New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-11
IN PICTURESQUE NORWICH.
~ ENGLISH CITY OF MEDIEVAL ARCHI-

~ o
ING ,ids week in this delightful old town. had
r.ethirg to say in earlier letter. The town
,~,of deserves sympathetic recognition as the
,,,ost picturesque city In East Anglia; and that
g high praise. for the eastern counties abound
d. interesting towns and beautiful ole churches
7 have recently enjoyed many ramble in Cam
A~,dse Ely. Peterborough and Ipswich. but no ex-
rerence has hesr so charming short sojourn
- s-,,u oits Norwich. Since the town IS not included
- the ordinary itinerary Of the American tour
g, may venture to mention some OF the mos.
interesting sights This perhaps. will be more
,,.rtaining and possibly also more profit able
.hsn 10 attempt to catch up some OF the loose
.nas Of ecclesiastical discussion at the Congress,
ssrecially the closing day has been devoted
., hackneyed themes. such Sunday occupa-
,ons End recreations. the cathedral system and
,oor-law administration.
With the single exception OF the spire of the
cathedral. the most prominent object in Nor
witch is the Norman Castle in the centre of the
town Possibly II marks the site Of a great
Roman camp. although that is controversial
matter but certainly its foundations rest upon
an artificial circular mound where the Saxons
defended their possessions against the invading
Danes and the Viking plunderers Upon that
immense tumuus the Norman conquerors built
the rnsliaeval fortress which remains unit. this
dav high above the 10 vn and encompassed with
& dry ditch that has been converted into a
charming pleasure garden. Vhe castle is mas
rive structure built for military purposes CT rect
angular lines The flint rubbl@ walls were or.gi-
naIy laced with Caen stone. which crumbled
and cracked in the co Of eight centuries. ard
vas replaced with Bath stone sixty years ago.
The walls are seventy-hve feet high. and the
Norman keep. with its entrance tower. is of great
size II is one of the finest relics of meiiaeva.
military engine sring 10 be seen In England Pre-
served for centuries as a royal fortress and pris-
on. it finally passed into the possession Of the
town corporation and has been converted into
public museum. with outlying pleasure gardens
While the use to which the old fortress has ben
put is anomalous. since stuffed birds and geo
,osical specimens arc clearly out Of their proper
81 vlronment in the military keep, the castle IS
splendid object from the gardens and. indeed
r. m almost any portion Of the town.
THE CATHEDRAL
After the castle the cathedral is the next
structure to ne visited. but to find it is not an
easy task for newcomer in the town. although
the spire is always to be when street corner
,s turned This high above the roof lines. IS some
thing 10 steer for. but the courses are uncertain
for TIE spire follows a curvng street which ends
~ blind alley: AMI when he escapes from it by
changing his course he loses sight of the spire
Cor a while 70 wander IN maze of lanes and
alleys and finally discovers that he is walking
euav from the cathedral instead Of approaching
u Having sighted the sp.re afresh. M starts
out on another tack. only To repeat his expert
ence and 10 find himself in full retreat from H.
In this way circling around 1t and with many
. false lead and backward turn. he finally
reaches the open level of Tomhland with the en-
trance gates to the cathedral close.
The cathedral is massive and plain. being one
~ the earliest Of the Norman minister's. More ad-
vancad in style than st. Adams Abbey or the
transepts Of Winchester. it is perhaps the pures'
and best example Of the type OF cathedral archl-
lecture which followed the Romanesque Inc
.,,ra sur,,,ounting the noble Norman tower was
rebuilt IN the fifteenth century. and large per
nerdicular windows were inserted in one front
I'D o+her changes made from the original lines;
I'm. taken as A whole the architecture is less
,,r,nositA than that Of the other cathedrals ana
,rnarts a sense Of unity OF design and singleness
- rurnose With the exception OF the Lazy
chanel the chapter house and two small cnapeis
a. has been completely restored and with the
sDacious cloisters adjoining the nave. it Is one OF
The most beautiful ard majestic examples OF liie
Norman cathedral founded with monastery d
an attachment wherein those consecrateo 10 l'S
services lived and died servants OF the tempe
Certainly no other English cathedral has more
picturesque environment than this spiehuio HIM
ster Two imposing entrance-gates, with ofoau
archwavs massive buttresses and quaint scup
-ure lead into spacious close. and the grouhus
orc encorpassed by a circuit OF high walls over
e-ou,n with dense masses OF ivy. Within the
navea courts. and curving passages and narrow
lanes open the way into the town OF VIM oN'
ward 70 beautiful meadows fianking the river
,rta cathedral is empowered with rural lowell
,sss Walls trees, gateways, meadows, lawns
md courts combine to make perfect landscape
settine for the ancient monastic church
CITY OF ANCIENT CHURCHES.
Although there are only one-half as many
churches in Norwich az there were curing ."e
,e,gn Of William the Conqueror. there are De
to-, thirty and forty, nearly all Of them oin
br,,d,ngs and restored rebuilt at great expense
IT, ersst narish church is St Peter Mahcrol|
- q massive tower and Impressive interior
M. there are many other good examples OF "ieu
teral churches Most Il the monasuc iou"u'
a. and conventional buildings nave uiS"P
,aarad. hut St Andrews Hall where the Gnu VI
corgress has been discussing WITHIN twenty ~.
hos the reunion of Christendom' was '"e '"
srbe great church of the Preaching friars; anu
BIZ rkfriars Hall adjoining it, where the V,s..'"s
eergv and laty have been receiving the'r ie'se,S
.pe chatting with one another over 'n e.. uu,l
- 'or the brightest papers OF the session
va tho choir Of the Dominican Churcn. i" ese
are now public halls, where musical iss'u ava Grim
he'd and popular audiences addressed, anu el,,I
an ser,ous as the architecture IS t"eie 49,
NJ, 10 better halls for these purposes, ",,aa,
mos ,imorous and conservative 'roa. -
chu-,bman in attendance upof '"e ad %
max his protest against sacefoo's'''"a ,1idd,e
adm, that the preaching friars u '1e 'a,,ous
Ages knew how 70 build churches VII" O. an