Norwich Streets 'K'

[ Ketts Hill: 25 to 29 (Kett’s Castle PH) ] [ King Street Upper: 9 to 11, 15 (King Street House) ]

Ketts Hill

[ King Street Upper: 17 (Norfolk Club), 27 to 29 (Nag’s Head PH), 37a to 41 ]

[ King Street: 43 (Classical style shop front), 45, 47 to 51, Murrell’s Yard (a house here was originally the residence of Robert Bell a tailor in the time of Henry VII - in the time of Edward VI it belonged to Henry Humphrey a draper) ]

[ King Street: 79, 83 to 87 ]

[ King Street: 81 to 83, 87 to 89, 95, Lanes Yard ]

[ King Street: 97 (Howard House residence of Henry Howard brother of the Duke of Norfolk in the time of Charles II - fine staircase of this period with openwork panels in strapwork designs - sundial put up by the then resident Dr Christopher Spencer in 1840) ]

[ King Street: 113 to 123 (on this site in the 14c. was Meddyz Inn - home of Roger Midday - Bailiff of Norwich), 14c. doorway with 15c decoration above, 123 (Old Barge Inn) ]

[ King Street: 113 to 123 (an Inn here in the 18c. was known as “Three Merry Wherrymen”), Dragon Hall (archaeological excavations in 1998) ]

[ King Street: 113 to 123 (15c. Crown-Post roof - the Great Hall was built c.1450 by Robert Toppes - a leading textile trader and four times Mayor of Norwich - above an earlier masonry ground floor - the whole building was later divided into six tenements with an additional floor inserted) ]

[ King Street: Old Barge Yard ]

[ King Street: 125 to 129 (1946 after plaster removed from frontage), 131 (former Green Man PH) ]

[ King Street: Isaac’s Hall or the Music House Map ]

Isaac’s Hall or the Music House King Street:

“... At Bury St Edmunds is still to be found the strong Jew’s House known as Moyse’s Hall, and correspondingly the Jew’s House in Norwich is still to be found although greatly disguised by reason of subsequent additions. It is in the parish of St Etheldred, and has been known both as “Paston House ” and “The Music House”. ... a conjectural drawing of the original Jew’s House ... exhibits the usual method of entrance to a Norman building which was by a covered staircase leading to a door on the first floor. ... the Norman groined cellaring (has) the only remaining portion of one side of the entrance door of the Isaac’s Hall, all the rest of the door, porch and staircase having been destroyed when the Jacobean portion of the Music House was erected on the south side. The bases (of this entrance door) have vertical “nicks” about 1½ inches apart inside the concave moulding ... similar to the three transitional pillars of the old Infirmary of the Norwich Priory ... the date of these is believed to be between 1175 and 1190.

“It appears then that the house was built by Isaac the Jew temp.Henry II. On his death it was escheated by King John and alienated in favour of Sir William de Valoines by Henry III. After passing through many hands it was in 1474 the city house of William Yelverton esq who sold it to Sir John Paston Knt. In 1613 it was purchased by Sir Edward Coke, Recorder of Norwich and Lord Chief Justice. He it was who probably built the 17th century addition to the south, calling it Paston House in memory of his first wife. Finding the old porch in the way, he destroyed all except the fragment shown. The “Music House” was first mentioned in the “Norwich Gazette” of 19th January 1723, the City Waits being accustomed to meet and practice there.” See Ernest A.Kent in “Norfolk Archaeology” Vol 28. 1945

[ King Street: Isaac’s Hall or the Music House: Northern portion (of Norman origin with groined undercroft of that date - built by Isaac the Jew), Southern portion (added in 17c. probably by Sir Edward Coke who purchased the property from the Pastons) ]

[ King Street: 191 (Ferry Boat Inn - formerly the Ferry Inn - and in earlier times the Steam Packet), 195 to 197, 255 (Jolly Maltsters PH) ]

[ King Street: Carrow Abbey doorway (removed from a house in Bedford Street opposite Swan Lane towards the end of the 19c. - it bears the date 1596 and initials F.T.C. - in 1978 it was moved once more this time to Bacon House 31 Colegate where it may now be seen at the east end of the south front), 32 (former Cock Inn), 34, 42 to 44 ]

Carrow Priory

Colegate: Bacon House

[ King Street: 56 to 60 (Three Tuns PH - beneath are some ancient vaults part of the mansion of the Erpingham family), 68 to 74 ]

[ King Street: 70 (shop front has cast metal lettering on facia board - gable brickwork shows the second floor to be a later addition) to 74, 80, Swan Yard ]

[ King Street: 84, 86 to 90 (in the 14c. here was Berney’s Inn - John Berney of Witchingham being entered on the roll of burgesses at that time - since then the family maintained its connection with the city - Richard being Recorder and M.P. for Norwich in Anne’s reign - In the 16c. this was the city house of Heydons of Baconsthorpe - William supported the mayor during Kett’s Rebellion 1549) ]

[ King Street: 130 to 134, 144 to 150, 158 to 162 ]

[ King Street: 164 to 166, 168 (Ship Inn), Carved lintel (late 16c. - inscribed “Princes In” it came from an inn of that name in Princes Street where the Pastons had a city residence), 170 to 174, Ship Yard ]

[ King Street: 170 to 178 (said to be 17c.), 184 (Malt house - a coat-of-arms carved on a corbel here seems to indicate that this is a portion of the house of Sir Robert de Salle - killed by the Norfolk Levellers in 1381 - at his death it came to his daughter Alice de Salle and was later known as Baist’s Place from some owner of that name) ]

[ King Street: 186 to 188, 196 and Rayner’s Yard ] [ Lady’s Lane: 9, 11 (the Medical Institute - Georgian doorway revealed following fire on 4th January 1952) ]

King Street

Text and photographs Copyright © G.A.F.Plunkett 2002

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