A new Norwich guidebook has collected 111 of the very best things about the city and surrounding area and packaged them into an irresistible combination of must-go destinations, insider tips, history and photography.
There is inspiration and information for everyone from tourists to life-long residents. Due attention is paid to historic Norwich, the city with the densest concentration of medieval churches in the world and home to Edith Cavell and Thomas Browne.
But this not purely a paeon to the past. It celebrates a vibrant modern city too, visiting new shops and highlighting community projects.
111 Places in Norwich that you shouldn’t miss takes in well-known sites such as Elm Hill, the Castle and Guildhall, as well as lesser-known history including the beautifully carved medieval arch hidden beneath the modern courts building and the feminist past of Magdalen Street.
Author Martin Dunford is an affable and entertaining guide. Join him as he wanders along Unthank Road (‘Is this Norwich’s coolest street?’) and Tombland (‘The beating heart of Norwich in Anglo Saxon times’) or travels out to Salhouse Broad and Lotus Cars.
He is partial to a drink and a bite to eat, with several city pubs featured, plus market stalls and fancy restaurants. The book opens with the ancient Adam and Eve and closes with Yalm, newly arrived in the Royal Arcade, which also gets its own listing.
Martin has been writing travel guides for 40 years, beginning with a book about Amsterdam in researched while living in a tent in the Dutch city. He went on help launch the renowned Rough Guides series of international travel books, and now runs UK travel and accommodation website coolplaces.co.uk
He first visited Norfolk to sail on the Broads and liked it so much he splits his time between London and Horning.
This latest book is as much a love letter as a guide and well-travelled Martin is such a fan he puts Norwich second only to Rome in his list of favourite cities, saying: ‘That may sound odd, but both places are a messy jumble of historical layers all mixed in together, and that’s part of their charm – they are both places where the past is always there but never overwhelms the present.’
Arranged alphabetically, on a double-page per entry, each includes Martin’s engaging description and a full-page photograph captioned with information on getting there, opening times, facts and tips.
‘I learned a lot about Norwich but the nice thing is that it wasn’t all history and buildings,’ said Martin. ‘I was struck by how contemporary the city is, full of creative people doing interesting things.’
‘I love the fact that Karin Tearle, who took the photographs for the book but didn’t know Norwich before, liked the city so much she is planning on moving here. It’s a city of devoted strangers and addicted natives!’
Martin was particularly impressed by the number of influential women who lived in Norwich. ‘I knew about the Elizabeth Fry connection but I was amazed to see how many of her contemporaries – and indeed predecessors – were equally influential.’
His own favourite place from the past is the Great Hospital (‘For me, there’s no greater or more evocative example of Norwich’s continuity from the Middle Ages. Everyone should take a tour!’) He also picked out the Book Hive, The Garnet and Bread Source as places he gravitates to on every trip into Norwich.
‘I have no doubt that there are places people feel should have been included and weren’t. The nice thing about these books, though, is that they provoke discussion: hopefully we’ll do another edition before long and I’d love to know about places that I have missed, or that I should know about and don’t.’
111 Places in Norwich that you shouldn’t miss by Martin Dunford, with photography by Karin Tearle, is published by Emons Verlag
