Bottom   :  Topics List   :  Norwich Area Pubs
Special Topic

(Paras. 1 to 7)

Norwich Pubs

Street Numbers

2. The Sequence :  3. The 1783 Initiative
4. Directional Problems 		  6. The Market :  7. Upper Market

1. : The Tardiness

A "proper" system of street-numbering was a very long
time in coming to this City. As late as 1883, the Trades
Directory - on which so much pubs-research relies -
was almost devoid of numbers.

Earlier in the 19th Century, only a few principal streets
(e.g. Gentleman's Walk) had numbers which appeared
in print.
Even in that particular case, the numbering was only
part of a series : which tried to cover the whole of the
Market area, in a strange sinuous route.
Also see Paras. 5 to 7 below, for details.

2. : The Sequence

The fairly established Market numbering was purely
sequential; and - given the nature/shape of the area -
it had to be. Indeed the idea of odd and even numbers
seems to have been a very modern brainwave !
However, William White's Directory of 1890
used the modern system.

So (most?) earlier systems had been sequential; and,
like all of them until (perhaps) 1890, had the other
woeful shortcoming of being an "unofficial", private
initiative i.e. not the work of the City Council.

3. : The 1783 Initiative

The first such laudable attempt is evident in the 1783
Directory; the Editorial content of which bewailed the
lack of numbering (as well as the shortage of street
name signs). So the editors decided to show
The Authorities how it should be attempted.

They decreed that No. 1 (the start of the street) was
defined by "travelling" from the Market Place,
and that it should be on the right-hand side.
The result, in a street of (say) 20 properties :

  • nos. 1 to 10  (right, going along)
  • nos. 11 to 20  (left, but coming back).
The latter point was a further disastrous suggestion,
where any street was being extended in length.
Furthermore, where infill was taking place, the
sequence would often be re-run; so that only a
few numbers remained the same for long.

4. : Directional Problems

The 1783 system was easy to understand, at the time
it was published, but only in relation to those main
highways which radiated from the centre.

There were many other streets unconnected
to the Market : e.g. Colegate, Back of the Inns,
St. Andrew's Street etc. etc.;
  *running almost parallel with, or
  *completely at right-angles to, The Walk.
In these cases Pot Luck determined which
side/end was numbered from 1 upwards.

Of course, this is still the case today; with great
inconsistencies between 'left' and 'right,
'odd' and 'even', 'high' and 'low'.

The Directory of 1802 adopted the 1783 principles in
numbering, but - for the reasons outlined above - many
of the property numbers differed from those of 1783.

 

5. : The Guildhall

Legend has it that the demolition of the Guildhall
was avoided by one vote in the City Council.
The numbering of "Market" properties would have
made much more sense without the Guildhall - i.e.
if the Market Square had been bounded by buildings
stretching from Lower Goat Lane to Dove Street.

Even today, the seats and taxi-ranks, below Guildhall,
are merely ancillary to the Market; and the stalls
themselves all lie to the South of the new road
constructed circa 1938.
Since then, there has always been confusion as to the
name of the new road; and whether the road between
Tesco's and the Guildhall should be called
Guildhall Hill or Gaol Hill.

The new prison[1] was built in 1827, so references to
Jail Hill tended to tail-off thereafter, and the hill
increasingly given the Guildhall name.

[1] The prison had been to the West of, and adjoining,
      present-day Tesco's. It was removed in 1827 to
      Earlham Road - site of the Catholic Cathedral.
      The Guildhall was the original prison.

6. : The Market

So, the street numbering??
It began at Lower Goat Lane. Number 1 was the
impressive corner building which stills stands,
and reminds older folk of Messrs. Wilkinson's shop.
Numbers 2,3,4 (at least) were clustered around
Labour-in-Vain Yard.

These sequential numbers ran down the Gaol Hill,
to the mouth of London Street; then along the Walk
(but not beyond White Lion Street - which is the
start of Haymarket).

Numbers may have changed a bit over the years . . .
But - for example - the Royal Hotel
(now Royal Arcade) was numbered 16 The Walk.
However, the 'Market' number for the (now)
coffee-bar, on the corner of Davey Place,
opposite Lloyd's Bank, was 20.
Hence the Royal Hotel's 'Market' number was
quite a bit higher than either 16 or 20.

Crossing the road to Booksale, the numbering
changed direction at the church steps; and again
round the corner of the Sir Garnet Wolseley.
That pub's number was 36. and probably still is.

7. : Upper Market

Eventually the numbering reached the top of the slope,
and had to turn North and head back towards the Guildhall.
These days there are no buildings along that stretch;
as they were, very roughly speaking, where the
Memorial Gardens are now.

Indeed there were, for the most part, two rows
of buildings demolished in the 1930s :-

  • The Upper Market row, facing the stalls
    (opposite The Walk)
  • The Eastern side of St. Peter's Street, facing West.
These days there is only one (Western) side -
of that street, occupied by the City Hall.

So it was the first, lower, row which
was numbered along with the Market.
One of the principal pubs facing the Market
was the Royal Exchange, numbered 44.

Top