October 1 Norwich

 Wednesday 1 October

I got a lift to the bus stop in the morning, waited on the busy road with speeding tractors and trailers racing by for the pink an purple double decker bus to come along and take me to Norwich. We stayed mostly on the main road but when we went into a village and stopped, I moved upstairs whilst the bus driver had a vape outside. Even upstairs sometimes you can’t see over the hedgerows, but otherwise it gives you a good view of farmland and peoples front yards, Slowly we are getting some Autumn colours coming through. First stop was Norwich Castle.

Williams the Conquerer ordered its construction after the conquest of England in 1066. From 1220 to 1887 it was used a s a jail. In 1894 the Norwich museum moved there. Inside there is not much evidence of it being a castle but the museum exhibits are fascinating going back to the time of Boudica and the Iceni tribe which was based int he East Anglia area. There are all the archaeological finds in the area, hordes of coins, broaches, buckles, spears etc. You can get up onto the ramparts and view the city through the crenulations. 

Unfortunately the angles were all wrong to get a good view of the Norwich Cathedral which was my next port of call but interesting churches and chimney pots!

Some interesting timber work in what was possibly the banqueting room, but mostly the top floors are suited to children and are quite interactive. But on the Lower floors there are the artefacts, an area for the Royal Norfolk Regimental museum, Stuffed birds, a gallery of teapots and art galleries. Watercolours bu John Sell Cotman - maybe that is who Winsor and Newton name their watercolours after? While I was there a particularly loud mouthed lady was going on about the quality of the paintings, and on and on so I didn’t stay around too long! But there was a Turner and an Edward Burne Jones, lots of seascapes of ships being wrecked on the coast and Norfolk landscapes. And this particularly interesting one of objects from a collection.

I then made my way to the cathedral - it has the second highest spire in England, after Salisbury - see last years blog! 

A view from the cloisters and a couple more as I walked around it 

Oh and not to forget the one with a statue of Wellington in front, not far from the entrance. I remember Wellington mostly from my Sharpe (Sean Bean). episodes, oh and of course he had something to do with the battle of Waterloo.

Inside it was awe inspiring, always really hard to convey the height. It was really high, and vey beautiful.

I walked around the back of the Presbytery where there some smaller chapels, including that of St Saviour, which has the grave of Edith Cavel, I was thinking I knew that name from somewhere - it is a rest home in Christchurch, born near Norwich she was a pioneer of professional nursing prior to WWI. During the war she nursed wounded Germans and gave shelter to allied soldiers and helped them to escape, Executed by the German Authorities in 1915. Little did I know of that!.

An alter piece from c 1380 in St Luke’s chapel, I think they have more significance displayed in a church or cathedral that’s in an art gallery or museum, the wee chapel was rather beautiful. 

The trinity windows, designed by abstract expressionist artist John McLean were rather startling and modern giving off a colourful glow in a once dark area of the cathedral 

Out in the cloisters there was a great view of the spire as in photo above, with slab stones underfoot and paintings on the walls.

I was only here a short time when I heard the pipe organ being played so had to go back into the Nave to enjoy it’s powerfulness! How wonderful!

Looking up at the ceiling in the nave, whilst organ is playing. Back out through the cloisters to the cafe for lunch then outside to find the herb garden, I walked past it a couple of times but did find this. Not sure what significance is - but I do now it is the 24th in a nationwide trail organised by Studiocanal to promote Paddington in Peru movie. Cute all the same eating his marmalade sandwiches.

Herb garden found, I moved on down through the close with some lovely cottages and homes towards the river Wensum. 

At the river is Puills Ferry, a former Ferry house for the river 

That’s not all I found there, I did think that they might be something interesting like a water vole that I had seen stuffed at the castle - but no just Ratty and his family.

I talk the path by the river which was rather pretty 

Found one of my favourite friends chirruping in the branches 

Cow Tower - an early purpose built artillery tower, built 1398-99 to control a strategic point in Norwich’s defences, Built with widely splayed gun ports, was suitable for the recently developed cannon, whilst still having arrow loops for crossbows and small guns. They believe the name comes from the surrounding meadow previously known as Cowholme.

Some buildings of interest were found walking back to the bus stop 

This one is a little bit Skew whiff !

Then a walk through the field back to the cottage, the roads are narrow so really nice to have the option of walking on the inside of the hedgerow. No blackberries to be found today though.