Norwich Guildhall, Norwich

In 1404 Henry IV, king of England, granted a charter of autonomy to the city of Norwich. Immediately the city needed a town hall. The old Tollhouse would not be enough for an autonomous city. Construction on the Guildhall started in 1407. The project was completed in 1413.

The roof of the council chamber collapsed in 1511. It was restored in 1537. In those days only the craftsmen were paid. Laborers were pressed into service without pay. A working day would go from dawn to dusk. The quality of work could be a little iffy.

The Guildhall was the largest municipal building in Suffolk. There were two main halls on the upper floor. These were for meetings and courts. The larger hall was the Assembly Chamber, Sheriff's Court and Sword Room. The armory was on the upper level. The ground floor was for unchained prisoners. The toughies were kept below.

Thomas Bilney, an iconoclastic clergyman well ahead of his time, was held below in the undercroft of the Guildhall. He was charged with heresy and burned at the stake in 1531. The Guildhall was the seat of government until 1938, when the new City Hall opened for business. The Office of the Sheriff of Norwich is in the Guildhall chapel.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Norwich Guildhall
Sight Location: Norwich, England (See walking tours in Norwich)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Norwich Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Norwich, England

Create Your Own Walk in Norwich

Creating your own self-guided walk in Norwich is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Norwich's Haunted Buildings

The long and sometimes bloody history of Norwich has left its mark on the city in the form of spooky happenings. Indeed, nearly half of the local population have reported experiencing throughout their life something paranormal. Add to this a mildly alarming number of UFOs spotted on the outskirts of Norwich, and you get one of, if not the most haunted area in the UK.

Needless to say that in a... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles

Norwich Introduction Walking Tour

The Iceni tribe predated the Romans in the village of Caistor, near the area of present-day Norwich. In 60 AD an uprising led by Boudica had been put down and Caistor became the Roman capital of East Anglia. Anglo-Saxons settled the town of Northwic in the 4th century. By the 10th century Northwic became Norwich, a prosperous trading center.

William the Conqueror arrived with a bang in 1066.... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

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