The Royal Arcade, Norwich

Tags

architecture, Art Nouveau, Colman's Mustard Shop and Museum, Digby's Chocolates, Norwich, shopping, The Royal Arcade

 

The main entrance to the Royal Arcade

This is another of my Norwich posts and this time I am just going to focus on one place, The Royal Arcade.  I usually visit it at some stage during all my walks round the city.  I have gathered together a number of pictures that I have taken at different times and have spot-lighted this very interesting and beautiful place.   Many people use and see it but don’t look at it.

This front has just undergone some renovation and is freshly painted.

I cropped the former photo to show some of the details – the carving on the pillars in front of the windows, the tiles under the canopy and the tiny little crowns on top of the railing.

The first building to occupy this site from at least the 15th century was the ‘Angel Inn’.  As well as being somewhere to eat and drink and spend the night the inn was also a place where one could be entertained.  It hosted travelling shows and ‘spectacles’ – in 1685 a pair of elephants could be seen here.  In the 1830’s it was the Headquarters of the Norwich Whigs (the fore-runners of the Liberal party) where there was once such a vicious brawl between the Whigs and their political rivals the Tories that the Mayor had to read the Riot Act and call in the militia.

The Angel was re-named and became the ‘Royal Hotel’ which occupied this site for about fifty years before moving to a newer building elsewhere.  Joseph Stannard rebuilt the entrance when it became the ‘Royal Hotel’ in 1846 and this facade remained when the Royal Arcade was constructed in 1899.

Inside the Arcade.

The Arcade was built where the hotel stables and yard had been and followed the shape of the yard.  It isn’t obvious when walking through the Arcade but from this angle you can see that the Arcade isn’t straight but bends slightly.

When it was first constructed it housed 24 bow-fronted shops, a pub and a clubroom.

This photo is looking towards the main entrance 

This is a marvellous chocolatiere and confectioner’s shop in the Arcade.

The windows are always dressed so beautifully

The Mustard Shop and Museum. Colman’s Mustard has been part of Norwich life for a long time and is quite an institution.  J. Colman began manufacturing mustard 200 years ago.

A beautiful old cash-till in the window.

A longer view of the interior.

The Royal Arcade is a 247′ long covered avenue and was designed and built by Dereham-born architect, George Skipper.  It is a perfect example of Art Nouveau style.

This photo shows a plaque commemorating the architect and some of the wonderful decorative tiles that line the first floor.

The designs are typically Art Nouveau and are inspired by nature and femininity – floral shapes and peacocks.  The tiles were designed by WJ Neatby (who also produced tiles for Harrod’s Food Hall (Harrods is a large and famous department store in London)).  The tiles were manufactured by Doulton.

One of the pillars at the main entrance

Another entrance to the Arcade.

Here is that same entrance showing the lovely stained glass semi-circular window and the decorations on the outside of the Arcade.

This sign is over yet another entrance to the Arcade

 

This wrought-iron work along with other examples in the Arcade, the floor tiles and the beautiful lamps were added later during restoration in the 1980’s.  They are happily in keeping with the rest of the building.

A very pretty clock.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Royal Arcade.