The Norman Palace

Welcome to the 12th century! Experience the sights and sounds of medieval England...

It's been 55 years since the Battle of Hastings ushered in a new era of Norman power in England.

William the Conqueror's son, King Henry I, has just completed his impressive new royal palace in Norwich, England's second city. You are invited to visit his royal apartments and the richly decorated rooms of the early 12^th century.

Based on extensive research by leading experts and lovingly recreated by master craftspeople, you can now explore what life was like in a Norman royal palace.

Interior decoration Norman style

We are used to seeing Norman interiors, like Norwich Cathedral, as plain stone. Surviving furniture from the early medieval period has often lost its decorative paintwork. However, Norman (or Romanesque) style was actually very colourful and ornate. We know this from period manuscripts and archaeological evidence. The Normans loved a bit of bling!

Walls were painted in elaborate patterns. Furniture was colourful and sometimes gilded. Doors featured fancy ironwork scrolls. Colourful banners and tapestries hung on walls. What you'll see in the royal palace reflects this Norman taste for decoration. It shows the castle's high status. Every element has been carefully researched and expertly crafted. This is to provide as authentic an experience as possible.

Arrival at the Norman Keep

Entering the keep today conveys a sense of occasion as it would have done in the Norman period.The staircase leads up the east wall of the keep. It follows the same route that visitors in the 12th century would have taken.

When you arrive in the room at the top of the forebuilding, admire the spectacular carved arched doorway. This formed the original entrance to the keep. It's one of the finest surviving examples of its kind.

You are in no doubt to the importance of the room you're about to enter!

New step-free access into the keep

The new step-free access into the keep is via a beautiful glass bridge. It has striking views of the forebuilding not seen for many decades.

In the vestibule you'll find the same information as visitors who take the stairs route. Once you are inside the Great Hall you can also access the forebuilding.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall was the heart of the castle keep. Today it's set up for a medieval feast, with long wooden tables and benches.

This grand public space was used to display and perform royal power. You can dress up and take a seat in one of the beautifully carved thrones. Become a king or queen hearing the pleas of your subjects and dispensing royal justice! Or imagine being one of the keep's many servants, scurrying to and from the kitchen as you wait on the important guests.

Richly coloured silk and embroidered banners add to the impression of wealth and grandeur. These are based on illustrations from medieval manuscripts and rare surviving textiles. The imagery has been chosen to symbolise royal authority.

The Mezzanine

Above the Great Hall is the mezzanine which provided additional living space at busy times. During major feasts and gatherings in the Great Hall below, musicians and minstrels provided entertainment from this level.

Standing on the mezzanine you get a bird's eye view of the Great Hall.

New immersive audio-visual show

Watch and hear history comes to life. Throughout the day the walls of the Great Hall will come alive with a new immersive show.

Audio-visual projections draw on the drama and imagination of medieval art. The projections tell the story of the building of Norwich Castle. You will also discover more about the medieval city that grew around it.

You will not want to miss this exciting new experience during your visit to the castle keep!

The Great Chamber

The Great Chamber was a semi-private space. It was used for domestic living, entertainment, and private and official conversation.

This handsomely decorated room is where the king and queen would have stayed during their rare visits. In their absence, it provided accommodation for senior royal officials like the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk.

Discover some of the room's luxury features like the large fireplace and elaborate water basin - the 12th century equivalent of an en-suite.

Imagine sleeping in the impressive king's bed, with its fine carving and colourful woodwork!

Norwich Friends Tapestry

The Great Chamber is also home to the remarkable Norwich Friends Tapestry. Technically an embroidery, it's named after the Bayeux Tapestry. It borrows the stitch and illustration style of its famous predecessor.

A talented team of volunteers has worked for over eight years to create the Tapestry. At 18 metres in length, it tells the story of two rebellions against Norman rule. These took place in East Anglia soon after the Battle of Hastings. Take time to explore the Tapestry's exquisite detail with a specially created interactive.

The Chapel

The chapel was a space for daily prayer and Christian worship.

These were at the heart of everyday life. This smaller, quieter space is where a chaplain said daily mass for the household of the keep. Different religious ceremonies and communal and private prayer also took place here.

You can listen as a choir sings an atmospheric medieval chant. The altar is set out for a service with a bronze crucifix (cross) and candlestick. These have been handmade in the style of the period by skilled blacksmiths at Holkham Forge in north Norfolk. The elaborate wrought-iron altar rail was also made at Holkham Forge.

The Kitchen

You may not think it, but an inside kitchen was a sign of royal prestige and status. In this period it was very unusual to have a kitchen inside a castle keep. This was due to the risk of fire. Food preparation was usually done in kitchens outside.

However, the inside kitchen allowed the cooks to create their elaborate dishes and send them into the Great Hall piping hot. This would definitely have impressed the castle guests!