Cloisters of Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral has the largest monastic cloister in England. It was constructed as a covered walkway enclosing an open quadrangle, or garth, and connected the Cathedral with the various monastic buildings. To the north the cloister is bounded by the Cathedral nave, into which there are two doors, one from each of the cloister's northern corners. To the east was the Chapter House, long since demolished, the entrance to which now leads out into the Cathedral Close. A doorway, now bricked up, led to the stairs to the monks' dormitory above. On the south side were the refectory and the infirmary. Nothing remains of the latter, but a stunning new Refectory, opened in 2004 and combining medieval and modern architecture, now stands on the site of the former. Open seven days a week it serves refreshments and light lunches, and is well worth a visit. From the west walk a door led into the priory's guest hall, or hostry, and now leads into the new Hostry building, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and completed in 2009.
The original Norman cloister was mostly destroyed during the riot of 1272, which was the culmination of a period of unrest over what the townspeople perceived as the unfair granting of landholding rights to the priory. Some of the land involved fell outside the Cathedral precincts, yet citizens living within these areas were expected to pay taxes and tithes to the priory. By the summer of 1272 things had come to a head and a state of siege existed. Efforts to reach a peaceful settlement failed when the Prior brought in armed mercenaries from Yarmouth who arrived by boat directly into the Cathedral precincts. They subsequently sallied forth into Norwich at night, burning and looting as they went. Several citizens were wounded and one was killed. The next day the city authorities called for a muster of men, and a raid on the priory ensued, and it is said that flaming arrows were fired from the nearby tower of the church of St George Tombland. One of the Cathedral gates was burned down to gain access, and several buildings within the precinct, including the church of St Ethelbert and the priory's bell tower, were ransacked and burned. Most of the monastic buildings, including the cloister, were destroyed and the fire spread to the Cathedral itself.
Evidence of this can still be seen inside the
Cathedral in places where the stonework has
taken on a pinkish discolouration caused by the
extreme heat.
Cloisters of Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral has the largest monastic cloister in England. It was constructed as a covered walkway enclosing an open quadrangle, or garth, and connected the Cathedral with the various monastic buildings. To the north the cloister is bounded by the Cathedral nave, into which there are two doors, one from each of the cloister's northern corners. To the east was the Chapter House, long since demolished, the entrance to which now leads out into the Cathedral Close. A doorway, now bricked up, led to the stairs to the monks' dormitory above. On the south side were the refectory and the infirmary. Nothing remains of the latter, but a stunning new Refectory, opened in 2004 and combining medieval and modern architecture, now stands on the site of the former. Open seven days a week it serves refreshments and light lunches, and is well worth a visit. From the west walk a door led into the priory's guest hall, or hostry, and now leads into the new Hostry building, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and completed in 2009.
The original Norman cloister was mostly destroyed during the riot of 1272, which was the culmination of a period of unrest over what the townspeople perceived as the unfair granting of landholding rights to the priory. Some of the land involved fell outside the Cathedral precincts, yet citizens living within these areas were expected to pay taxes and tithes to the priory. By the summer of 1272 things had come to a head and a state of siege existed. Efforts to reach a peaceful settlement failed when the Prior brought in armed mercenaries from Yarmouth who arrived by boat directly into the Cathedral precincts. They subsequently sallied forth into Norwich at night, burning and looting as they went. Several citizens were wounded and one was killed. The next day the city authorities called for a muster of men, and a raid on the priory ensued, and it is said that flaming arrows were fired from the nearby tower of the church of St George Tombland. One of the Cathedral gates was burned down to gain access, and several buildings within the precinct, including the church of St Ethelbert and the priory's bell tower, were ransacked and burned. Most of the monastic buildings, including the cloister, were destroyed and the fire spread to the Cathedral itself.
Evidence of this can still be seen inside the
Cathedral in places where the stonework has
taken on a pinkish discolouration caused by the
extreme heat.