The pavement of the north side of the cloisters was torn up in the great
rebellion, and relaid by William Burleigh, Esq. In this alley Queen
Elizabeth dined in public when she visited Norwich in 1578. In memory
thereof, her Majesty’s arms and those of the nobility who attended her
were painted on the wall of the church, and properly blazoned with
supporters, etc., but they were entirely effaced a century ago.
The dormitory of the monks adjoined the cloisters on the south. At a
short distance from the cloisters are the only remains of the Priory
founded by Bishop Herbert, consisting of three massive clustered columns,
the capitals of which are curiously carved.
THE BISHOP’S PALACE.
The Bishop’s Palace stands on the north side of the Cathedral Church, to
which there was in former times a passage from the door of the north
transept, arched over with stone similar to the cloisters. The original
palace was founded by Bishop Herbert, but has undergone so many repairs
and alterations, that but little of the first building remains, and that
part adjoins a new structure, in a similar style of architecture. In the
garden there is a fine ruin, said to be remains of the grand entrance
into the great hall, which reached to the site of the present episcopal
chapel, and was 110 feet long, and 60 broad. This chapel was restored in
1662, and in it are monuments of Bishops Reynolds and Sparrow. The
entrance to the episcopal residence is from St. Martin’s Plain, by the
palace gate, built by Bishop Alnwyck about 1430. It has a large pointed
arch of several mouldings, and the spandrels are filled with tracery; but
it has suffered materially from injudicious repairs. Over the arch is a
series of pannelled compartments with the letter M crowned. On the west
side is a small door, on which, amongst other ornaments, are a heart and
mitre, the supposed rebus of Bishop Lyhart.
THE CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS.
The Cathedral Precincts include the Upper and Lower Close, and a large
portion of garden ground, with good houses on the south side. The Upper
Close was formerly used as a play ground to the Grammar School; it is now
enclosed with palisades. At the south-east corner is the Audit Room,
which contains the library of the Dean and Chapter. The Lower Close was
enclosed by Dean Lloyd, in 1782, and converted into a garden. At the
extremity of the Lower Close, near the edge of the river, still stands a
double arch of black flint, which is considered the roughest bit of
picturesque in Norwich, and has been frequently sketched. It was
formerly the Water-gate to the precincts, and is now known as “Pull’s
Ferry.”
THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
[Picture: The Free Grammar School]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account