I had thought that our series of eating at Norwich Market food stalls had come to an end, but there are a couple of additions. I’ve been asked why Buka Street was missed off our visits. It wasn’t forgotten, but it was closed when we tried to visit it on multiple occasions.
As I was asked about it, we visited today just to check, but it’s still closed. They’ve also now deleted all of their Instagram posts and so I assume this stall is now permanently closed. I will though change this page if I see them open and I must admit to being disappointed not to have had a chance to try their food which did look rather lovely.
This is a little sub-optimal, someone has driven into Norwich City Wall near to where Carrow Bridge joins King Street. It’s not entirely clear to me how a car has managed to miss the road which is quite clearly marked out, but there we go.
I’ve seen a few online comments suggesting that the wall is somehow wrecked forever in this spot after centuries of standing there. Not that knocking it down is ideal, but I think the reality is that at this spot near the road they’ve taken these stones out and put them back so many times over the centuries that it’s unlikely to make much difference. It’s an interesting chance to see the way that the wall is constructed, which mostly seems to consist of flint, rubble and hope.
I’ve noticed many Norwich various historic walls being taken down for professional repair which seems to involve taking most of the stones out and putting them back again in a different order. A little of the Ship of Theseus going on, or Trigger’s Broom which is perhaps a better example.
The city council is apparently arranging repairs, so it’ll likely look as good as new again soon enough. Then hopefully it won’t be knocked down again.
There’s a tempting selection of cakes which are all clearly priced and well presented. It was all spotlessly clean as well, shiny glass and dry surfaces.
The selection of ‘brookies’, which are brownies in a cookie. The stall accepts cash and cards, with a small discount for purchasing three at a time. There’s been a small increase in price over the last two years, around 50p for each item, but that’s in line with all of the other stalls.
I don’t want to linger when referencing the service as the stall holder was talking to someone else they knew and so I did feel a little in the way. But, it is what it is, the stall has been going since 2011 so they’re clearly doing something right. And the stall holder smiled, made eye contact and served us promptly.
I went for the lemon meringue which was well presented and looked appetising. The base was a little drier than ideal, but there was a depth of flavour to the whole arrangement and the lemon punched through. And a little bit of meringue on just about any cold dessert is a good idea to add texture and taste. This cost £3.50 and I thought that it was reasonably priced.
James spent some time preparing his perfect photo composition and he was content with his fudge based sweet treat. We then had to have a long debate about who will be the winners of this whole round of market visits, but more on that soon.
As for this visit, I was trying to push for a little more engagement so I could have a final post of the year packed with positivity. But, the service was prompt, the stall had some tempting options and I enjoyed the sweet treat, so all was well.
In my erratic series of posts from Norfolk newspapers 200 years ago this week, I noticed that the King’s Arms in Great Yarmouth was being advertised for sale in the Norwich Mercury. The text reads:
“KING’S ARMS INN, Great Yarmouth.
To be Sold by Private Contract,
All that Old-established and well-known INN, called the KING’S ARMS INN, with 3 Cottages adjoining, situate near the North Gates, in Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, now in the occupation of Mrs. Mayhew, with good arched Wine and Beer Cellars, extensive Yards, Stabling, Standing for Carriages, &c. &c.
The above Property has long been distinguished as being one of the best situations for an Inn in the borough of Great Yarmouth.
The Estate is all Freehold, and the only out-going is an annual Land-tax of £2.
N. B. — An excellent Weighing Machine for Hay is attached to the Premises.
For price and further particulars apply (if by letter post-paid) to Mr. Samuel Sherrington, Priory, Great Yarmouth, or Mr. Miller, Union Office, Norwich.”
I rather like that this pub is still there, although it was mostly rebuilt in the early twentieth century and then had to be repaired after extensive damage during the Second World War. To this day, the pub retains its large beer garden and I visited it a few times during the partial lockdown a few years ago.
Here’s what it looked like at the turn of the last century, the area to the left has nearly all been lost, but the area around the pub remains looking pretty similar. Mrs Mayhew, who was mentioned as the landlady in the advert, remained running the pub until 1830 and it was up for sale a couple of times in the years that followed so it’s possible that it never actually sold.
This year, we decided to include the Little Red Roaster, which sells coffee, on our efforts to visit every food stall at Norwich Market. They’ve been trading since 2002 and I think their business is primarily selling speciality roasted coffee in bags or on a commercial basis, but they have this bustling little arrangement here selling hot drinks directly.
They sell bags of coffee beans and there’s an interesting selection of types including the Red Panda Guatemala which has flavours of dark brown sugars, being rich and toasty, alongside the Brazil Vargem Grande Estate which has flavours of chocolate, nuts and is sweeter.
The price list at the stall. James commented on how cheap it was, although I’m more used to having 8 coffees at JD Wetherspoon for £1.71 or a filter coffee from Pret for 99p. James is really quite decadent now though, I think he goes to some high-end coffee shops in the city, that’s probably how he knows all these people in suits. The prices do seem to be in keeping with quality products though and at least there’s some authenticity here.
The coffee machine arrangement. There was a friendly welcome from the stall holder and it all felt organised and the ordering process was clear. They accept cards or cash for drinks, with hot chocolate and tea available for those who don’t want coffee.
My £3.50 mocha. The drink was served at the appropriate hot temperature, there was some latte art (well mocha art) and it had a depth of taste and lingering flavours. I actually couldn’t taste any evidence of chocolate (although I think those black bits are chocolate, so it was in there), so I’m not sure that I would have known it was a mocha, but perhaps it was a little subtle for me.
James’s coffee and he really liked this, but he has an advanced palate for hot drinks (and chips) so that’s high praise. We coupled this visit with the Chocolate Bar Baker, which went really rather well together.
Overall, this is a handy place to get a hot drink at the market where there’s a quality to it. There are stalls, primarily the cafes, where coffee is available for 99p but that’s just in granules form with hot water added, so individuals can choose what suits them, such is the joy of the market.
This is week 29 of James and I eating at every food stall at Norwich Market, this time the turn of the Chocolate Bar Baker. James and I also discovered we’ve got a couple more stalls left than we thought, there really is an incredible depth to this market.
One of the two display cabinets of baked goods. I would add at this point that I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but I was tempted by a few different items here.
The second cabinet and that cheesecake arrangement does look rather lovely.
They also have chocolate covered strawberries for those who aren’t sure whether they want to be healthy or not.
And cake shakes are available for those wanting liquid refreshment. The service here was warm and friendly, with the stall taking both cards and cash. I got a feeling of passion about the product from the stallholder, as if she was just proud of what she sold.
I went for the cherry crumble slice which was £3.50. It wasn’t as sickly as I feared, the cake was moist and rich with the cherry running through it, with generous amounts of chocolate on the exterior. And there was literally the cherry on the cake.
James, who is more decadent and artistic than I am, went for a £4.50 Mars Bar Chocolate Millionaires Tart. He was suitably impressed and, only slightly distracted by someone being arrested by the police nearby, noted the high quality of the product (the tart, not the police). We only had six people in suits saying hello to James today, so a quiet day for him in the city.
Overall, I enjoyed this visit as the prices were reasonable for the quality of the product. It felt like an authentic small trader with a passion for their product and not a local multiple treating the market as just another venue. Definitely recommended and it’s something a little different for the market.
James and I are visiting every food stall at Norwich market this year and we’re very nearly there, with this visit being to the cafe B’s T’s. I think we have an admission here, this unit was trading when we did this same project in 2023 but we don’t appear to have visited. So, this is one of four cafes on Norwich market and they’re the traditional stalls which sell hot drinks, burgers, rolls, hot dogs, breakfasts and the like. There seems to be a constant demand for these stalls as they’ve all been busy when we’ve visited them this year.
The menu board, but I don’t have a comparison from two years ago since we forgot to go there. It’s evident from the stickers on the menu that there have been some price increases though. There was a friendly welcome and the ordering system seemed easy to understand, with the stall taking both cards and cash.
In my helpful way, I asked for a burnt bacon and sausage roll, which the staff member engaged with in a positive manner. Although she clarified that I really just wanted well done, she continued to reference the term burnt. I like this sort of engagement as it makes it easier for customers to return and be remembered by the stall holders. Anyway, it wasn’t greasy and the bacon was satisfactorily cooked and it meant that I had only a minimal need to remove excessive fat. The staff member did forget to add on the sweet chilli sauce that she meant to, although I had some ketchup in sachets with me anyway (it’s essential when travelling….). The sausage was meaty and juicy, although it was under the bacon and so a little hard to see in the photo. The roll was also soft and fresh, so another point there.
James had a cheeseburger and I can’t remember half of what he said about it, but he said it didn’t beat the best one he’s had in the market this year, but it was better than the last couple that’s he had. So, let’s go with he thought that it was above average. I’ll pay more attention to what he’s saying next time but a polite pigeon distracted me during the food testing phase of our visit.
Overall, I liked this stall and the service, it felt informal and friendly. The roll cost £4 which seemed reasonable for the market, although the market stalls are perhaps going to struggle a little with the onslaught of meal deals from national chains at the moment which are mostly priced at £5 to £6. I would repeat though for those looking at the photo and thinking the bacon has been overcooked, that was to my request and now they usually do it….
[I originally posted this in August 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]
This building isn’t of historic interest just because it’s a tourist information centre (although I’m sure it is a lovely little service for visitors to the town), but because it was the Sailors’ Home from 1861 until 1965. During the time which it was open it looked after over 11,000 shipwrecked sailors from 29 different countries. I’m sure that I remember this building being used as a Maritime Museum for a while in the 1980s.
There doesn’t seem to be any specific connection with this building and HMS Lutine, other than it sailed from Great Yarmouth in 1799. The boat was carrying today’s equivalent of £100 million of bullion and coin and it sank, which must have irritated its owners. Although not overly irritated them as they had the sense to insure it, so Lloyds of London paid out for the losses. Lloyds have since salvaged some of the gold, although much is still underwater, and they also got back the ship’s bell. This bell, the Lutine Bell, is now pride of place in the Head Office of Lloyds in London. Although it occurs to me that if I sent a salvage crew to collect my gold I’d rather they returned with that rather than the bloody ship’s bell.
[I posted this in August 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]
I’ve walked by this church on Regent Road hundreds of times over the years, but never actually gone in it. The church opened in 1850 after three years of construction, replacing a small chapel which couldn’t cater for the growing congregation. At the time this was the only building on Regent Road and it now looks a little out of place with the mainly tourist orientated shops and restaurants that are on the street today.
The church was designed by Joseph John Scoles, who also designed St. Peter’s Church in the town. It was built for the Jesuits, although was taken over by the Diocese of East Anglia in the mid-twentieth century. When the church opened it had a congregation of over 800 people, showing why the previous building had been of an inadequate size.
The font is from the 1850s and was also designed by Scoles.
There are numerous of these painted artworks around the church and there are information sheets (well, pieces of paper stuck to the wall) which give information as to what they represent. The information sheets are though useful and give a little bit more context about the building’s history.
The impressive interior, which is relatively unchanged since the church was built, with some interesting roof decorations. There are over 800 carved roof bosses in the church and there are a few of the original mid-nineteenth century pews remaining in situ.
The pulpit was apparently designed by Pugin, although there seems some doubt on this, and it was installed under the supervision of George Myers.
The stained glass window, which I think is from the mid-nineteenth century.
The organ dates from the late nineteenth century and has 1,032 pipes.
I had wondered why there were numerous CCTV signs and warnings of alarms, but assumed it was a general security measure. Unfortunately though it now makes sense, as some yob tried to set the church on fire earlier on in 2018. Fortunately the damage wasn’t too severe and the idiot was caught and charged with committing hate crimes.
It’s a peaceful and quiet environment in the church, in contrast to the rather busy and noise shopping street outside. I can’t imagine this church when it was located on a little quiet road which led to the beach, but I’m pleased that it has survived intact.
[I originally posted this in September 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]
It has to be noted that the state of Anglican churches in Great Yarmouth isn’t what it was, with perhaps most of the energies in recent decades going into the Minster. This church was opened in 1831 as St. Peter’s Church, designed by JJ Scoles, who also designed the nearby St. Mary’s Church.
The church fell into disuse in the 1960s and it was given to the Greek community to use as an Orthodox church. It was fortunate for the building that a new use was found, as this was at a time when churches were often demolished if they had become redundant.
The building is currently being repaired and the process has been on-going for several years. English Heritage have helped with the funding, but it has also been a major financial challenge for the local congregation to raise money themselves to put towards the project. The first part of the work involved repairing the tower, which had become a danger given that bits were falling off of it, never an ideal situation…..
