Located at the N end of Norwich's large open marketplace, the early 15th c. guildhall was the largest outside London when it was built.
'The Guildhall is built of flint rubble faced with knapped flints carefully laid in mortar and packed with flint chip pings or ‘galleted.’ It is quite devoid of decoration except for the impressive east gable. Here the upper part is treated with lozenge and triangular chequerwork of flint contrasted with freestone' (Dunn and Sutermeister, Guildhall 9).
The interior was much altered in later centuries when its rooms were converted for differing uses but the exterior structure retains some of its original appearance.
The Assembly Chamber in the guildhall seems to have been the main space used for occasional performances by local or touring entertainers during the mid-16th c. The 'Free Chamber' is specified once in the same period.
The guildhall now houses Caley
1407 Building began on the guildhall to replace a small toll house (used to collect market fees).
1412 Prisoners put into prisons in the basement.
1453 Building completed with the glazing of the Mayor’s Court windows.
by late 15th c. The guildhall consisted of a large room on the ground floor known as the 'free prison' with chained prisoners housed in the cellar below; a larger Assembly Chamber on the upper level at the W end with a solar behind the dais; a smaller Mayor's Court at the E end; an upper solar above the landing; and a S entrance porch tower rising at least 2 storeys incorporating a small guild chapel dedicated to St Barbara. There were apparently no kitchens provided.
1511 Mayor’s Court roof, as well as the Treasury tower at the W end, collapsed.
1534--7 Reconstruction with some renewal to the E facade. Stained glass in St Barbara's Chapel recoloured green.
1597 Prisons relocated to another site, although occasional use of the guildhall for the purpose persisted.
17th c. Chapel dilapidated and rebuilt to serve as new sheriff’s offices.
1660 Cellars converted to a cloth hall, new entrance cut through to cloth hall to the right of the N entrance. Free prison chamber on the ground floor used as a yarn hall; E end of ground floor used to store city fire engines.
1723--4 Decayed S porch demolishe d and rebuilt. Italianate loggia added on the flat roof E of the porch.
Later 18th c. Solar at W end of Assembly Chamber converted into a Grand Jury Room. Panelling of entrance hall, upper floor landing and columns in the Palladian style outside the Mayor’s Court added. Yarn hall on the ground floor converted to a panelled court room. Upper solar above the landing converted for use as the city armoury. N tower demolished.
1850 Clock turret in French style at E end given by the mayor, Henry Woodcock. the lower plaster ceiling added previously to the Mayor's Court was removed and the 16th c. roof restored to view.
ca. 1861 Porch and S facade rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style and designed by Thomas Denville Barry, the city architect. Almost all other exterior details are part of the Victorian reconstruction.
1857 16th c. Bassingham stone gateway relocated from London Street and installed at SE end for the magistrates' entrance.
1938 Ceased to be used as a city council chamber.
1972 Court of Record ceased to sit in the guildhall.
2001 Cellar level and ground floor converted and leased for shops and offices.
REED Norwich 6--8, 31, 51
