Norwich Society celebrates 100th anniversary of campaigning

It was riddled with filthy courts and yards…people deserved better.

But historic buildings, roads, bridges, worthy of a provincial capital, often had slums as their neighbours. What to keep and what to flatten? That was the question.

The roaring twenties were fun for some but not for those living in hovels with little or no money and few prospects of a brighter future.

Yes, times had to change but we needed to be careful over what disappeared in clouds of dust in the name of “progress.”

And this controversial plan a century ago was a “bridge too far.”

Bishop Bridge, built by Richard Spynk as part of the city defences between 1337 and 1341, being replaced with a wider bridge to make room for motor cars.

That was the plan in 1923 until a group of architects and archaeologist got together to save the bridge by having it listed by the Ministry of Works.

And that led to more preservation orders on historic buildings including the Cathedral, the Castle and the Guildhall and the formation of a civic society called The Norwich Society.

This week the society is marking its centenary and on Thursday members and guests gathered, where else, on Bishop Bridge before heading for the Great Hospital.

In the early days there were successes and failures.

While Bishop Bridge survived, Whitefriars’ Bridge did not.

It was the Earl of Warwick who ordered the destruction of the previous bridge to keep Kett and his rebels out of the city. It was rebuilt but in 1924 It was taken down for a widening scheme.

This was the first battle lost by the Norwich Society. As a compromise the stones were carefully removed and numbered so they could be used at another site…then lost!

But that made society members more determined than ever to save important parts of the old city.

Castle Meadow was being widened and the City Council had agreed to the construction of a new county police HQ near the Shirehall which would have destroyed much of the gardens surrounding the Castle…eventually the council backed down.

The relationship between the society and the council was at times a stormy one with some councillors thinking the society wished to “preserve and to oppose all alterations involving the destruction of anything old.”

Mind you, in 1928, the society moved in to save the Strangers’ Club on Elm Hill which would have almost certainly been destroyed along with much of the now, world famous, street.

We have the society to thank for Elm Hill along with the Assembly House. There was a plan by the trust to sell it to demolish it and sell the site to a developer.

The society mounted a campaign to save the wonderful building which now plays a leading role in Norwich life.

And then we arrive in Tombland.

In 1951 the City Corporation wanted to build structures in the square for market stall holders. Norwich Society joined forces with others to fight the proposal and were successful. Today it is an elegant and popular part of the city.

In Norwich of the 21st century there is one issue which causes more debate than any other….Anglia Square and what to do with it.

The society says it shares the City Council’s desire to see a final and successful resolution to the issue.

The time has come to move forward and give this part of the city the future it deserves after so many years of civic vandalism.

In the meantime….happy birthday Norwich Society.