Discovering Norwich’s hidden world

A world of hidden passageways has been pushed into the limelight with the publication of a new walking route called ‘Norwich’s nooks & crannies’.

The route, composed of three short walks, takes people on a journey of discovery through many of the city’s historic alleys, courts and lanes. Each walk is peppered with stories, some of which go back centuries.

From the morris dancing actor who won his bet with Shakespeare to a wild boy who was a princess’ pet, the tales are vividly brought to life in a 36-page booklet.

Each walk starts and finishes in the market place and takes a meandering journey around the city centre in a series of loops without ever crossing the same point twice.

Split into three walks of 2.2 miles, 1.5 miles and 2 miles, the entire map details 50 passageways and covers a total of 5.7 miles.

The furthest compass points will take people to a section of Magdalen Street to the north, Tombland to the east, King Street to the south and close to Grapes Hill in the west of the city.

The illustrated booklet gives easy-to-follow directions and features up to 17 points of interest on each walk – many of which are accompanied by stories that illustrate pieces of Norwich’s rich history.

Bert Bremner, cabinet member for environment and sustainable development, said: “Norwich’s nooks and crannies opens up a truly fascinating world. The walks in the booklet can be enjoyed by local people and visitors alike as well as people of all ages.

“So for those seeking a bit of fresh air and some gentle exercise over the Christmas and New Year holiday it will be the perfect thing to turn to.”

The nooks and crannies booklet will be available from Monday 19 December, free of charge, at City Hall’s main reception and the Tourist Information Centre.

The walk and accompanying booklet has been created as part of the Pushing Ahead programme, which uses money from the Department for Transport to promote the health and environmental benefits of cycling and walking.