Another day, another city!
Paddy and Plunkett have really been making the most of their tour of East Anglia, and today’s post finds them in another place famed for its cathedral – Norwich! Here’s the cathedral coming into view now… And as you can probably guess, Plunkett is champing at the bit to get inside for a look!
According to Plunkett’s research, this cathedral is more than 900 years old (construction started in 1096) and boasts the second tallest spire in England – a fitting landmark for a city that, in the 11th century, was second only to London in size and importance. Shall we wander over for a closer look?
Talk about making an entrance! This is one of two gates into the cathedral grounds. It’s called St Ethelbert’s Gate, and it actually used to contain a chapel to its namesake in its second storey. And although it looks like the real deal, this isn’t the original gate! It’s a 14th century rebuild, after the first one was destroyed in the riot of 1272.
Inside the cathedral, the boys were impressed by the beautiful long cloisters – perfect for a Beastie-sized afternoon stroll!
However, like many visitors, they weren’t able to agree on the new stained glass windows. They were designed by English abstract artist John McLean, and were installed on the north aisle in 2014. Apparently they’ve been causing controversy ever since!
Paddy loves the rich colours, and the way the bright light bounces around this corridor, which he thought would be pretty dark and boring otherwise. On the other hand, Plunkett really would have preferred to see something more traditional, and in keeping with the rest of the building. Whose side are you on?
Had the lads visited Norwich in the early 1400s, they would have been able to settle their dispute once and for all. A short walk away from the cathedral is St Julian’s Church, which was home to the anchoress Julian of Norwich.
Although there’s little concrete information about her life, Julian of Norwich is still considered an important mystic and theologian. Her account of her religious visions, “Revelations of Divine Love” is thought to be the first book written in English by a female author! She lived out her days in a small cell in a church on this site, and her only contact with the outside world was through two small windows – one into the church, and the other looking onto St Julian’s Alley outside. Members of the public could pass by and ask Mother Julian for advice, and I think it’s fair to presume that she was called upon to settle a few disagreements in her time!
The real St Julian’s Church didn’t survive the Reformation during the reign of Henry VIII, but the building that stands today, as well as giving an impression of what the original would have looked like, tells a story of its own. The stones used to build it were reclaimed from another church, which was destroyed during the Second World War. Plunkett certainly seems to be enjoying the peace and quiet of this contemplative place!
Of course, it wasn’t long before Paddy felt the need for something a little more lively… A spot of shopping, perhaps?
Fortunately, this beautiful Art Nouveau arcade has enough architectural interest to keep Plunkett entertained too!
Oh, and then he spotted THESE…
“Not just any old stone wall, my friends! A stone wall made with the hard-wearing local flint! Beautiful! Incredible!”
Uh-oh! I think we’ve lost him for the day! This all seems too familiar to poor Paddy, who remembers what happened on last year’s trip to Arundel Castle.
“I’ll leave you to it there, Plunkett! I’m going to go and hang out with these guys instead!”
I reckon there’s room in all that fancy stonework for a Beastie-shaped addition – what do you think?
More from the boys in a couple of weeks… I wonder where they’ll end up next?
Ohhhhhh Julian – good find, Paddy and Plunkett! What’s her deal? Extensive, in-depth research (that I’ve just done at my desk at work) reveals that her anchoressness was clearly really just self-imposed quarantine from all the sickly, gross people of Norwich. The Julian Centre website states, ‘[…] at the time, the citizens of Norwich suffered from plague and poverty, as well as a famine, she must have counselled a lot of people in pain’. Uh huh – if by ‘counselled’ you mean fled from them in disgust and relegated them to only speaking to her through small window. Of course, she she had the right idea, and I applaud this action – whilst people were dropping around her like flies, Julian apparently reached the ripe ol’ age of (at least) 74!
Smart lady! Perhaps her real genius – which obviously went unacknowledged at the time – was a grasp of what causes diseases to spread. I actually found out (in an unrelated tumbling down the internet rabbithole of “ooh, that’s interesting” a while back) that Britain was crammed with anchorites and anchoresses back in the day… Well, as crammed as it’s possible to be when you choose to seal yourself into a cell and live out your days in isolation. And, unlike the rest of Europe, anchoresses were much more common than their male counterparts! It must have been a pretty appealing life, compared with the alternative – endless childbearing and horrible painful death from plague at 30! Cheers for reading, and your extra-credit research!
Super interesting topic! I’d like to read more, especially re: gender. I think I would prefer to go down the hermit route (as it seems to be less binding and I usually picture them hanging out in a nice cottage in some lovely woods), but both vocations have their merits 🙂 And Sister Wendy was apparently a modern day hermit – so perhaps an apt topic for a weekesian post!
Definitely! Aaaah, if I could find just the right cottage in the woods I’d be off hermit-ing in a heartbeat myself!
Such an interesting read! Photos look absolutely beautiful, this is now on my list of travels!!!
Yes, Norwich looks like a great place to visit! And my research turned up loads more interesting places that the Beasties didn’t get to this time around, too. Let us know if you go yourself, and thanks for reading! 😀
Norwich is one of my favourite places in England (York is my favourite). I used to live in Essex when my husband worked in London and we often used to escape up the Suffolk coast and to Norfolk. Norwich was always a pleasing getaway.
Thanks, Laura! I think I might have to follow in Paddy and Plunkett’s pawprints someday, it looks like there’s so much to do there. I hope the boys did your second-favourite English city justice! 😀
Now THAT is a mighty fine looking cloister! From the photo you’ve posted, I’d have to say those stained glass windows are a win in my book. I love the colors they’ve scattered through the interior. Although I suppose I can understand that some people may not want their cathedral looking like a disco (picky picky). As long as no BeeGees music starts playing I think Norwich will survive. Thanks for the tour.
What, no Bee Gees? Ah well, each to their own I suppose 😂… I think I found pictures of the actual windows on the Cathedral’s website if you want to take a look and decide once and for all. I actually really like the designs… But somehow they seem kind of “off” for such a grand building. Let me know what you think!
Ah, I see what you mean. Personally, I really like them, but maybe a different setting might be more appropriate. A setting like perhaps my front room would be perfect if the church wants to send a few panels over! 😋
Worth asking, I guess… Hey, why not offer to swap your Dura-lar piece from last year for them? That way everybody wins!
Ooh, good call!
I’m speechless. That looks so cool and I really want to jump on a plane and visit. In my next live I’m planning on being a Beastie!
Heehee, thanks Ivonne! And being a wandering Beastie is a lifestyle that would suit me quite nicely too… Hey, a girl can dream! 😁
Wonderful pictures. I love that flint wall! It looks like it has been around and has very much stood the test of time! And I’d never heard the story of the anchoress of Norwich. I’ll have to look read more about her, and I would be very interested in looking at her writings. Oh, and look at those arcades – an absolute blast from the past (or recently built?). Looks like a very fun time with P&P, Helen!
Yes, I wish they’d bring me with them sometime 😆 Apparently being an anchoress was quite a popular career choice for women in Britain at that time… Compared with the rest of Europe, where their male counterparts were more common. And I think the arcade is the real deal, rather than a modern replica! Thanks for reading, Shirley!
Another city not far from me. I never knew about its history.
Yes, it looks fascinating! And the lads barely scratched the surface of all the great stuff there is to see and do there. Maybe you could do a follow-up visit, since you’re local and all… 🤔
I would like to do that. I should do cambridge more too and I know there’s a beastie or two there! 😊
Beastie-led tourism! I like it! 😀 I think the next step is to start leaving those round blue heritage signs on places that have featured in Beastie adventures… 😉 Have a great weekend, wherever you end up!
You know what? That is a great idea, maybe not heritage signs, but a sticker to put somewhere saying a beastie was here and your blog address.
Good thinking, Batman! I’m definitely going to be looking into this! 😀
I would. I’m happy to help with all things beastie. You could send some with every beastie and sell them for the loyal travellers who want to keep it up! They pay you to advertise… How shrewd am I? Lol
Very! So… Congratulations! You are now Head of Marketing! 😀
Thanks, it’s my aim to get you to millionairess status by the end of next year! 🙂
Yesssssss! I’m already looking forward to delivering my Christmas address from the side of the pool at my fat palatial mansion 🤑🤑🤑
Surrounded by Beasties of course! lol
Of course!!
You’ll have to make bikini beasties to suit! 😛
Interesting to see other options for serious hermiting. And I thought I was hardcore. 🙂 I think I’m a fan of how that colour filters through the new windows. Makes it extra interesting.
It certainly adds colour, doesn’t it? And anchoress-ing does seem a good hermit option, in terms of getting free room and board, and avoiding the plague-carrying masses outside… But there is the flip side of all those people swinging by looking for sage advice!
Good point. I could dispense with regular advice but I might have to wave a sage plant around to make it qualify as sage advice…or maybe I could pretend it was a talking sage plant only I could hear and dispense it’s advice…ah! Problem solved! 🙂
Mmm, delicious sage-y advice… Perfect with roast chicken! 😋
P.S. Guess who was the answer to a question on University Challenge (favourite show) on Monday night??!?!!?!?!?!!? Naturally, I shouted ‘JULIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!’ at the TV screen, like a lunatic.
It’s the only way! I hope at least one of the teams got the answer right, or I’m going to have to make the BeastieBlog compulsory reading in all UK universities. (I also love me a bit of University Challenge, on the rare occasions I get to watch it!)
those tiny creatures are having a ball 🙂 I’ll follow this endless and incredible journey.
Awww, thank you! They like to travel closer to home as well, so you might see some familiar Dublin sights in here from time to time 😀 Thanks for stopping by!