Norwich is one of the oldest towns in England, which means a rich historical heritage. Any curious and alert visitor will discover at every turn of their walk around Norwich city centre a street or a square full of singular buildings marking the flow of time over the centuries.
The first buildings you notice are the ones located in a prominent space, like the Castle, built on top of the hill that crowns the urban area, or the impressively large ones, like the Cathedral, with its spectacular needled spire. Both were the main constructions executed by the Norman conquerers of East Anglia around 1100 a.d. and use limestone, a material not found in England and imported from the continent by the Normans.
Of course, there are other religious buildings deserving our attention. In ancient times 52 churches were spread over the city, but nowadays we still can admire more than 30 of them. Saint Andrews, Saint Gilles and Saint Peters are just a few examples in which we can appreciate one of the most singular architectural peculiarities of the Norfolk zone: the use of flint, the local stone which gives a unique taste to the streets of Norwich.
If we are talking about historical places in the town, we can't forget the more modest constructions than the aforementioned, but perhaps more evocative of the idea of the English day to day life in earlier times. Elm Hill or Tombland Alley, with their simple houses made of wood and brick, covered with the thatched roofs are the perfect image to keep in our minds as a souvenir of Norwich as we leave the town. Hopefully to come back some day.
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