In the medieval era Norwich was the largest and wealthiest provincial city in England, second only in importance to London. Following the Norman conquest of 1066 the Anglo-Saxon settlement at Norwich was consolidated as a major power centre and trading hub. Norwich‘s stature as a medieval centre was reflected in the glory of its outstanding architecture and art, fine examples of which still survive today.
The Power and the Glory
Norwich: a jewel in the crown of medieval Britain
Medieval Norwich: key features
- One of the highest concentrations of medieval religious buildings of any city in the world, including more churches than any other city north of the Alps
- One of the greatest Norman cathedrals in Europe
- The finest secular building of its period in Europe, the Castle
- The only intact example of a Dominican friary in the UK to survive Henry VIII‘s Reformation
- A wealth of medieval art, including stained glass of international importance
Reconstruction of medieval Norwich, including the fortified castle mound
and cathedral precinct - Credit: Virtual Past
C15th stained glass - Credit: Michael Loveday
Detail of Cathedral roof boss - Credit: Michael Loveday
St Peter Mancroft; wall painting of St George - Credit: Michael Loveday
The Norman Cathedral - Credit: Michael Loveday
Send a Postcard
Reconstruction of medieval Norwich, including the fortified castle mound and cathedral precinct (© Virtual Past), and Manga style cartoon of Norwich Cathedral (Hugo Yoshikawa)
CONTACTS
Principal Investigator: Dr Simon Kaner,
Sainsbury Institute, University of East Anglia
Co-Investigator: Dr Sam Nixon
Sainsbury Institute, University of East Anglia
SOCIAL
To keep up to date as further materials are launched, follow us on Twitter and Facebook:
Trading cities worldwide
Shokokuji Zen-Temple & figures found at the Nijo Residence
Kyoto: Japan
Across the medieval world we see a range of cities that displayed the same combination of outstanding religious and secular art and architecture that we see in Norwich Kyoto, Japan possessed some of the most impressive temples and palaces in the medieval world, now being explored today by archaeologists
Excavations, Shokokuji Zen-Temple (left) Figures found at the Nijo Residence (right) - Credit: Doshisha University Archaeology CentreMedieval Waterfront & Castle of the Count
Ghent: Belgium
The pattern of urban development seen in Norwich is also demonstrated in great trading cities such as Ghent, in modern day Belgium, in its heyday the second most important city in Europe after Paris. Here too, the legacy of great power from the State and Church was a flourishing in outstanding art.
Ghent Medieval Waterfront (left) Castle of
the Count, Gravensteen (right) - Credit: Michael Loveday
