3 Things You Really Didn’t Know About 3 Historic Norwich Pubs
We all have heard that Norwich used to have one pub for every day of the year and one church for every Sunday – in fact, there may have been more: in 1851, 40 Norwich residents complained to the Magistrates “that with a little less than 70,000 inhabitants, there were `upwards of 600 public-houses’”, significantly more than in other cities and towns. Most of us know how Adam & Eve is the oldest pub in the city or how the Murderers is obsessed with local crime. However, there are Norwich pubs that still hold many interesting secrets not known to most. Here are just three fascinating facts about equal public houses in our ‘city of stories’.
Source: White Lion via Facebook
You Can Buy a Pint at the White Lion with Bitcoin
Right on the ring-road edge of Oak Street, the White Lion is known for its real ales, games room and charming 16th century building. In fact, it’s the only remaining Oak Street pub in an area that was once rife with them.
What you probably didn’t know about it though is that it’s the only Norwich pub where you can buy your Milton Brewery pint or one of their 20+ ciders and pay in Bitcoin. Just in case you were wondering what that is, Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that was invented in 2008. Although it’s not palpable, it is very much real: sophisticated digital ledgers ensure that transactions are unique and secure. Bitcoin is on the rise, as many online and real-world businesses such as video game distribution platform Steam, Microsoft and travel megasite Expedia all accept it nowadays. In fact, some brands have chosen to trade exclusively in Bitcoin: click here to visit VegasCasino, an online casino games provider featuring slots, blackjack and more. In this casino, all transactions are done in Bitcoin, from deposits to winnings – as well as their sign-up and top-up bonuses. The fact that the White Lion has chosen to offer a Bitcoin option makes us confident that Norwich pubs can still be innovative and have a bright future.
Source: Lollards Pit via Facebook
The Lollards Pit Has a Very Gruesome History
In front of the iconic Gas Tower, Lollards Pit freehouse sits in a city centre area that carries a number of old and dark tales – regardless of the pub itself being quite traditionally cheerful, with pub quizzes, parties and bingo nights frequently organised. Ok, so not quite the kasyna bez depozytu (no deposit casino) fun that many seek these days, but fun nevertheless. The public house was built in the mid-17th century, right on its namesake: a chalk pit where, centuries ago, dozens of people met gruesome deaths.
Conveniently placed opposite the city walls, there was a literal pit here, after part of the chalk hill was dug to provide building materials for the Cathedral and the Close. In this pit, Lollards would be executed for their beliefs: at least three in 1428 and more than 55 in the 16th century. But who were these Lollards? Followers of John Wycliffe, Lollards (or Lollers or Lollardis) were in many ways early precursors of the Reformists. Protesting the Church and some of its dogmas and institutions, they naturally became a target for medieval Church authorities of the time. The Norwich Heresy Trials, from 1428 to 1431, condemned some of the most outspoken Lollards to death. They were marched from their holding cells all the way through Bishop’s Bridge, crossing the street to the pit which was bound to be named after them. There, they were burned at the stake for their beliefs – and more people judged to be heretics were to follow in the next centuries. Before the erection of the pub, the pit served as a tannery, a traveller’s site and a dumping ground. Some swear that they can hear ghostly screams in the cellar of Lollards Pit today.
Source: Wikimedia
You Could Once Store your Pig at the (Old) Owl Sanctuary
Live music pub the Owl Sanctuary made national news in December 2015. After the building was bought by Richard Pratt, the Owl Sanctuary’s existence was threatened. However, a successful social media campaign eventually ensured that the popular music venue could move to its current Timber Hill location. As part of the same effort, the Cattle Market Street building was listed as an asset of community value (ACV) by the Norwich City Council after more than 2,500 locals contacted the council and CAMRA.
The old Owl Sanctuary does have quite a lot of history, dating back to the pub’s old name, Shirehall Tavern in 1833, trading under a licence to Francis Clarke. As it was conveniently placed across the street from the cattle market (where the Castle Mall now stands), the tavern was popular with livestock dealers and farmers: they were allowed to use the establishment’s backyard to store their pigs and cattle while they enjoyed a pint or two. The pub’s early name comes from the nearby Shirehall, whose judges are believed to have often spent their nights at the tavern’s lodgings. The corner building was rebuilt in 1845, while it also suffered damage during WWII bombings. It has changed ownership and name five times since 1996: The One & Only, Marquee at the Shirehall, Shirehall, Marquee and the Owl Sanctuary. It’s not known what’s going to become of it next, but Mr Pratt or anyone else interested in changing its use to anything other than a pub must obtain planning permission first, thanks to its ACV status.
