In the vestry hangs a neat old painted carving in alabaster, of nine female saints, probably designed for some altar of St. Margaret, who is the principal figure, and here represented as holding down a dragon; among others, St. Hilda, holding a book and pastoral staff; St. Barbara, a tower and palm-branch. There is also an octavo manuscript bible upon vellum, written in 1340, and a folio manuscript much more ancient, containing all St. Paul’s epistles, with a comment.
THE NORFOLK AND NORWICH HOSPITAL,
St. Stephen’s road, is a very neat edifice: was erected in 1772, and is still supported by voluntary contributions.
The Public Library is now kept at the building formerly the Roman Catholic chapel, in Wymer-street, and contains 5000 volumes, where books are delivered by the Librarian to the subscribers every day between the hours of eleven and two, Sundays and the following days excepted, 29th of May, 4th of June, the Guild-day, and the day preceding; 25th of October and 5th of November.
BRIDEWELL,
Was built by Bartholomew Appleyard, about the year 1370. William Appleyard, his son, the first Mayor of Norwich, served his Mayoralty here in 1403. The North wall of this Bridewell is encrusted with cut flints, and is seventy-six feet in length, by about twenty-five high: it is considered one of the greatest curiosities of the kind in England. The flints are squared to such a nicety, that the edge of a knife can scarcely be insinuated between the joints: most of them are about three inches square, the surface is very smooth, and no brick-work can appear more regular.
Several churches and other buildings in the city are thus built.
Mr. Talman says, that the Jews introduced the art of squaring flints: and Dr. Cromwell Mortimer, Secretary to the Royal Society, in a note on a paper of Mr. Arderon’s on this very wall, observes, that the gate of the Austin Friars, at Canterbury, that of St. John’s Abbey, at Colchester, and the gate near Whitehall, Westminster, are in the same taste. But the platform on the top of the Royal Observatory at Paris, which, in instead of being covered with lead, is paved with flint after this manner, is an instance that the French have in some measure recovered this art. Phil. Trans. Abr. vol. 10. p. 1304.
THE THEATRE
Was built by the late Mr. Thomas Ivory, after the model of old Drury-lane house; and in 1800 underwent an entire, elegant, and spirited alteration, under the direction, and highly to the credit of, the present Patentee, Mr. Wilkins.