Everything you need to know about Norwich's Carrow Abbey

And as we look to the future we should respect and honour the past, so much of which has been destroyed in more recent times.

The Grade I listed Carrow Abbey development is part of the East Norwich Masterplan for the future of Colman’s Carrow Works and other land bordering Trowse.

Historic England has raised concerns over the plans to build more than 3,000 homes, fearing it could “erode” the character of the Abbey.

In the 1920s Ethel Colman, the first woman to be lord mayor of Norwich and the first female lord mayor in the whole country, wrote a fascinating history of Carrow Abbey and Priory.

Specimens discovered in a knoll of land near the near-east corner of the ruins included a splendid tusk of a mammoth, the tooth of a Pleistocene horse, and some roughly fashions flint tools or weapons used by man thousands of years ago.

Moving forward to the middle of the 12th century, the portion of land on which Carrow Abbey stands was granted by King Stephen to the nuns of an ancient church or hospital.

In 1146 two of these nuns, Seyna and Lescelina, probably sisters, founded a Benedictine Priory in peaceful surroundings.

“A little way to the north flows the river Wensum. The Abbey stood on rising ground above the marshy district which bordered this river and some people think the name Carrow is derived from two words, CAR, a marshy spot, and HOW, a hill,” wrote Ethel.

Of the church only ruins remain but, because of the beautifully carved and moulded stones found, it must have been a stately and beautiful building.

“That the Priory was an important one there can be no doubt,” wrote Ethel.

“At one time, for instance, the Prioress had the Right of Sanctuary, and Edith Wilton, Prioress in 1395, successfully maintained this right when she was prosecuted by the Prior of Norwich and one of his monks for harbouring a murderer.”

In 1199 King John granted the nuns a four-day fair which gave them the right to levy a toll upon those who came through the city…not popular at the time as you can imagine!

The Priory possessed some churches and a lay guild of spurriers (makers of spurs) and saddlers, instituted in 1385, was held at Carrow Priory Church. It is also thought many girls were sent to the Priory to be taught by the nuns.

In around 1539 monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII. The Priory Church of Carrow shared the fate of many other noble buildings. It was destroyed.

“A better fate awaited the Prioress’s House,” wrote Ethel. “It was preserved and was given by Henry VIII to Sir John Shelton, whose wife was aunt to Anne Boleyn. This was after Anne had been beheaded, and it is supposed that this gift was intended as a sop to her family.”

The property passed through many hands until in 1811 it was bought by Philip M Martineau, in those family it remained until 1878, when it was bought by J and J Colman, mustard-makers.

“Shortly after that date my father (Jeremiah James Colman) began the excavation of the ruins, with the advice and help of several well-known archaeologists,” wrote Ethel.

“My father also restored the Prioress’s House. This is the house generally known as Carrow Abbey, to which the modern wing at the south end was added in 1899-1900 by my eldest sister and her husband, James and Laura Stuart,” she added.

JJ Colman did a magnificent job restoring the parts of the building needing the most work and the Prioress’s Parlour had remained as it was when built.

It is believed that world famous Mother Julian had a close association with Carrow Priory.

“We who now live within the precincts of the old Priory often like to think that this radiant and happy soul once lived here and we hope she carried away with her were those of true happiness and peace,” said Ethel.

Also, “The Little Boke of Phylyp Sparrowe” by John Skelton, Poet Laureate to Henry VIII describes the death of a pet sparrow at Carrow which had been killed by the Convent cat, and it is believed that the old rhyme, “Who Killed Cock Robin?” is an adaptation of the poem.

Remember the past as we prepare for the future…