The Norwich Society

12/10/2026

There are still a few tickets for the next Norwich Society talk

Norwich, City of Hermits
Speaker: Professor Carole Rawcliffe

10:30 am -Thu 15 Oct 2026
The Forum, NR2 1TF

Open to all - £10.00 non-members / £5.00 members
Book here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/events/talk-norwich-city-of-hermits-speaker-professor-carole-rawcliffe

Norwich has been described as ‘the most religious city in late medieval Europe’, famous for its cathedral, friaries, richly decorated parish churches and, of course, its community of recluses headed by the internationally celebrated Dame Julian. The hermits who were then such a prominent feature of civic life seem, however, to have been largely forgotten, even though, as this talk will reveal, they enjoyed widespread support and respect. From Richard Furness, a charismatic priest with a circle of affluent and devoted female admirers, to Robert Goddard, who cleaned the ditches at St Stephen’s, they emerge as a fascinating cast of characters thanks to the survival of so much unparalleled documentary evidence.

Carole Rawcliffe is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia. Carole is also a Member of The Norwich Society’s Publications Working Group and a regular contributor to Aspects of Norwich.

22/09/2026

Good news that Carrow House will continue to house community groups, including the Norwich Society.

Norwich Unity Hub (NUH) has welcomed the decision by Norwich City Council to award a new lease extension at Carrow House, securing the future of one of Norfolk's most significant community assets after independent analysis showed the Hub and its members have generated more than £6.5 million in social value during their first year of operation.

The decision provides longer-term stability for the growing community of charities, social enterprises, creative practitioners and community groups that call Carrow House home and comes as demand for space at the site continues to exceed capacity. Carrow House is currently fully occupied, supporting 25 resident VCSE organisations, 28 creatives and 52 member organisations, with a waiting list of organisations hoping to secure future space.

Since Norwich Unity Hub opened at Carrow House in October 2024, the Grade II listed building has been transformed into a thriving centre for collaboration, creativity and community action. The Hub now hosts an average of 48 room bookings and events every month and welcomed 18,642 visitors in 2025, with that figure set to double in 2026.

21/09/2026

There's still time to book for the next Norwich Society talk

Chomped Hillsides – The Chalk Pits of Norwich
Speaker: Matt Williams

hu 24 Sept 2026 - 10:30 am
The Forum, NR2 1TF

Open to all - £10.00 non-members / £5.00 members
Book here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/events/talk-chomped-hillsides-the-chalk-pits-of-norwich-speaker-matt-williams?fbclid=IwY2xjawUeHB1wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5g5A983BNzQvEXFl2IxUNN20XGYLBf4qZVl9vtmCpGmBSc3yy_sx5WwicDrg_aem_D4xIvXV7gBevCE8WUYYFPQ

Chalk workings form part of Norwich’s rich heritage. Matthew Williams looks at the geological and historical context to explain why and where excavation took place - and what the legacy of chalk pits means for the modern city.
Matt Williams is a chartered geologist and local author with a professional background in the construction industry. He was a member of the Society’s Strategic Planning and Transportation Committee and gave a talk at the Society’s Climate Change Conference in 2024 on Floods and the City infrastructure.

17/09/2026

Norwich has several examples of cutting-edge architecture and our October talk focusses on the former Norwich Sports Village.

THINNER THAN EGGSHELLS: Heinz Isler’s shells for the former Norwich Sports Village

Tuesday 6th October - 6:30 pm
The Forum, NR2 1TF

Open to all - £10.00 non-members / £5.00 members
Book here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/events/talk-thinner-than-eggshells-heinz-islers-shells-for-the-former-norwich-sports-village-speaker-john-chilton

The recently-listed, reinforced concrete shell roofs at the former Norwich Sports Village are unique examples in the UK of free-form shell architecture. First developed in Germany, in the 1920s, thin reinforced concrete shells are relatively thinner than eggshells. In 1959, at the First Congress of the International Association for Shell Structures, the Swiss engineer Heinz Isler (1926-2009) astounded the international audience of eminent engineers and architects by presenting three ingenious methods for creating non-geometric, free-form shells. The most novel of these was the ‘hanging cloth reversed’. This was the technique he used to find the shape of the sports hall and swimming pool roofs of the Norwich Sports Village, opened officially by Princess Anne, on 8th September 1988.

This talk will describe Heinz Isler’s formative years, including the design and construction of the former Norwich Sports Village swimming pool roof.

Our speaker is John Chilton, Emeritus Professor of Architecture and Tectonics at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, and Honorary Member of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, based in Madrid. He was a long-standing friend of Heinz Isler and is author of the book The Engineer’s Contribution to Architecture: Heinz Isler (2000). He had the good fortune to witness the first day of concreting the Norwich swimming pool shell.

17/09/2026

Heritage Stock Take - why not take part?

We had a busy day in the Forum yesterday when members and the general public signed up to help take stock of our listed buildings, particularly the lesser-known Grade II and Grade II* buildings that are not open to the public.

This stock take will help us identify any buildings that might be at risk and also encourage people to visit area you don't know so well.

How to get involved:

We will have a stand in The Forum, 10am-4pm on:
Thursday 17 September
Saturday 26 September

Visit our stand to choose buildings to visit, collect a questionnaire and map, or return your completed questionnaire to our stand or The Forum's Building Services
There is no deadline - take part whenever it suits you.
Visit our website for more information and to access digital versions of:
• Map of Norwich heritage buildings
• Historic England’s listing website
• Our questionnaire
All details here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/explore-norwich/heritage-stock-take-2

Questionnaires and maps will also be available at the ticket desk at our first Talk of the season on 24th September

11/09/2026

Heritage Stock Take

To Celebrate Heritage Open Days this year, The Norwich Society is inviting members and the general public to take stock of our listed buildings, particularly the lesser-known Grade II and Grade II* buildings that are not open to the public.

Looking at these buildings with our questions in hand may prompt you to notice and consider aspects you have not thought about before, or take you to parts of the city you don't generally visit.

How to get involved
We will have a stand in The Forum, 10am-4pm on:
Wednesday 16 September
Thursday 17 September
Saturday 26 September

Visit our stand to choose buildings to visit, collect a questionnaire and map, or return your completed questionnaire to our stand or The Forum's Building Services

There is no deadline - take part whenever it suits you.

Visit our website for more information and to access digital versions of:
• Map of Norwich heritage buildings
• Historic England’s listing website
• Our questionnaire

All details here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/explore-norwich/heritage-stock-take-2

Questionnaires and maps will also be available at the ticket desk at our first Talk of the season on 24th September

10/09/2026

Latest revamp plans for Norwich City Hall are revealed | Eastern Daily Press

Opening up City Hall's clock tower to visitors is being considered as part of multi-million plans to revamp the landmark city centre building.

03/09/2026

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/26515557.norwichs-gurney-clock-move-science-museum-london/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUGe2BwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuySvRauScFdP1TB-QQ9cZQ2qHb69uD5xVAmDGfaYYRjxIrUBI40tSRsnLUh_aem_ahCzN6f1uUConxt-hQIB4w

Norwich's Gurney Clock is to go on public show again after being in storage for more than a decade - but not in the city.

03/09/2026

The next Norwich Society talk is
Chomped Hillsides – The Chalk Pits of Norwich
Speaker: Matt Williams

Thu 24 Sept 2026 - 10:30 am
The Forum, NR2 1TF

Open to all - £10.00 non-members / £5.00 members
Book here https://www.thenorwichsociety.org.uk/events/talk-chomped-hillsides-the-chalk-pits-of-norwich-speaker-matt-williams

Chalk workings form part of Norwich’s rich heritage. Matthew Williams looks at the geological and historical context to explain why and where excavation took place - and what the legacy of chalk pits means for the modern city.

Matt Williams is a chartered geologist and local author with a professional background in the construction industry. He was a member of the Society’s Strategic Planning and Transportation Committee and gave a talk at the Society’s Climate Change Conference in 2024 on Floods and the City infrastructure.