Norwich Street Photographs

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Pottergate:
        From St John Maddermarket / Lobster Lane to Grapes Hill
      passing
St John's Alley, Lower Goat Lane, Upper Goat Lane, St Gregory's Alley, Cow Hill, Ten Bell Lane, Wellington Lane, Duck Lane

      North side
St John Maddermarket north side [2279] 1938-04-08
Showing the raised level of the churchyard. There is supposed to have been a chancel but there is no documentary or structural evidence of this.
St John Maddermarket south side [B122] 1931-00-00
St John Maddermarket south side [2278] 1938-04-08
At the top of the tower are four figures at the angles forming pinnacles.
St John Maddermarket east window exterior [7896] 2002-07-26
"The chancel seems to have been demolished already in the 16c. Its east window must have been set back to become the east window of the church. It is a sumptuous Decorated piece of forms more fantastical than customary in Norfolk." (Pevsner)
Ancient sundial in top left hand corner.
St John Maddermarket north porch [0136] 1934-06-28
St John Maddermarket tower passage view N [0392] 1935-03-17
Tower stands over an alleyway with arches north and south.
St John Maddermarket interior view NE [3757] 1948-09-11
St John Maddermarket altar and reredos [1839] 1937-08-07
Pottergate 7 Church House east side [0391] 1935-03-17
During the course of restoration work the original ground floor window openings were brought to light, and the priest's door preserved as built. At the same time the east gable was rebuilt from a design of a similar gable on a house since pulled down.
Pottergate 7 to 9 Church House south side [1140] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 7 to 9 Church House south side [5204] 1968-06-04
Pottergate 7 to 9 Church House doorway [6437] 1987-02-25
Pottergate 11 [6438] 1987-02-25
Pottergate 11 to 13 [1134] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 13 Georgian doorway [3219] 1939-08-07
Pottergate 17 [1133] 1936-07-16
Firemen's quarters when the fire engine was kept across the road at 12 to16 Pottergate.
Pottergate 17 Georgian doorway [0393] 1935-03-17
Pottergate 17 rear from Stranger's Court [5930] 1978-07-28
Strangers' Court was formerly Emms' Yard.
Pottergate 19 rear Strangers' Court screen [5431] 1975-06-15
Portion of a mediaeval screen.
Pottergate Strangers' Court [7827] 2001-06-26
North side.
Pottergate 23 St Gregory's Alley 14 to 15 [1131] 1936-07-16
14 to 15 St Gregory's Alley on left. 23 Pottergate, the Morning Star PH, on right.
Pottergate 23 demolished Emms Yard rear [2034] 1937-10-09
Rear of houses on west side of Emms' Yard after demolition of Morning Star PH.
Pottergate 23 Morning Star PH [2495] 1938-06-20
St Gregory's south side from Pottergate [B121] 1931-00-00
St Gregory's church, lying between Charing Cross and Pottergate, has come on happier times. Following extensive restoration its use as a costume museum was considered and eventually vetoed, since when it has been taken over by the Friends of St Gregory's as a music and drama centre.
St Gregory's south side from Pottergate [1505] 1937-03-25
St Gregory's east end from Strangers Hall [4339] 1955-07-30
St Gregory's processional path below altar [0624] 1935-08-06
Now a public alleyway.
St Gregory's west tower and south porch [6356] 1986-04-04
St Gregory's south porch [2303] 1938-04-12
South porch with canopied niche.
St Gregory's interior view east [1890] 1937-08-17
Nine steps up to altar to allow for processional path around church, underneath.
St Gregory's interior view west to gallery [0635] 1935-08-11
Ringers' gallery and battlemented capitals to arcade pillars.
St Gregory's 15c font and Jacobean cover [1889] 1937-08-17
Octagonal.
St Gregory's brass eagle lectern [0636] 1935-08-11
1493 lectern.
St Gregory's George and Dragon mural [0634] 1935-08-11
West wall of north aisle depicting St George and Dragon c1450.
St Gregory's vestry door sanctuary knocker [0125] 1934-06-17
Escutcheon of 14c sanctuary knocker. Showing a wolf holding a head having a bifurcated beard, possibly St Edmund.
Pottergate 33 to 41 [2741] 1938-08-27
Pottergate 35 to 39 [1130] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 53 [0788] 1936-03-07
St Lawrence Lane 1 to 2 [3220] 1939-08-07
St Lawrence Lane view north [0787] 1936-03-07
Coronation St Lawrence Lane 2 [1625] 1937-05-14
2 St Lawrence Lane, highly commended private house. 1937 coronation decorations.
St Lawrence Lane 5 to 6 [1162] 1936-07-27
Pottergate 57 15c brick archway [5931] 1978-07-28
15c brick archway revealed after demolition of 57 Pottergate.
Pottergate 61 to 63 [1129] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 63a Colman House [1128] 1936-07-16
Formerly Pottergate Street House. In 1834 the residence of Charles Turner, Mayor in that year, who also ran a boarding house here. In more recent times it became the Eye Infirmary and the City Maternity Home.
Pottergate 63a Colman House [6353] 1986-03-05
Pottergate 65 to 67 [1127] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 69 to 71 [6354] 1986-03-05
Pottergate 75 [1132] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 77 to 81 [1163] 1936-07-27
Pottergate 83 to 85 [1126] 1936-07-16
Pottergate 89 to 91 [2740] 1938-08-27
Pottergate 93 [2529] 1938-07-07
Pottergate 95 [2530] 1938-07-07
Pottergate 95 Georgian doorway [6021] 1979-07-17
Pottergate 97 and right Ten Bell Lane 1 [6355] 1986-03-05
Pottergate 99 [2739] 1938-08-27
Pottergate 101 [1109] 1936-07-13
At No 101 was a house of the same period as 103. The upper windows were all casements but those on ground floor had sashes with semicircular heads, the glazing bars interlacing at the top. A narrow plain frieze or stringcourse extended across the front of the house level with the springing of the window arches. The central doorway with shallow fluted pilasters was plain in comparison with those next door, and was of a type almost mass-produced about this time, being similar to a number of others scattered about the city. Here at the beginning of the 19c Starling Day had his workrooms, but during the latter years of its existence it was occupied by the firm of W.J.Pack and Company, printers. This, 103 and 105 were all severely shaken during the 1942 bombardment and had later to be demolished.
Pottergate 103 to 105 [1110] 1936-07-13
Leading from the northwest corner of St Benedict's Plain, the church alley descended two or three steps and then, after cutting diagonally across one corner of the churchyard, made its way past the west end of St Benedict's church to the main street of the parish.
Until ruined by the blitz there was to be seen inside the church, on the south wall of the chancel, a tablet to the memory of one James Wilkins (died 1820) on which he was described as "an eminent plasterer of this parish". This was an occupation over which Ian Hannah waxed exceeding wrath, declaring that "half Norwich is his monument...much of mediaeval Norwich...lies imprisoned by such as he...they trusted future generations should think the city was moulded of the material they loved".
Backing upon the churchyard from the north side of St Benedict's Plain were Nos 103 and 105 Pottergate, a handsome pair of houses of brick and tile construction, the front wall plastered and painted. Could this have been some of James Wilkins' work? Built late in the Georgian era, the houses had overhanging eaves and three rows of sash windows with slender glazing bars very typical of this period. However, the principal features of these houses were undoubtedly the handsome doorways, each consisting of two disengaged pillars, fluted, standing on small stone bases and supporting an entablature enriched with a row of triglyphs alternating with various emblems.
One of the most notable residents at No 103 was Starling Day, who was Sheriff in 1775, Mayor in 1782 and 1812 and an Alderman for Wymer ward. A wool factor, merchant and banker, he lived and carried on his business here, opening a bank in 1806 but transferring it later to offices in a court off the north side of the Market Place. He died in 1820 aged 85.
Pottergate 103 to 105 rear from Alley [2562] 1938-07-21
From St Benedict's Alley.
Pottergate 105 Georgian doorway [0430] 1935-03-31
Pottergate 107 Tudor period [1111] 1936-07-13
The widest part of Pottergate is St Benedict's Plain. All the old houses that made it a spot beloved by artists have now gone, including No 106, the 17c house with twin gables which stood at right angles to the road and which with No 107 closed the view at the end of the street. No 106 was severely shaken by the bombs and had later to be taken down. Contemporary houses facing the street, Nos 102 and 104, still survive however.
No 107 Pottergate facing eastwards down the street, together with its neighbours Nos 109 and 111 standing behind it and facing south, were typical Norwich houses of the Tudor period. In October 1936, they became the centre of a heated argument when being considered as to their fitness under the Slum Clearance Acts. The City Council at the time were planning to construct a relief road for St Benedict's and as its path was to pass across the site the owner claimed that if the houses were required for that purpose she should be paid a fair value for them and not clearance area value.
Among much other evidence was a letter from the Norwich Amenities Preservation Society claiming that No 107 was one of the oldest houses in the city and in the event of the owner not being prepared to do anything required, the society would like to take it over. The occupier backed this up in a letter to the Press by saying that it was the best house he had ever lived in and that its oakwork was marvellous. Speaking for the Corporation, the Town Clerk reportedly said that they did try, without prejudicing their duties under the Acts, to work in with the Preservation Society, but Norwich was "littered with old buildings" of archaeological interest and if they were never to interfere with any such, it would scarcely ever be possible to widen a street or make a new one.
The outcome of the inquiry was that the houses had to go, but because the war intervened the new road was never built. It may offer a crumb of consolation, however, to realise that some five years later the St Benedict's bombing would undoubtedly have brought them to ruin.
Pottergate 109 to 111 [1836] 1937-08-06
Pottergate 109 to 111 rear [2080] 1938-02-18
From St Benedict's Alley.
Pottergate 113 [1112] 1936-07-13
        South side
Pottergate 6 to 10 [5222] 1968-07-04
Pottergate 8 rear Bagley's Court [6257] 1983-04-15
Pottergate Bagley's Court south side [6258] 1983-04-15
Pottergate 8 with weavers' window [2788] 1938-09-05
Venetian and weavers' windows.
Pottergate 10 [5929] 1978-07-28
Brick and flint revealed after removal of plaster facing, 1978.
Pottergate 12 [1385] 1936-09-08
Pottergate 12 to 14 [2738] 1938-08-24
Pottergate 12 to 16 fire station entrance [B504] 1933-03-26
During the latter part of the 19c the municipal fire engine was kept at the Guildhall below the old Sheriff's Office. With the increase in size of engines and other equipment more commodious accommodation was needed, and in 1899 a transfer was made to the premises in Pottergate.
Pottergate 36 to 38 [0786] 1936-03-07
Fishers Lane Bear and Staff Yard south side [1835] 1937-08-06
Pottergate 42 Georgian doorway [0433] 1935-03-31
Pottergate 54 [1381] 1936-09-08
Pottergate 54 [5201] 1968-06-04
Pottergate 54 Georgian doorway [0432] 1935-03-31
Pottergate 56 [1382] 1936-09-08
Pottergate 56 [5217] 1968-07-02
Pottergate 56 to 58 rear [7734] 2000-02-20
From Kingsgate Court.
Pottergate 90 [6476] 1987-06-16
Pottergate 94 [1379] 1936-09-08
Pottergate 94 Georgian doorway [0431] 1935-03-31
Pottergate 98 Georgian doorway [0454] 1935-04-19
Pottergate 98 St Giles' Church House [1380] 1936-09-08
Pottergate 98 St Giles' Church House [6648] 1990-09-28
Pottergate 100 Regency Georgian doorway [5207] 1968-06-06
Pottergate 100 to 104 Kinghorn House [5202] 1968-06-04
Pottergate 102 [1373] 1936-09-03
Pottergate 102 to 104 rear Damoclese Court [6475] 1987-06-16
Pottergate 104 Kinghorn House [1372] 1936-09-03
Once the residence of Rev Joseph Kinghorn, died 1832 aged 66. From 1789 to 1832 he was the eminent minister of St Mary's Baptist Chapel. He assisted in forming the Norfolk and Norwich Auxiliary Bible Society and the Norfolk Benevolent Society for the relief of aged dissenting ministers and their widows. He was described as a man of fine presence and great ministerial power whose appearance was so striking as to make an indelible impression on all who had once seen him.

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Text and photographs copyright George Plunkett

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