Norwich Castle

When the Normans arrived in England in 1066, Norwich was an important trade centre and one of the largest towns in the country.

At that time, Tombland was -and still is- the main street of the city because, apart from housing the market, it was the place where the city administrators lived.

The Normans built a timber castle on a hill and, near by, they stablished a new market place, churches and houses. In 1096 they also began to build the cathedral. Those two buildings, the castle and the cathedral, are the only ones made of stone (brought by ship from France) and not of flint as, soon after the cathedral was started, the timber of the castle was replaced by stone.

Henry II in 1158 and, later on, Richard the Lionheart in 1194 gave the city a royal character.