Sunday stroll

Where would you take a stroll on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Norwich?

After a nice quiet lunch at the Tamarind Tree Thai restaurant (check our milky thai tea out!) we headed down the hill - as noted in an earlier post, the catholics have the second highest hill after the Castle - to the Norwich Cathedral. It has the spire and so appears to be more dominant in terms of the skyline. We had visited and toured the cathedral but not the Close (grounds). As it says on their website: The Close is a 44 acre haven surrounding the Cathedral, containing more than 80 listed buildings. Simply put, it’s a little piece of heaven on a sunny day, so we highly recommend making time for a walk and a picnic!


Picnic we did not, but walk we did. 

Our previous visit was a cold and windy day, quite the contrast to Sunday. Still cool, but much clearer and a day to do justice to the quote above. This square is just through one of the two main entrance gates. out of picture, at the left end of the green is a statue of Nelson; at the right end is one of Wellington. Strong protection of the entrances if you are into symbolism ... I could get narky and suggest the paradox of such (great) warriors protecting a sanctuary of a god, but that would be just like most of what modern day warriors think they are doing anyway ... strange thing the way we simultaneously celebrate and revere religion and war!

Crikey, haven't even got past the first green on those 44 acres - damn Sunday pontifications!

So, down the drive guarded on the east by an ancient flintstone and brick wall to a herb garden. Very important part of the historic site. At the rear of the garden (which we noticed on the way out later) is the remains of the monastic infirmary (AD1175-1200 ... see the plaque bottom left of the picture below) - so, just like now, the best drug cabinet was at the infirmary.

 

The trees and car park you can see centre right in the picture (left) is rear of the buildings you see in the photo of the green above (referring to Nelson & Wellington). That might help the more geographically minded of you with a sense of orientation ... if that is not you, read on, it is not important if you were not here and need not worry about getting lost strolling around the 44 acres!


Down the drive a little further and we came across another green. Currently a tent is set up as viewing station for a mating pair of peregrine falcons nested half way up the spire. Plenty of sighting noted, but alas, none during our visit. The young are due to hatch in coming weeks. This green is surrounded by many of the listed buildings mentioned in the quote and some magnificent blossoming trees and gardens as well. Quite the relaxing stroll on a sunny Sunday afternoon ... just like an older version of the original parts of Alstonville really (anytime of the year! :). It seems the buildings are variously residences, offices and school rooms - accommodating the Anglican Archdiocese and staff of the exclusive Norwich School. A sense of wealth and importance is difficult to ignore on the stroll. 

 

 

The wall plaque on the bottom right photo (above) has the date 1682. We headed out of this green to the right of that building. Later we returned and continued our stroll down the alley you can see in the photo on the left strewn with the magnolia petals ... I would like to claim I had arranged that specially for Deb, but it was a Sunday and on such consecrated ground I dare not! Entirely a whim of nature!

Here are a few images as we strolled down the right of the 1682 building towards Pulls Ferry on the River Wensum.

 

 
 These next two warrant a word or three ... couldn't resist a close up of gargoyle guardian over the front door ... some "welcome" mat. Must be something to it though, the house has been there a long time! The bottom right photo was included because of the small blue sign on the wall between the two bottom windows - yes, yes, I could have simply taken a close-up of the sign so YOU could read it, but then without the wider perspective it would not have meant much. So, it says: No parking please: vehicles obstruct the light. Perhaps there was a time before the second story had been added?

 

Now, after heading back up to the main green, we strolled off down the left hand alley to see where it led. It basically followed a square route along more flint and brick walls and paved walkways to the rear of the cathedral and eventually the main green square with the peregrine watchers and the ruins of the monastic infirmary. We did not get lost! Here are a couple of examples of the buildings along this part of the stroll.

 

We were fortunate at the cathedral to catch some singing at the tail end of a service. It is always quite something to open the doors and enter and listen to the acoustics of voices singing in these large cathedrals. Beautiful, even if not a choir in the sense we had experienced with the Messiah at Easter. A nice treat at the end of our stroll around the Close. Here is a shot of the door we entered as we headed back to the peregrine-watchers' tent - appropriately, the door is under the edge of the shadow cast by the wall of the clositers ... I say "appropriately" because wandering through cloisters always seems to create a sense of shadow and solemnity, which I guess was/is the point! Damn Sundays.

So we headed out the gate, and back up the hill to our car park and headed back to the Dairy. A final couple of shots from this part of our sunny Sunday afternoon walk ... all from an elevated part of the city centre backing onto one of the four sides of the Castle called Timberhill. First, a couple of retailers in neatly decorated period buildings, then the afternoon sun on St John the Baptist church. Finally, a really cool sign over a front door of a business right next to our car park ... might need to change the footer message on my email signature :).

Until next time ... showing spring has sprung ... and some of the creatures enjoying it ...