Norwich walk
Creative Health
Enjoy a wander around the cobbled medieval quarters of Norwich exploring the architectural and historical legacies of the Paston family, including visiting the site where the world's earliest Valentine letter was delivered.
With the audio tour let Margery Brews Paston entertain you with family dramas, tell you what plants to use to avoid the plague and all about the Queen's visit. Her husband, John Paston III, will also accompany you on the walk and share insights into the Pastons' enterprising life in the city during the Wars of the Roses.
Norwich is well known for its creativity, heritage and literary cultures. We combine these strands in our focus on a 'Creative Health' walk, as inspired by the Paston story. From strife in family life to survival strategies in a pandemic, from community ceremonial celebrations to the lawlessness of social unrest, the Pastons' pioneering resilience to rise through social barriers of the day opens up dialogues for us: let's walk in the footprints of lives lived.
Good for
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FAMILIES: a buggy friendly walk with an 'Explorer Hunt' activity and family friendly things to do nearby, a whole day out can be made of your experience.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: with picturesque cobbled streets, medieval buildings and independent shops there is a photo opportunity around ever corner.
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CREATIVITY: as a UNESCO City of Literature, creative expression is the thriving pulse of Norwich. The Paston story offers ways in for those seeking to develop self expression through to those who are budding authors or poets.
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WELLBEING: engage with a range of creative health activities for physical and mental wellbeing.
Walk details
LENGTH: full walk 2.5 miles (4km).
Short route: St Princes Street to Elm Hill to Bishopgate.
Medium route: continue to King Street, ending at the Castle.
Long route: proceed to the markets and return to Hungate.
Download a walk map, or follow this online walk overview on your phone, or download the Paston Footprints app for ios.
TERRAIN: mostly pavements: some uneven or cobbled.
PARKING: Monastery Court car park is the nearest to the start of the walk. For other options please see City car parks
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: the start of the walk is a 15 minute walk from Norwich train station and many buses stop 2 mins away at Tombland. There is also a taxi rank outside Erpingham Gate at Norwich Cathedral.
FACILITIES: City toilets.
See the Access Audit for detailed descriptions and photos of route and facilities.
For Android phone users, let Margery and John Paston be your tour guides by linking to this page and press the play button on recording below, listen in conjunction with the route map. (This is the same audio tour available on the ios phone app.)
Enhance your walk experience
Norwich heritage walk overview
Start at St Peter Hungate Church at the top of Elm Hill.
St Peter Hungate Church was the Norwich parish church of the Pastons. It is reputed that Margaret and John Paston paid for substantial repairs to the nave and transept around 1460 (there had been a church here since at least the 13th century). These repairs included the glorious angel roof and stained glass, an indication of their wealth and ambition as much as devotion. Their youngest child, Walter, in 1479 shortly after graduating from the University of Oxford, died (probably of the plague) and is buried in Hungate.
Inside, in the south transept, look up to see the roof corbels reputed to be of Margaret and John Paston. (See animation at bottom of this page.) There is also a Paston Footprints information board.
The church is usually open at weekends. It is run by a charity who host medieval art exhibitions and occasional talks (donations welcome). With the exhibitions, enjoy the visual culture of Paston times. Visit Hungate Medieval Art
Brass rubbings can be done inside and you can relax in the garden outside. You never know, you might be able to imagine the Pastons in the garden ... What herbs do you think the Pastons would have planted for protection during the plague years? (Hint: listen to the podcast!)
Margaret Paston plaque
See if you can spot Margaret Paston's 'alternative' blue plaque, due to her being the most prolific medieval woman letter writer, and the matriarch of the Paston family. Made by Norfolk Heritage Society's History Hunters and Young Heritage Collective youth groups made in collaboration with Rosie's Plaques. A series of these plaques across the trails mark the contribution of the Paston women and help un-silence their voices as part of our Rebel Women campaign.
Walk down Elm Hill to Strangers' Club, which is about half way down the cobbled hill.
As you will see from the blue plaque on the wall, this was the site of the Pastons' house. It is from here that Margaret Paston wrote many of her letters, full of domestic affairs, estate management, family crisis and political intrigue. Also at this site is where her son, John Paston III, received the first Valentine letter written in the English language on 14th Feb, 1477, from Margery Brews of Topcroft. Elm Hill was the centre of the Pastons' activities in Norwich.
Hear the first Valentine's Letter!
Listen to Margery's letter, the earliest extant Valentine letter being read in the original Middle English:
At the bottom of Elm Hill, turn right toward the Cathedral and pass the Maid’s Head Hotel on the corner on the left.
See a Paston Letter!
The Maid's Head hotel has stood here since the 13th century and is reported to be the country's earliest surviving hotel. It is mentioned in the Paston Letters, as a particularly good place to stable horses. We have installed a facsimile of this letter. Can you make out any letters in the handwriting?
You can also see a map of all Norwich's Paston 'hotspots' in the city inside the hotel located near the entrance of the 15th century WinePress restaurant. Trace where you are heading if you take the medium or longer routes of our trail. You could stop for a refreshment if needed! The hotel would have been well known to generations of the family.
Walk towards the Cathedral and walk under the main Erpingham Gate into the Cathedral Close.
The gate was built c.1420, funded by Sir Thomas Erpingham, the leader of the archers who won the Battle of Agincourt. 12 female saints are on the outer moulding and 12 male saints on the inside. Outside the gate is a monument to the nurse Edith Cavell - body and soul healing memorials frame your walk to the Cathedral.
Beware though as you enter the close, as John Paston I was attacked here, by the same gang who attacked his wife's family, the Mautbys, at Braydeston Hall. There was much lawlessness the fifteenth century.
Bear right across the cathedral close and take the path past the statue of Nelson.
Somewhere in this close, in 1469, John and Margaret's daughter Margery had secretly married the family's bailiff, Richard Calle. They were marched here to be interrogated by the Bishop, who in fact validated the marriage. Affairs of the heart mixed with family strife are never a good mix.
Walk past the flint houses until you reach the far side of the close. Take a left and walk down past the herb garden to the square with a green.
You may want to detour into the herb garden for a sensory meditation. Originally used by monks for cultivating plants for both medicinal and kitchen use, the Green Flag winning Herb Garden contains herbs that match those used by Benedictine monks.
At the green take a left towards the cathedral.
To the left through the archway enter the cathedral cloisters (free entry). Here you will also find the cathedral cafe where you can stop for refreshments (£).
Explore the cloisters.
Here you will find a labyrinth in the grassed centre to complete. To find out the spiritual meaning of Norwich's labyrinth, click here.
In the cloisters, also make sure you look up and admire the decorated ceiling - can you spot unusual faces, green men and other interesting bosses? There are several hundred of them! See a video of the 15th century bosses.
Inside, in the Cathedral library, is a first edition copy of John Fenn's publication of the letters. We hope you enjoy the peace of the Cathedral, an oasis in the busy city.
Leave the cloisters and return to the south gate of the cathedral.
Look up at the cathedral spire and see if you can spot any peregrine falcons who like to roost here.
With the south gate in front of you, turn right and continue round the side of the cathedral.
Just past the grave of Edith Cavell you will come to the ruined chapel where Judge William Paston was buried. William served as Steward to the Bishop of Norwich and conducted a number of high profile cases in the Guildhall.
Keep following the path and leave the Cathedral Close at the bottom exit by the flint wall.
Turn left as you come through the gates and follow Bishopgate round to the left and past the Adam & Eve pub, one of the oldest (and smallest) in the city.
Reference is made to it in the 1240s; so it would have been known to the Pastons.
Continue down Bishopgate, passing St Martin at Palace Plain Church on your right.
At the T-junction you have the option to take a short detour to Whitefrairs Bridge.
Optional detour: walk to Whitefriars Bridge.
The area now in front of you and to your right on the opposite side of the river where the mill now stands is the site of the Whitefriars Priory. It is here where Agnes, wife of the first William Paston, and her son Clement were buried.
Turn back and retrace your steps to the junction with Bishopgate.
Continue down Palace Street and back to Tombland, bearing left at the Maid's Head.
Walk past the main cathedral gate you entered before and stop a few hundred yards further in front of the south gate of the Cathedral pictured here.
This gate is over 1000 years old. See if you can spot the dragons. Dragons feature strongly in the city's history. The Guild of St George was a powerful institution in medieval Norwich, with members including Judge William Paston and son John Paston.
This is the end of the SHORT route.
Continue for the MEDIUM and LONG routes.
Continue onto upper King Street and cross over using the traffic lights on Prince of Wales road into King Street.
Cross over across another junction and continue along King Street.
There are some community and independent cafes along King Street where you can get a coffee or lunch.
After walking around 200 yards on King Street you will reach Mountergate on the left.
The white house on the corner here was the Tudor house formerly owned by the Heydons, once enemies of the Pastons until Bridget Heydon married William Paston in 1502.
Continue along King Street to Dragon Hall
Dragon Hall is on the site of an impressive merchants' hall owned by Robert Toppes, a friend of the Pastons in the 15th century. The Pastons traded from this part of the river (behind Dragon Hall).
Today, Dragon Hall houses the National Centre for Writing. Norwich became the UK's first UNESCO City of Literature in 2012 and first City of Refuge for writers.
Continue along King Street until you reach the Music House
The Music House was owned by John Paston III and later by William Paston, who put in the windows on the first floor.
Retrace your steps past Music House Lane and take St Julian’s Alley on your left.
On your left you will see. St Julian’s Shrine (pictured).
Julian was an anchorite and the first known female to write a book in English, at the end of the 14th century: Revelations of Divine Love. The church with her anchorhold (and where she talked to Margery Kempe through the window), is open from 9.30am to 6pm every day.
Pass St Julian's Shrine on your left before emerging on to Rouen Road.
Turn right and walk to the end of the road. Cross the road and continue along Farmers Avenue opposite for a short while.
Turn right into the Castle Green gardens. From here you can visit the Castle Museum.
The Castle is the 'Gateway to the Medieval'.
The 1,000 year old Norman keep is now a museum, with immersive visual and aural experiences. It is home to the famous 17th-century Paston painting, 'The Paston Treasure', which depicts some of the objects amassed by William Paston (1610-62) and his son Robert (1631-83), both of whom travelled through Europe to the Middle East. Interact with the painting on our heritage site. In the Castle, also look out for the Paston Footprints' sponsored poleaxe, which is similar to the one Margaret Paston would have used when she defended her Gresham home.
Note, the castle is pay to enter. For families with children there is a slide and seesaw in the gardens, which are free to access. The Castle is completing a major NHLF building redevelopment. See here for details to plan your visit.
This is the end of the MEDIUM route.
Continue for the LONG route.
From the Castle make your way down to Castle Meadow by taking the lift or retracing your steps and continuing down Farmers' Avenue.
Cross over the road and take the passageway with the UNESCO City of Stories mural (pictured) towards the Royal Arcade.
Go through the Royal Arcade and merge on to Gentleman’s Walk, which has 19th and 20th century shopfronts. From No 27 at right angles to the street is a tall, narrow, three-storey range of probable late 17th-century date flint rubble walls and a roof with raised cruck rafters. Beneath this range are two surviving bays of a similarly-aligned medieval undercroft that probably originally extended to the street line.
You will emerge in Norwich market.
The markets have existed on the same site for 900 years, and was frequented by the Pastons (much is revealed about medieval trading and markets in the letters). Their own business was often in barley and malting; for Norwich much output was in the textile trade, at which their friend Robert Toppes excelled at his warehouse by the river Wensum.
Turn right and follow the market until you can see the Guildhall on your right.
This impressive flint fronted building next to the more modern city hall was built in the first half of the 15th century and housed the law courts. The Pastons would have been very familiar with it.
Turn right at Jarrolds, bear left at the junction and keep walking up London Street until you reach St Andrew’s Hill by the Hive bookshop.
Turn left down the hill and at the bottom you will find an open space and a large hall. This is St Andrew’s Hall adjoining Blackfriars Hall. These were originally one friary created by the Dominicans after the Sack Friars were ejected from the area in 1274. The buildings created by the Dominicans were destroyed by fire in 1413. The complex was rebuilt and completed in 1470, with some help from the Pastons, who paid for the roof and provided the oak door to St Andrew’s Hall, which carries the crests of the Pastons and the Mautbys (Margaret Paston’s family).
As you come away from St Andrew’s Hall, turn left up Princes Street until you reach the junction with Elm Hill, and St Peter Hungate Church – your starting point.
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Explore the Paston story further
Things to do nearby
Norwich Cathedral
The cloisters, cathedral close, cafe, labyrinth, family trails and virtual tour
St Peter's Hungate
The Lanes
Norwich Castle (£)
Norman castle with museum, art and activities for children
Norwich market
Iconic covered market selling all sorts including local food and street food stalls.
Museum of Norwich at Bridewell (£)
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