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As an important medieval City, Norwich still has many alleyways away from the major road network. Many of these alleyways have an interesting story to tell.

Norwich has been described as ‘the most religious city in late medieval Europe’, famous for its cathedral, friaries, richly decorated parish churches and, of course, its community of recluses headed by the internationally celebrated Dame Julian. The hermits who were then such a prominent feature of civic life seem, however, to have been largely forgotten, even though, as this talk will reveal, they enjoyed widespread support and respect. From Richard Furness, a charismatic priest with a circle of affluent and devoted female admirers, to Robert Goddard, who cleaned the ditches at St Stephen’s, they emerge as a fascinating cast of characters thanks to the survival of so much unparalleled documentary evidence.

Now regarded as a children’s book, Black Beauty was written for an adult market to raise awareness of the suffering of working horses. It is also a veiled autobiography of its author, Anna Sewell and her relationship with her then more-famous mother, Mary Sewell. Both writers were published by Jarrolds but it is the daughter’s book that has found world-wide success and enduring popularity. Behind that success lies a century of philanthropy that brought together non-conformists and evangelicals in endeavours to improve the living conditions of both humans and their animal workmates. The book itself has received more critical scrutiny in recent years.

Pete Goodrum returns to us with his popular look at the city across two important decades. These were the years that saw Norwich emerge from the wreckage of World War Two, and go on to embrace the Swinging 60s. From bomb sites to The Beatles this was a period of unprecedented change.

Join us on a bespoke tour of the upper level gallery at the east end of the cathedral and marvel at views formerly only available to the Benedictine monks prior to the Reformation. We’ll explore how the gallery, and indeed the whole building, was designed to reflect the liturgical practices of medieval belief. Even the stones of the building had their devotional purpose!

When Elizabeth I attended a service in the Cathedral during a week-long visit to Norwich in August 1578, she had been on the throne for 20 years. After the tumultuous religious upheaval of her predecessors’ reigns, Elizabeth’s settlement of the Church of England had provided stability, though not all accepted it!

Norwich buzzed with industry in the 19th-20th centuries, transforming from a medieval trading hub to a manufacturing powerhouse. Key sectors included shoe-making, food processing, brewing and engineering. The city's river and rail links fuelled growth, while gas and later electricity works powered homes and factories. Though many traditional industries declined, Norwich's legacy as a hard-working, innovative city endures, now shifting towards services, education and creative sectors.