My work has taken me to New York, Amsterdam and London this year. Exciting places to sample, but it is to Norwich that I gratefully return. With the city recently judged the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times I feel warmly vindicated. This is where my children have been educated, where my wife teaches and where I have based my business for the last 12 years.
Norwich is a compact city with a relaxed ‘town’ feel. Easily walkable and relatively affordable it is a great place to explore. Retaining much of its medieval heritage it has serious history (sorry New York) including a castle constructed by conquering Normans in 1069 and the spectacular cathedral built about 30 years later. As a centre for cloth and wool trade in the Middle Ages it was the wealthiest city beyond London before the industrial revolution took profit, people and attention elsewhere.
At least twice a week I walk or cycle down into the city crossing Fye Bridge (cover photo) and make my way through the arched entrance into the Norwich Cathedral. Inside I climb the steps to the café to claim a bit of calm thinking time (above).
When Norwich City have a home game my cycle ride extends from Cathedral Close (above) via riverside walk to Carrow Road stadium. The football club has heritage too, claiming the oldest football ‘song’ in the world still in use. Dating back to at least 1902 you get a helpful reminder of the chant on the way to your seat. Away fans make it loudly clear they are not impressed. We smugly embrace this as jealously.
The challenge for Norwich is that you need to travel to the eastern bump of the UK to discover it. This requires a plan –unless you are heading to the coast you won’t accidentally encounter Norwich on the way to somewhere else.
(I must add the Norfolk coast is another great reason to visit. We often make a 35 minute drive to Overstrand and walk into Cromer).
I warmly invite you to visit my fine city. Here are directions to pre-empt any excuse.
