Underground Norfolk crypts and dungeons you can visit

Prepare to venture below the surface to some hidden treasures across the county.

1. A crypt…and a dragon!

St Gregory’s Church on St Gregory’s Alley in Norwich is believed to have been built in the 14th century and, in addition to its crypt, has other treasures to discover such as a sculpted boss of a martyr going to their execution, a wall mural of St George killing the dragon as a princess watches, memento mori and some curious carvings (look out for the bearded man in a skirted tunic squatting with his hands on his knees and wearing pointy shoes!). There were once tunnels to the east and north of this church (the latter is now covered by the vestry, the east end still exists as St Gregory’s Back Alley) and inside what is now a lively antiques and collectables centre, there are steps down to the small crypt (watch your head!).

2. Bedford’s Crypt

Just off Bedford Street, Old Post Office Yard boasts one of Norwich’s finest undercrofts - a medieval structure with double-order diagonal ribs and wall arches, a central stone column with mouldings and brick ‘webbing’. Excavations here have unearthed a late Saxon pottery kiln, a well, medieval and Saxon pots, and a treasure room. The building above the undercroft was saved in the 1980s and the bar that is based there today takes its name from the Bedford Arms, which was once nearby. You can hire this impressive room for parties or events: take a virtual underground tour of Bedford’s crypt here.

3. Charnel House Norwich Cathedral

Just a few feet from Norwich's most famous landmark, bones were stacked in piles for curious onlookers to gaze at: heaps of leg bones and grinning skulls. Today it is Norwich School's chapel, but in the 14th century it was a building with a very different purpose: this space would have been packed with bones, in particular skulls and leg bones, the essentials for walking and talking on Judgement Day. Fast forward hundreds of years and this was the place where Norwich School sixth formers enjoyed a little relaxation between lessons: where once skeletons were piled high, teenagers gossiped and prepared for lectures. Next to the door, to the right, there are three round windows, each close to ground level - it is through these where citizens of Norwich would gaze at the mortal remains of their ancestors as they waited for the day of reckoning. The charnel house is now used as the Crypt Gallery, and there are regular art exhibitions held there. For more information please email cryptgallery@norwich-school.org.uk ​

4. The Tolhouse Gaol in Great Yarmouth

Built in around 1150, the Tolhouse is Yarmouth’s oldest civic building and is distinctive with its flint façade and tiled roof. From the 13th century it was where fishermen paid their tolls for herring catches, but from 1261, King Henry III gave permission for it be used as a gaol. The prison was in the basement of the building and is where some prisoners were kept for up to 10 years, while they awaited trial. In 1645, self-appointed Witchfinger General Matthew Hopkins used the gaol during his witch trials, having been invited to the town by the Yarmouth Assembly. On September 10, 1645, 11 people – two men and seven women - stood trial for witchcraft. Six women were found guilty, and five were hanged, probably at the gallows which once stood on the boundary between Yarmouth and Caister. The Tolhouse, which has also been a court and a police station, is owned by Norfolk Museums Service and reopens at Easter next year. Find out more here.

5. Crawl inside a Priest Hole hidden under a toilet at Oxburgh Hall

Oxburgh Hall hosts a treasure trove of secrets, not least a priest hole hidden beneath a toilet seat. The Bedingfield family have lived at Oxburgh since 1482 and during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, their faith was under fire with Catholic priests persecuted and hunted. The Bedingfields installed a hole to hide priests from anti-Catholic search parties – to access it you must climb down a narrow passage built below the toilet seat where there is a low chamber which is just big enough for two people to be seated. There are also seven concealed doors at Oxburgh that once allowed servants to move around the hall without disturbing the family and their guests: including one hidden within a bookcase. While not technically underground, you’re still descending into – excuse the pun – the bowels of the Hall.

6.  Norwich Castle Museum Dungeons

In 1094 William II ordered the building of a castle in order to replace the motte and bailey fortifications which had been built by William the Conqueror in 1067. The building served as a prison from the 14th century but became a museum in 1894, a year after the county gaol had moved to Mousehold Heath. The Dungeon Tour at the Castle – when available – takes you far below the Keep and into the ‘punishment room’ of the prison. Only the very poorest prisoners were kept in the dungeon, it was a dank, dark and damp place. In the dungeon you can see Victorian death masks cast from the murderers hanged at the Castle (17 are buried here), a ducking stool, a scold’s bridle and a gibbet iron. Due to the major redevelopment project, the Keep, dungeons and battlements are currently closed to the public but are set to reopen in 2024.

7. The Norman House

Just before the new Magistrates and Crown Courts were built between Bishopsgate and the River Wensum, an archaeological dig uncovered something spectacular: the remains of a stone house that dated back to the 12th century. The ruins were the remains of an undercroft or cellar which would have been underneath a large house probably owned by a wealthy Norman family. The ruins were incorporated into a basement beneath the court with access by a spiral staircase. There’s even a medieval toilet which would have been ‘flushed’ twice a day by the tidal River Wensum. Norman House is usually accessible during Heritage Open Days.

8. Trattoria Rustica

This historic 16th century building on Princes Street is nestled between medieval Elm Hill and the Cathedral and is home to a much-loved Italian restaurant. A restaurant since 1963, from 1995 onwards, it has been Trattoria Rustica. There has been a building here since at least 1320 although the present building was rebuilt following The Great Fire of Norwich in the early 1500s. The undercrofts below the building survived the fire, the first being 15th century and the second 16thcentury. Today, you can eat a meal in the undercroft. Book here or call 01603 621043.

9.  St Andrew’s Hall Crypt

At the heart of The Halls in Norwich are the remains of a medieval Dominican friary which was first used in around 1250 by the Friars de Sacco, the Friars of the Sack, named after the robes worn by the brethren. Thomas a Becket’s Chapel at the back of the Halls – itself a beautiful space with medieval remains – leads to the 12th century vaulted crypt. Britainexpress.com describes the crypt as being “…a delight, with beautiful brick vaulting rising from a central rounded pillar of stone. The effect is like a brick and stone tree with spreading branches.” The crypt and chapel can be booked for events.

10. Clifton House in King’s Lynn

A stunning merchant’s house in the heart of King’s Lynn, Clifton House boasts a series of fascinating interiors that date from the 13th to the 18th century. In addition to the Elizabethan tower with its Jacobean murals and incredible views, Tudor, Stuart and Georgian interiors, there is a huge medieval wine cellar which is believed to be the earliest brick structure in Norfolk. The owners, Simon Thurley and Anna Keay, hold tours during the year which can be purchased via their website at cliftonhouse.org.uk.

11. Grosvenor Fish Bar

This nationally-acclaimed Norwich fish and chip shop on the bottom of Lower Goat Lane not only serves wonderful food, it also boasts a subterranean dining room reached by stairs inside the shop. Thought to be 15th century, the barrel-vaulted bay undercroft is an atmospheric place to eat.

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