Norwich Markets

Tombland:

To trace the history of Norwich Market it is necessary to go back to pre-Conquest times. At least three settlements, founded by the Saxons and Danes on wither side of the Wensum, and known respectively as Northwic, Westwic and Conesford, grew and finally amalgamated into one community. They sprang up adjacent to the crossing of two roads - the one running from north to south and passing over the Wensum at Fyebridge, the other running from east to west (Holm-street - now Bishopgate - and Westwick Way). The crossing was at a point just south of Fyebridge on a site now called Tombland, and here the Saxon Market seems to have been originally established.

Markets 00 [ Tombland ]

Tombland (from the Danish meaning an open piece of land) has been an open space since Saxon times. In 1951 the City Council decided to erect stalls here on brick and concrete foundations. The old wooden stalls were set back from their original sites in preparation for the new work, but at the last moment the Norwich Society obtained an injunction restraining the Corporation from carrying out their decision, and the old stalls were instead replaced by mobile vans.

Provision Market:

Markets 01 [ Market Place, “Lumber market” St Peter’s Street, View North ]

The invasion by the Normans established a “new burgh” in what are now the parishes of St Giles and St Peter Mancroft. Here they founded a new market, and with the erection of the King’s Tollhouse within its bounds (where all burghesses had to repair to pay their dues), it was inevitable that within a few generations the original Saxon mart at Tombland became entirely eclipsed.

Markets 02 [ Widening Gentleman’s Walk (1938), Temporary location in Bethel Street and City Hall courtyard during reconstruction of the Market Place (May 1938) ]

Markets 03 [ Temporary location in City Hall courtyard during reconstruction of the Market Place (May 1938) ]

Markets 04 [ Demolition of old Municipal buildings on west side of Market Place (1938) prior to its enlargement (May 1938) ]

Markets 05 [ Demolition of old Municipal buildings on west side of Market Place (1938) prior to its enlargement ]

Markets 06 [ Excavating the Market Place at rear of the “Tin Hut” (April 1938), Construction of Terrace at rear of Market Place on site of old Fish Market, Construction of new road between Gaol Hill and the Walk (June 1938) ]

Markets 07 [ Market Place reconstruction (September 1938) ]

Markets 08 [ War Memorial being moved from in front of Guildhall to a new garden on west side of Market Place (September - October 1938) ]

the Market Place

Haymarket:

Markets 09 [ Haymarket escaped cattle ]

On 26th June 1937 some cattle stampeded from Orford Hill, whilst being driven from the Cattle Market, and ended their career in the Sir Thomas Browne Memorial Gardens at the Haymarket. Here they remained for about an hour and a half before being finally rounded up. It is many years since hay was bought and sold in the Haymarket, but three of four stalls - an “overflow” from the Market Place - stood on the east side of this open space for the sale of flowers, pot plants etc.

Haymarket: Escaped Cattle

Cattle Market:

Markets 10 [ Cattle Market: Castle Hill to Bell Avenue (1931), Farm machinery showrooms (1960) ]

Held on the site of the Castle Ditches since the time of James II (and possibly for a much longer period) the removal of the Cattle Market to another site had been considered by the City Council since just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Markets 11 [ Cattle Market Cattle and Pig compounds (March 1960 - just prior to transfer of the market to Harford) ]

Markets 12 [ Harford Cattle Market (opened 1st July 1960) ]

Fish Market:

Markets 13 [ Wholesale Fish Market Mountergate (moved here in 1914 from St Peter’s Street) ]

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