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(Paras. 1 to 7)

Norwich A Port

& Associated Pubs

2. The Project :  3. The Failure :  4. The Hype   6. . . . and Keels :  7. Steam Packets and Barges

1. : The Port

Until the mid- to late- 20th Century, the Port of Norwich
was a commercial reality; invigorated by the building of
the new Lifting Bridge at Carrow; opened by
the Prince of Wales in June 1923.
Vessels used the rivers Yare and Wensum to bring
goods from the harbour at Great Yarmouth.

Both the Kingsway and Jolly Maltsters profited greatly
from the new bridge, being on opposite sides of the
new approach road.
The Kingsway was a complete 1930's re-build of the
Cellar House, and the Jolly Maltsters was greatly
modified pre-WWII.

But our primary purpose is to introduce the concept of
a second route to the Port, which was a much earlier
venture - but one doomed to failure.

2. : The Project

Alderman Crisp Brown introduced his plan in 1814,
on the basis that ocean-going ships could not get as far
as Norwich, and goods were having to be transferred to
smaller "wherries" (see 5. below) before they left Yarmouth.
In addition to transfer costs, there were
harbour dues and pilfering problems.

He suggested an improved route,
navigable all the way from Yarmouth.
Predictable opposition from that quarter led to a
different scheme using Lowestoft - where a new
harbour was to be constructed.

However, it was not until 1827, after much costly
dispute, that Parliament approved the plans of
"Norwich & Lowestoft Navigation".

It is instructive to note that, long after the project failed,
measures to allow vessels (albeit moderately-sized) to
sail direct from Yarmouth Harbour were shown to be practicable.
Presumably, the eight-feet draught demanded by
Crisp Brown was achieved by dredging.

3. : The Failure

The new Lowestoft harbour was eventually built,
presumably with the title of "Clarence", as
commemorated by the Clarence Harbour pub,
not far from the Port itself.
The Duke of Clarence had become
King William IV in 1830.

The waterway was opened, too;
but not until 30th September 1833.
Thereafter few ships ever made use of the facility
(including a ship-canal across Reedham marshes)
and the overall result was a sorry commercial fiasco.

The opening of the Norwich - Yarmouth railway in
1844 must surely have delivered the coup de grace.
The first record of the said pub was in 1842.

4. : The Hype

During the 20 or so years involved, much excitement
and enthusiasm was aroused regarding the bright future
of the Port (i.e. by-passing the vested interests in the
Port of Yarmouth).

In addition to the Clarence Harbour, one other pub in
the Carrow area was called Norwich - A Port; and
similar names (e.g. Port of Norwich) appeared
within the more central area of the City, at
Bridewell Alley, Thorn Lane and Union Place.
See the Index page for these pubs.

 

5. : The Wherries

As has been noted above, the wherries eventually
lost out, even without the actual help of Alderman
Crisp Brown. They were able to operate in only
three or four feet of water.

Although such craft are now just part of sailing history,
several pub names have commemorated their one-time
vital importance to the trade of the City.
The Beaconsfield Arms was demolished, re-built
and renamed The Wherry as recently as 1974.
A rather famous city-centre establishment
had earlier re-opened in April 1964.

6. : . . . and Keels

The development of larger Wherries slowly displaced
the keels - the latter used as early as 1686, although
some remained until 1854 at least. But they were slower,
heavier and less handy, and were well in decline by the 1830's.

A pub called the Keel existed in King Street, in St. Peter
(Parmentergate) parish, and was listed between 1763
and 1811.
It does not seem to be connected to the Three Keelmen
or Keelmen listed in St. Etheldreda parish in 1760 and 1763.

A pub called the Wherry, mentioned by Arderon, was
lower down in King Street; and the name was changed
by 1839 to the Keel and Wherry (from nostalgia ?)

A school of thought says that the Old Barge (see below)
was previously called the Three Merry Wherrymen.

7. : Steam Packets and Barges

Another type of vessel, used for leisure trips,
was the steamboat or "packet".
By 1813 these were taking passengers
to and from Great Yarmouth.
Sadly, a boiler explosion occurred in one case in 1817
- which was not good for business !.

Their popularity can be gauged by the number of pubs
so named : three or four in the vicinity of the river
(King Street) and one - the London Steam Packet -
on the top of the hill at St. Catherine's Plain.

Prior to that, in 1802, two barges were making regular
trips to Gt. Yarmouth (either powered by sail, or horse-drawn**) .
Both gave their names to pubs in King Street :-

  • the Old Barge departed from
        the aptly-named "Wherry Staithe", while
  • the New Barge - perversely - left from
        the "Old Staithe".

** The Horse Packet, by Upper King Street -
forerunner of one of the Steam Packets -
seems to have been a conscious Luddite
response (1822) to the new (and dangerous?)
Age of Steam.
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