Welcoming close to 30,000 visitors a year, the award-winning Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life is Norfolk's 3rd largest. Nestled by the seaside in a heritage herring curing works area, this museum plays rich tributes to the marine and fishing heritage of this quaint town. Interactive displays and lifelike simulations of the quayside and fishermen houses, transport every visitor to another time and place. Stop by this gorgeous museum and take in the sea spray after.
Housed in a heritage structure that was once the Barclay's regional headquarters, Open is a new music hot-spot in town. Its owners started this place with the aim of treating audience to a melange of different music genres every week. Open offers a mix of traditional music venue and a sleek modern club. Armed with state-of-the-art facilities and excellent acoustic system, this venue hosts live music concerts, workshops, training sessions and similar events on a regular basis. For more details, check website or call ahead.
Well worth visiting if you are in the city, Tombland was once the center of the Saxon Burgh of Norwich. Soon to be pedestrianized, it is now a mini-hub of city nightlife, abutting the Romanesque sharpness of Norwich Cathedral. Between the Erpingham and St Ethelbert's Gates lie a bevy of leisure spots including the incomparable Pizza One Pancakes Too! and Boswells. On the north side, at the junction with Wensum Street, sits the elegant Tudor Maid's Head Hotel. It's widely reputed that Elizabeth I once slept here, although, as with any other fact about Gloriana, it's a big ol' bone of contention!
The Waterfront, as the name suggests, is located by the river. It is managed by the University of East Anglia Students' Union and this is reflected in its quality line up. It hosts top bands and DJ artists, with past appearances by the likes of Roni Size and Paul Weller, along with smaller local bands. The Saturday indie club night Meltdown has quite a dedicated following. There are also regular all-nighters and specialist nights. The Waterfront is split into two self-contained floors of amplified beats having dedicated spaces for independent halls in addition to bars, a cafe and separate rooms for artists. Other than the UEA itself, this is one of Norwich's premier live music venues and puts on some of the best club nights in Norwich.
The Theatre Royal is Norwich's premier theater. They don't come grander and more opulent than this. As it is Norwich's largest theater, it stages a diverse range of performances which cater for different audiences. There's opera, ballet, modern dance, musicals, comedy, and classical music. All the major national touring companies such as the RSC, the National Theatre and international companies such as the Russian Ballet come here. This is often the only opportunity to catch such world-class performances in the area. The theater itself has several well-stocked bars, and a restaurant, for those quick drinks during the interval. The architecture is the familiar grand musical hall style. The performances are always lavish and sumptuous affairs and you are guaranteed a night to remember.
Sitting on the top floor of the Castle Mall near the Farmers Avenue entrance, this octo-plex is the most central of Norwich's cinemas. Its eight extremely comfortable, similar-sized screens offer up the expected range of new releases and blockbusters at varying prices and times. Look out for the Saturday kids' club where all seats are cheap. (Call +44 871 224 0240 for more.)
One of our largest medieval churches, Norwich Cathedral boasts if not the highest (Salisbury pips the post), then surely the most graceful cathedral spire in England. Building on the Norman-style cathedral started in 1096; the cathedral suffered at the hands of rebel routers in 1272; in 1278, repairs commenced, and the notable cloisters were added. Nowadays the cathedral and cloisters are a tourist must; the lighting is exquisite, the color of the sandstone offsets the vast dimensions of the interior, giving the cathedral a very human, warm atmosphere. This is a cathedral whose simple beauty draws you back to it. And unlike St Paul's, Canterbury or Westminster Abbey, there is no compulsory entrance fee, though donations are both deserved and appreciated.
An active church in Norwich, St Julian's Church has been around since the 14th century. There has been a speculation as to who the patron saint of the church is but all elements indicate that it most likely could have been Saint Julian the Hospitaller who was the patron saint for ferrymen, this was thought because of the close location of the church to the river. It is part of the Saint John the Baptist, Timberhill parish and is among the two active churches under it. Visit their website for more details regarding their service schedules.
The All Saints Church is nestled in the parish of Ellough in the county of Suffolk. This medieval church was constructed with rubble and stone and consists of a south porch, a nave, an organ chamber, a chancel and a tower. The church contains lovely light windows and memorials and dates from the 14th Century. Beautifully perched on top of a hill, this shrine is listed as Grade I in the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest by English Heritage.
Built in 1790, the impressive Thrigby Post Windmill occupies a significant position as a historical monument in the lovely little civil parish of Mautby in Norfolk. Built by Robert Woolmer, the owner of Thrigby Hall, the mill was constructed with the sole purpose of grinding the wheat being produced at Thrigby Estate. The structure, built over a two story brick roundhouse is powered by four common sails on an iron wind shaft. The monument and its beautiful surrounding gardens are mostly open for public visitation on bank holidays and Mondays.
Brograve Mill is an interesting 18th-century construction in the lovely little parish of Sea Palling within the Norfolk Broads National Park in England. The fascinating red-bricked structure, now in ruins earlier comprised a Norfolk boat shaped cap and petticoat, patent sails used to power a modern internal turbine. the Waxham New Cut in front of the mill is a rich hue of peat and adds to the photogenic character of the dilapidated building. Once owned by the famous Sir Berney Brograve, 1st Baronet, the monument has now been declared a Grade II listed English Heritage.