www.norfolksbest.co.uk
Said to be one of Britain’s top ten shopping cities, Norwich is a fun place for bargain-hunters, souvenir-seekers and those with serious special interests.
The city’s focal point is the open-air market – the largest in the country – trading six days a week for almost a thousand years and still going strong. Set among a maze of narrow alleyways thronged with shoppers, colourful stalls with brightly striped awnings offer an astonishing range of goods: leatherware, fabrics, carpets and rugs, clothing, footwear, food… The list goes on and on.
On the market’s eastern edge, the pedestrianised Gentleman’s Walk has shops offering books, clothes, jewellery and shoes. Halfway along the Walk, you’ll find the elegant Royal Arcade with shops to match. This is the place to buy those special gifts.
Another pedestrianised shopping area is London Street, shared by Jarrolds, the city’s home-grown department store, and leading national chains. More high street multiples are to be found in St Stephen’s Street and All Saints Green. Castle Mall, on three impressive levels overlooking the castle, is a modern complex of retail outlets and major stores, with restaurants and cafes. Anglia Square, on the north side of the River Wensum, is another modern shopping centre.
Book lovers and antiques collectors will want to head for St Benedict’s and St Giles Streets, Tombland and Elm Hill. Other centres for collectibles, antiques, crafts, prints and books are St Andrew’s Hall – which also stages flea markets and auctions, St Michael at Plea in Redwell Street and St Mary Coslany on St Mary’s Plain. ‘Plain’, seen on many city street signs, is the Norwich term for a square or open space.
