Victoria House hosted office workers for almost 50 years, but did you know it used to be the site of a circus namechecked by the Beatles and a disused station?

Before the pandemic, the bustling insurance office block had been the workplace of 1,000  people.

But once lockdown struck, many began to work from home, prompting the firm to leave its long-time city centre home for Broadland Business Park in Thorpe St Andrew.

Eastern Daily Press: The former Marsh offices in NorwichThe former Marsh offices in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Now it will be demolished this year after plans were submitted to Norwich City Council.

Prior to the offices opening in the 1970s, the site was home to Norwich Victoria Station on the old Great Eastern Main Line, running a passenger service from 1849 to 1916.

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Victoria StationNorwich Victoria Station (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: New public art to commemorate Norwich man who inspired The Beatles

After closing to passengers, the station continued as a goods yard until 1926.

Before its time as a railway station, the site was home to Pablo Fanque's circus.

Eastern Daily Press: A blue plaque commemorating Pablo FanqueA blue plaque commemorating Pablo Fanque (Image: Newsquest)

Fanque was Britain's first black circus owner and a poster for one of his shows gave the Beatles' song Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite its title with the man himself getting a mention in the lyrics.

There is a blue plaque in the city centre commemorating the circus legend.