Here be Dragons! The Guildhall & Dragon Hall, Norwich

Last week I was telling at Dragon Hall in Norwich and the Norwich Guildhall and all of it part of the Norwich Dragon Festival in association with Ghent.

Dragon Hall, Norwich

Norwich Guildhall

Norwich is a City steeped in dragons and both these buildings have a strong link to them and the St Gorges Guild that inspired much of the monstrous symbolism in and around Norwich. They are also two of the oldest buildings left in Norwich and both date back to the fifteenth century. Dragon Hall which was built as a merchant's house and shop in the 1400s by Robert Topps, a merchant with strong links to both Norwich and London, although apparently its heyday was short and after Toppe's death in 1467 the hall was divided up. Over a very short time the magnificent roof beams and the carved dragon spandrel (Which gives the hall its name) were hidden and by the nineteenth century buried beneath numerous partitions and false walls that made up a maze of very poor quality housing.

Toppe's 'Crown Post Roof'
A serious case of 15th century showing off!

The Dragon Spandrel, which gives the hall its name

Toppe's Hall with dragon spandrel top left of the picture
Awaiting cubs and scouts who having a sleepover at the hall.

It did at least protect the medieval building until it was exposed again in the 19702 and 80s. Its a restoration project that continues on to this day with the reconstruction and repair of both internal and external features. And what I really like is that the building is continuing to evolve. The worse thing that they could have done was try and 'fix' the building in one particular time period; ignoring all those later phases of pub, shop and poor housing and also ignoring its continuing use into the 21st century. Luckily they did not do that and the building also has a very modern new wing to cater for schools and other events and also a very modern glass gallery at the back of the property which is a beautiful thing in its own right and allows people outside to see the fantastic original wooden arches that help support the great hall.

The 21st century glass walkway at the back of the 15th century hall

Inside the glass paneled walkway

Some people may not approve of this mix of old and new, but I bet you anything you like that Robert Toppes would have marveled at it. He came from a time when glass was hard to produce in any great size and quantity and was an expensive status symbol. Just think what he would have thought of glass panels that reached from floor to ceiling, I feel certain he would have been willing to spend much of his fortune on such a thing and the carved dragon spandrels, well they would have been old news!

The Guildhall also has a carved dragon as one of the bench ends of the Mayor's throne and Alderman's seating in the Council Chamber, otherwise known as the Mayor's Court where many a petty crime of 'ill rule' and 'evil behaviour' was dealt with and to find out more about these crimes , the people who committed them and their punishments, just click here...

The Guildhall Council Chamber & Mayor's Court

Detail of the late medieval/early 16th century Mayor's and Alderman's seating


Carved dragon bench end in Mayors Court

Unfortunately I couldn't tell in the Council Chamber because of ongoing restoration and repairs, and so I told in the Assembly Chamber where the Councilmen of Norwich met and also was the room where the Sheriffs Court took place (There were many courts in Norwich as everyone wanted their fair share of the fines handed out!)

The Assembly Chamber

The Guildhall was built on the site of an earlier Norman tollhouse from where the early market place was administered . The Guildhall itself was built in the early 1400s in recognition of the Charter that made Norwich self governing and replaced the Kings Bailiffs with Mayor, two Sheriffs and Alderman. These men were typically rich merchants and also members of the Guild of St George and prior to the reformation they would celebrate St Georges day by processing about the City with a St George and 'Snap' dragon who made battle. And whilst St George didn't survive the reformation Norwich Snap did as part of the annual Mayor Making celebrations, thus ensuring the close connection between the City and dragons! The Guildhall was then a perfect place for telling tales of the 'Dickfools' who led Norwich Snap about the City and also tales of Death and the Nature of Women. Certainly they knew the nature of women well enough in the Mayor's Court, for one of their main preoccupations trying to control it!

Stairs leading down to undercrofts (storage and prison cells)
Also parts of earlier Norman Tollhouse


An eighteenth century version of the Norwich 'Snap" dragon


Another carved dragon
In the Erpingham Gate that leads into the Cathedral


St Margaret (The patron saint of women in childbirth) bursting out of a dragon
St Helen's Church at the Great Hospital, Norwich


Early 16th century St George mural at St Gregory's church, Norwich

Thanks to Sarah at Dragon Hall for the hot dogs and letting me tell there, and both Laura and Sophie of Norwich 'HEART' for all the work at the Guildhall.

The King of Hearts Arts Centre, Norwich

The King of Hearts Art Centre

Last Friday week I was telling the various tales of Agnes Leaman and others who were punished in Tudor Norwich in a renovated Tudor house; the King of Hearts Cafe and Centre for the Arts. The building stands next to Fye bridge where Agnes and many other women were ducked upon the cucking stool in the late fifteen and early sixteen hundreds. But when first you look at the outside facade of the King of Hearts you would think it no more than a nice example of a Georgian shop front like many others to be seen along the historic Magdalen street.

Original Tudor mullioned widow taken from inner courtyard

But as you can see from the photos, beneath the facade is hidden a fantastic example of a late medieval and early Tudor merchants house. One of many built at this time. For some Norwich is now a bit of a jokey place, a bit of a backwater, but in Tudor times it was second city in the kingdom whose wealth was built on textiles and reflected in the large number of merchant's houses built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although many of these were lost in two great fires during the 1500s and later 'improvements' to the city. That's why the King of Hearts is so important, because there are so few buildings like it left in the City. And like the other still remaining it has been home to Sheriffs and Mayors whose own fortunes and in some cases misfortunes reflected the turbulent history of Tudor times. These include Edmund Wood, a wealthy merchant grocer who became Sheriff, then Mayor of Norwich in 1548. His son Robert was also Mayor and in 1578 he received Queen Elizabeth I when she visited Norwich, entertaining her with "a Loyal Latin Oration", for which she knighted him. Also Thomas Toft who was also a grocer and Mayor (1654) and a man of extreme Puritan views who took an active part in the destruction of statues and "superstitious pictures and reliques of idolatry" in churches and in the Bishop's palace.

In truth I'm really into history from below, the history of everyday people like Agnes Leaman, but the fortunes and misfortunes of one group impacted on the other, especially when it came to the ideas and beliefs of extremists like Thomas Toft, for in his times the punishments for all sorts of petty crimes became all the more frequent and harsh. No more than you'd expect from any kind of intolerant regime!

The house does also has another link to the ordinary citizens of Norwich, for like a lot of large houses in Norwich as the City grew in population it rapidly became overcrowded and it was subdivided up into tenements and shops, whilst the 'great and the good' got fed up with living cheek by jowl with the rest of us and moved out to the grand houses on the outskirts of Norwich. And so it was by the the last quarter of the 20th century the street frontage was occupied by 3 shops, the upper level by small flats and the whole was described as being in a "dilapidated condition".

The Music Room
where many a storytelling performance also takes place

It was however completely renovated over a ten year period into the 1990s and transformed into the arts centre and cafe and I suspect that now it is a much more relaxed place than ever it was in Toft's day! It also includes a Contemporary Art Gallery, a Music Room, Craft Shop and four Meeting Rooms. And its one of the few venues regularly putting on storytelling performances in the city. Although sadly its underused by the locals and tends to be another of those hidden gems I've mentioned before.

Doorway into cafe from inner courtyard

Hidden both in terms of local community involvement, but also with regard to its history. For much was found during the renovation including many original mullioned windows. And in the Music Room where I was telling a painted ceiling with moulded beams was revealed that had been long hidden beneath a Georgian plaster ceiling. There was also a door from the inner courtyard blocked up long ago but now reopened for all to see. A doorway with a fine painted carving set over it. On one side are the initials TTS and on the other side a portrait of a lady. I'm assuming that the initials are linked to Thomas Toft, although the I can't be sure, for the lady on the other side with her long flowing and very loose locks looks far to racy for any self respecting puritan!

Rediscovered carving on top right of courtyard doorway

Many thanks to Anita and all the staff at the King of Hearts for a great evening...

Looking forward to 2010

2009 turned out to be a busy year for me. So busy in fact that I didn't have time to post about everywhere I told. For that reason this year I shall only blog about places I've not told at before, which is already considerable. I've new bookings at The King of Hearts Arts Centre in Norwich, The Bishops Palace in Wells, Devizes International Street Festival and some folk festivals like Folk by the Oak which takes place in the grounds of Hatfield House north of London. A full list of where I'm working this year can be found on the Diary page of my website and it's updated regularly.

That said I feel I should mention some of the places I did tell at this year but did not get a mention in 2009....

First there was the English Heritage Festival of History at Kelmarsh in July. To tell you the truth its not my favourite event, because it is huge. Too much going on for me, and the main focus is on warfare throughout the ages. If I were feeling uncharitable I might call it the Festival of Death! But that is a bit unfair for amidst the various armies that go from the Romans right through to the present, there are also dedicated living history groups that demonstrate everyday life from long ago. there are also a lot of female re-enactors who present what life was like for women who had to get on with life regardless of whether or not their husband was at home or fighting on a far off battlefield. I can't deny that the Festival offers something for every one and you can even talk to an early 2oth century Arctic explorer in full kit whilst the Kids are put through their paces by a second world war drill Sergeant, or have a go at medieval jousting, or even play some Roman games!

I also spent a week camping in Sherwood Forest whilst telling as part of Past-Imagined with Stewart Alexander.....

The Past-Imagined Storytelling tent in Sherwood Forest
Click on any image to make larger

We have been telling at their annual Robin Hood Festival for the last five years now and its probably one of my favourite if also the most tiring events of the year. Not only does the festival have all sorts of great entertainment from jesters to dancing demons, but the emphasis is on fun and not authenticity. This gives you a bit of licence to be creative! There is also the dated but wonderful visitors centre which will be going soon. It will be a real loss because the exhibits do focus on the magic of Robin Hood and the Greenwood, which is something I think will be lost when the centre is rebuilt. I fear it will be all about the facts and doubt there will a place for Hearne the Hunter and the Green man! The other reason I enjoy Sherwood is the camping and the privilege of staying in the greenwood. I like being in any wood, but there is something quite dark, yet exhilarating about Sherwood, which I think has a lot to do with the huge amount of ancient Oaks that still survive in what is today a very small piece of woodland. And what makes them all the more spectacular is the fact that they show their age. Many are 'stag oaks' whose gnarled twisted branches make them look like boney old giants pushing aside everything in their way...

A very gnarled but still very alive veteran oak

One of many detailed interpretive panels in Sherwood

There are other places I missed posting about, but I'll finish with the Open Christmas event at St Andrews Hall in Norwich. Its been running on Christmas Day for many years now, but this is the first time I've told there. And its not just for the homeless either. Anyone who is feeling a bit lonely can come and I think I'm right in saying that whole families turn up! Certainly there is a great atmosphere and there are lots of activities from carole singing to bingo. Although what struck me most was that most people were just happy to chat and catch up with friends of old, which I suppose is what Christmas should be all about. I was also struck by the level of dedication by all the staff on site, for there are decorations which must have been done prior to the event, also cooking, collection of food for people to take home with them and also cars and taxis to ferry people to and from the event. It made my 30 minutes on stage look like nothing at all!

So here's to all of the volunteers at the Open Christmas event and also the staff and volunteers at many a museum, heritage site, festival and fair who helped make 2009 a great one for me. And here's to an even more eventful 2010!