Strangers' Hall, Norwich

I have been to Norwich many times over the years but the existence of this place has never really registered. Strangers' Hall is a museum of domestic history and is a Grade 1 listed building. Many additions to the building have been made over the years but it originates in the 14th century and has been home to many mayors of Norwich dating back to 1340. It is through one of the mayors that the name originates.

In 1565, due to a depression in the city's cloth industry, the then mayor invited experienced weavers and their families to Norwich to share their expertise. Many of these families came from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and were known as the Strangers. The Strangers revived the fortunes of the Norwich cloth industry and the Stranger community grew quite rapidly, introducing printing, gardening and encouraging plant cultivation.

The hall had a number of owners over subsequent years but by the 1890's it was empty and derelict. However, in 1899 a local solicitor purchased the building, saving it from demolition, and turned it in to a folk museum which opened the following year. It has remained a museum ever since and is now owned by the Norfolk Museums Service.

We visited a few days ago and found it really interesting with lots of period furniture and info on the artefacts on display together with histories of the house over different periods. Here are a few pictures from the visit.