the Hamlets, is divided into four great wards, viz.—Conisford ward, Mancroft ward, Wymer ward, and Great Northern ward; each of which is again subdivided into three small wards; Great Conisford containing South Conisford ward, in which is comprized the parishes of St. Peter per Southgate, St. Etheldred and St. Julian, and the hamlets of Trowse-milgate and Carrow; North Conisford ward, in which is the parish of St. Peter per Mountergate. Ber-street ward, in which are the parishes of St. John at Sepulchre, St. Michael thorn, St. John Timber-hill, All Saints, and the Hamlet of Lakenham. Great Mancroft ward contains the Parishes of St. Stephen, St. Peter per Mancroft, and St. Giles, each parish being a small ward in itself, including the hamlets of Eaton, and part of Earlham and Heigham.
Great Wymer ward, is subdivided into three small wards, viz.—West Wymer ward, contains the parishes of St. Benedict, St. Swithin, St. Margaret, St. Lawrence and St. Gregory, with part of the hamlets of Earlham and Heigham. Middle Wymer ward, contains the Parishes of St. John at Madder-market, St. Andrew and St Michael at Plea. East Wymer ward, contains the parishes of St. Peter at Hungate, St. Simon and Jude, St. George Tombland, St. Martin at the Palace, and St. Helen.