Record Details

NHER Number:377
Type of record:Monument
Name:Cathedral Close (cathedral precinct)

Summary

The Cathedral Close is an irregular oblong, running east to the River Wensum half a mile from the Erpingham Gate. Within this space are three distinct zones. The cathedral occupies the west portion; north of this are the buildings associated with Norwich School and the Bishop's Palace; to the east are playing fields and small streets laid out with polite and sometimes grand 17th century and Georgian houses. The layout of the Close is as the Normans left it, and the Reformation hardly altered it, except that after 1538 more townspeople rented houses, even if an address in the Close only became fashionable at the end of the 17th century.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2365 0888
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

Precinct of Cathedral.

April 1859. Excavation.
Investigations by Henry Harrod in garden of the Bishop's Palace.
Exposed foundations of the medieval palace, including the north, east and west walls of Bishop Salmon's hall and the chapel of St Mary. The latter was shown to have had an apsidal east end before it was rebuilt in the early 14th century.
See published report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2019.

Within the precinct of Norwich Cathedral, information from Norfolk Archaeological Records. In 1860 a bronze tripod cauldron found, whilst digging foundations in Bishopsgate Street. Exhibited by Sir John Boileau in 1865.
M. Leah (NAU), 25 February 1991.

1943. Field Observation.
Foundations observed during excavation of trench for water pipe to north-west of north-west wing of Bishop's Palace.
Information from cathedral records [1].
P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2019.

After the workhouse in the Infirmary was closed a new workhouse was built 'in the northeast corner of the precincts' in 1795, lasting until the 19th century.
Number19 The Close was designed by Arthur Lacey and built by W. Brewster in 1892 but it is not a listed building and no other details are known.
See (S1).
E. Rose (NLA), 26 January 2001.

For the most comprehensive account of the Close, see (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 28 January 2006.

(S2) also stresses the important fact that the churches engulfed by the Close and now demolished retained their own burial rights even after this.
E. Rose (NLA), 19 September 2006.

In shape the Close is an irregular oblong, running east to the River Wensum half a mile from the Erpingham Gate. Within this space are three distinct zones. The cathedral occupies the west portion; north of this are the buildings associated with Norwich School and the Bishop's Palace; to the east are playing fields and small streets laid out with polite and sometimes grand 17th century and Georgian houses. The layout of the Close is as the Normans left it, and the Reformation hardly altered it.
Information from (S3).
P. Aldridge (NLA), 4 April 2007.

March 2008. Watching Brief.
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 12 March 2008.

Monument Types

  • BUILDING (Unknown date)
  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • STRUCTURE (Unknown date)
  • TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
  • CATHEDRAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WORKHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • CAULDRON (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1993. TG 2308BEQ - BEU, BFB, BFC.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG 2308BFS.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TG 2308BDY - BEA.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 20 NW 127 [6]; TG 20 NW 127.6; TG 20 NW 269.
---*Verbal Communication: Alban, J.. 2007. Lecture at UEA. March 15.
---Monograph: Gilchrist, R. 2005. Norwich Cathedral Close: The Evolution of the English Cathedral Landscape.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Norwich - Post Roman.
---Article in Serial: 1865. Proceedings at Meetings of the Archaeological Institute. The Archaeological Journal. Vol XXII pp 63-93. p 91.
<S1>Article in Monograph: Atherton, I. 1996. The Close. Norwich Cathedral: Church, City and Diocese, 1096-1996. Atherton, I. et al (eds). pp 634-664. pp 649-650.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Gilchrist, R.. 2006. Norwich Cathedral Close.
<S3>Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 188-230.
<S4>Article in Serial: Harrod, H.. 1864. Excavations made in the Gardens of the Bishop's Palace, Norwich, 1859. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VI pp 27-37.

Related records

26040Parent of: 1 The Close (Building)
26047Parent of: 10 to 12 The Close (Building)
26048Parent of: 14A The Close (Building)
26049Parent of: 16 The Close (Building)
26050Parent of: 17 The Close (Building)
26051Parent of: 18 The Close (Building)
26041Parent of: 2 The Close (Building)
48202Parent of: 22 The Close (Building)
48203Parent of: 24 The Close (Building)
26054Parent of: 26 The Close (Building)
26055Parent of: 27 The Close (Building)
26056Parent of: 28 The Close (Building)
26057Parent of: 29 The Close (Building)
26042Parent of: 3 and 4 The Close (Building)
26058Parent of: 30 The Close (Building)
26059Parent of: 31 The Close (Building)
26060Parent of: 34 The Close (Building)
26061Parent of: 35A, 35B and 35C The Close (Building)
26062Parent of: 36 The Close (Building)
26063Parent of: 37 and 38 The Close (Building)
26064Parent of: 39 The Close (Building)
223Parent of: 40 The Close (Building)
26066Parent of: 41 The Close (Building)
26067Parent of: 43 and 44 The Close. (Building)
26068Parent of: 45 The Close (Building)
26069Parent of: 46 Hook's Walk, The Close (Building)
26070Parent of: 47 and 48 Hook's Walk, The Close (Building)
26071Parent of: 49 Hook's Walk, The Close (Building)
26043Parent of: 5 The Close (Building)
26072Parent of: 50 The Close (Building)
26073Parent of: 51 to 55 The Close. (Building)
26074Parent of: 56 The Close (Building)
26076Parent of: 57 The Close (Building)
48201Parent of: 58 The Close (Building)
26077Parent of: 59 The Close (Building)
26044Parent of: 6 The Close (Building)
635Parent of: 60, 60A and 60B The Close (Building)
26522Parent of: 63 and 64 The Close (Building)
26080Parent of: 67A to C and 68 The Close. (Building)
26081Parent of: 69 The Close (Building)
26045Parent of: 7 The Close (Building)
619Parent of: 70 The Close (Building)
26084Parent of: 71 The Close (Building)
47956Parent of: 72 The Close (Building)
26085Parent of: 73 The Close (Building)
48266Parent of: 74 The Close (Building)
26046Parent of: 8 and 9 The Close (Building)
49102Parent of: Almary Green sewer repair, Norwich Cathedral (Monument)
26036Parent of: Bishop Renold's Chapel, The Close (Building)
Site 1813Parent of: Bishop`s Palace (Monument)
26034Parent of: Bishops Gate, The Close (Building)
Mon 1234Parent of: Bishop's Palace, (MED building in garden) (Monument)
26035Parent of: Bishop's Palace, The Close (Building)
Mon 1233Parent of: Bishop's Palace, The Close (Late Saxon occupation) (Monument)
Mon 1459Parent of: Cathedral Precinct (Monument)
39590Parent of: Cathedral Refectory service runs (Monument)
175Parent of: Cathedral Shop, Cathedral Close (Monument)
26075Parent of: Deanery, Priors Hall, The Close (Building)
26079Parent of: Emmaus House, 65 The Close (Building)
26083Parent of: Erpingham Gate, The Close (Building)
46Parent of: Late Saxon pits and burial, medieval building (Monument)
42Parent of: Late Saxon refuse pits and human remains (Monument)
49837Parent of: Medieval and post-medieval finds, Norwich School playing field, Bishopgate (Find Spot)
120Parent of: Medieval pottery finds, Horse Fair House, St Faiths Lane (Find Spot)
47Parent of: Medieval pottery finds, The Close (Find Spot)
48Parent of: Medieval undercroft, Bishops Palace, The Close (Monument)
203Parent of: Medieval wall and post medieval finds, Norwich School Playing Fields (Monument)
45375Parent of: Medieval wall, Norwich Cathedral (Monument)
792Parent of: Multi-period finds and features north of cathedral (Monument)
240Parent of: Multi-period finds and features, Holland Court, The Close/St Faiths Lane (Monument)
300Parent of: Multi-period finds and features, Lower Close (Monument)
686Parent of: Multi-period pottery finds, 57 The Close (Find Spot)
552Parent of: Neolithic flaked axehead, The Close (Find Spot)
50Parent of: Possible Late Saxon hut and pottery sherds (Monument)
26458Parent of: Post medieval building material, rear of 70 Bishopgate (Find Spot)
167Parent of: Post medieval features, 64 Lower Close (Find Spot)
224Parent of: Post medieval finds and features, The Close (Monument)
275Parent of: Post medieval pottery finds, The Close (Find Spot)
26039Parent of: Precinct Wall, The Close (Monument)
41825Parent of: Saxon and medieval finds and features, Norwich Cathedral, Cloister Garth (Monument)
280Parent of: Saxon and medieval finds and features, Norwich School, Tombland (Monument)
39471Parent of: Saxon and medieval finds and features, Slype, Norwich Cathedral (Monument)
45Parent of: Saxon, medieval and post medieval finds and features, The Close (Monument)
579Parent of: Site of Church of St Ethelbert, Upper Close (Monument)
585Parent of: Site of Church of St Mary in the Marsh, Lower Close, Norwich (Monument)
590Parent of: Site of Holy Trinity Church, Norwich (Monument)
634Parent of: Site of medieval bell tower outside 71 The Close (Monument)
558Parent of: St Ethelbert's Gate, The Close (Building)
561Parent of: St Helen's Church, South of Bishopgate, Norwich (Monument)
47962Parent of: Statue of Lord Nelson, The Close (Building)
48089Parent of: Statue of the Duke of Wellington, The Close (Building)
226Parent of: The Cathedral of the Holy and Undivided Trinity (Norwich Cathedral) (Building)
Site 803Parent of: The Close (Monument)
Site 807Parent of: The Close (Monument)
26025Parent of: The Hermitage, 52 and 54 Bishopgate (Building)
26082Parent of: The Old Charnel House, The Close (Carnary Chapel) (Building)
44551Parent of: Two medieval walls, Bishop's Garden (Monument)
26053Parent of: Watergate, The Close (Building)
26132Part of: 7 St Faith's Lane. (Building)
26037Part of: Bishop Salmon's Porch, The Close (Building)
26387Part of: Medieval feature, The Cathedral of the Holy and Undivided Trinity (Monument)
26468Part of: Remains of post medieval vault, Erpingham Gate, Norwich (Monument)
26426Part of: Site with no archaeological finds or features, 15 Lower Close (Negative evidence)

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