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 The
stories behind our street names
BATHURST ROAD (Clarendon Road)
Henry Bathurst was installed as Bishop of Norwich in
1805, and for more than 30 years presided over the Diocese.
“By his frankness and purity of heart, gentleness of
manner and pleasantness of conversation attached to
himself the goodwill of all.” So runs the inscription
on the marble statue of him, in full ecclesiastical
costume, in Norwich Cathedral. The monument is the work
of Sir Francis Chantrey. Bishop Bathurst was “much lamented”
when he died in 1837.
BEDFORD STREET (Exchange Street)
This is one of the old connecting streets of Norwich.
Formerly known as Lobster Lane by 1883 it had turned
into Bedford Street, presumably to differentiate between
it and the upper part adjacent to the Maddermarket.
The word dates from the days of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
B(i)eda’s ford or ford near the homestead occupied by
the family. That does not seem quite the explanation
of our Bedford Street. The original entrance to the
Bridewell when it was in domestic occupation.
BEK CLOSE (Leng Crescent) Antony
Bek was Dean of Lincoln and Bishop of Norwich from 1337
until 1344 — and was not the most popular person in
town. It is said of him: “Being of a quarrelsome disposition
he was poisoned either by the monks or his own servants.”
Another report says: “He appears to have been a friend
of scholars but unfriendly to the monks.” Just goes
to show — never upset a monk.
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The Old George
IV Tavern on the corner of Ber Street. As one of
the earliest roads in Norwich it was once a thriving
community. |
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Ber Street
Calling time on a little bit of history
BELL AVENUE (Orford Hill to Market
Avenue) The avenue that led to the Blue Bell, the original
name of The Bell, one of the most famous and historic
hostelries in the heart of Norwich.
It was truncated at the turn of the last century to
make way for the trams.
The avenue dissects the old castle bailey
(or the real Castle Meadow) and must have witnessed
many great punch-ups and public disorders over the years.
The Bell was once the home of the Hell Fire Club, which
consisted of a number of ruffians calling themselves
“gentlemen of principle” who were out to crush the Methodists.
Today it is still a popular meeting place and watering
hole — and far more peaceful, most of the time.
BELOE AVENUE (Humbleyard , Bowthorpe)
William Beloe was usher at Norwich Grammar School
from 1779-83. He graduated from Corpus Christi, Cambridge,
with a BA. He was recommended by Dr Parr as usher but
then had a disagreement and resigned in favour of a
Mr Pratt in January of 1784. He was Rector of Bowthorpe
from 1791-1839 and of Earlham from 1791-1817. His connection
with Bowthorpe therefore, warrants this name among the
street names.
BIGNOLD ROAD (Appleyard Crescent
to Drayton Road)
The family behind a fanancial empire
BELVOIR STREET (Earlham Road) and
Belvedere Place (Leopold Road) This is another name
where Norwich people “du different”. We call it Bellvoir
while others pronounce it Beevor. It is of French origin,
identical in meaning with Belvedere and simply means
beautiful view or fine view. This is a name that adds
a certain dignity to the surroundings.
BERNERS STREET (Aylsham Road) The
origin of this name stems from the Norman times and
denotes that the holder of the surname came from Berniers-sur-Mer
in France. Another interpretation from the French is
“keeper of the hounds” and another Old English meaning
is of a “lime burner or charcoal burner.” On Faden’s
map of 1797, Charles Berners was shown as a major landowner
in Hellesdon. The road from Aylsham Road to Junction
Road was made up by the corporation in 1929 and its
maintenance was taken over by the Norwich City Council
executive committee in 1936.
BESSEMER ROAD (Sandy Lane to Hall
Road) A most appropriate name for a road so near to
iron and steel — I’m thinking about the railway line
and the factories. Sir Henry Bessemer (1813-1898) was
famous as the inventor of the well known process of
converting cast iron direct to steel. The invention
was revolutionary in the steel manufacturing industry
and greatly reduced the cost of production. It also
made it possible to use steel in many areas where previously
only iron had been used. Although he is not a local
man, Norwich owes much to Sir Henry who really was a
man of steel.
BETHEL STREET (St Peter's Street
to St Giles Street)
The violent history of a city
street
BEVERLEY ROAD and CLOSE (Earlham
Road) DR Michael Beverley was born at Brooke in 1841
and was educated at St Paul’s School, Bracondale, and
at London and Edinburgh universities. He practised medicine
in Norwich from 1872 until 1912. He was consulting surgeon
to the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, the Great Hospital
and Doughty’s Hospital. An expert gardener, he was in
charge of the project to lay out the gardens at the
former pleasure resort, the magnificent Brundall Gardens.
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| Bishop Bridge, dating from
1340. |
BISHOP GATE - Many a saint and
martyr breathed his last on Bishop Gate
Tragic heritage of a city bridge
BLACKFRIAR'S STREET (from Fishergate)
YOU didn’t mess with the Black Friars. A very powerful
bunch in days of old. After 1307 they moved to the main
part of their HQ, which stretched from Colegate to Golden
Dog Lane, to an area originally the site of the ancient
church of the Friars of the Sack in St Andrews.
They began building a new church which was later called
the Dutch Church and is now Blackfriar’s Hall. The nave
of the church was paid for by Sir Thomas Erpingham.
At the time of the Dissolution King Henry VIII decided
that the citizens should get all that belonged to the
order of the Black Friars in Norwich.
BIRKBECK CLOSE (Lakenham) Pronounced
by us locals as Burbeck. The Birkbecks are of good Norfolk
stock. And over the centuries many of them have been
called Henry.
John, of Kings Lynn, married Martha Gurney. They had
a son Henry (1787-1848) of Keswick who had a son Henry
(1821-1895) who had a son Henry (1853-1930) who had
a brother Edward (1860-1901). Henry had son Henry (1885-1956)
who had a son Henry (1915) and another son called William
(1922). The family always had a close relationship with
Barclays Bank.
BIXLEY CLOSECadge Road) This road
is named after the tiny village a couple of miles out
of Norwich which has a fascinating history. Bixley Church
is the only one in England dedicated to a saint with
the odd name of Wandregesilus.
Pilgrimages were made to “St Wandrede of Byskely” in
the Middle Ages. He was a monk and later founded a monastery
for 300 monks at Fontonelles near Rouen. Bixley Church
comes chiefly from the 13th century and contains a monument
of one of Bixley’s old families, the Wards.
 BLOMEFIELD
ROAD (Rye Avenue) was named after an amazing man
— Francis Blomefield, (left) the chap who put Norfolk
on the map — against all the odds.
The man who put Norfolk on the
map
BLACK HORSE OPENING (Sprowston
Road) The old Black Horse public house stood at
the “opening.” This was originally a typical village
pub for the good people of Sprowston. It had a rail
to which the horses were tethered and watered while
their owners were refreshing themselves inside the house.
Nearly opposite the Black Horse was the old, typical
“square box” village Primitive Methodist Chapel. A pint
and a prayer — what more could you ask for in the old
“village” of Sprowston. A horse that knew the way home
probably.
BLYTH ROAD (Angel Road to St Clement's
Hill) Meet Ernest Blyth - a truly great citizen
who bridged the gap between wealth and poverty.
The man who gave shape to our
city
BLUEBELL ROAD (Eaton Street) Eaton
Park, then about 73 acres, was opened soon after 1907.
The corporation bought it for £4,900 and the Playing
Fields and Open Spaces Society paid £900 towards its
cost. At its western boundary was a narrow wood named
Bluebell Wood and a rather steep drop to the river valley
was called Eaton Hangs. Then, the road at the foot of
the Hangs, leading from Earlham Road past the Earlham
Hall farm, was reopened as a public road reaching to
Eaton Street. Eaton Wood was mentioned in Domesday and
was a paled wood in 1581. Robert Kett even surveyed
the wood and thought about using it as a camp in 1549,
but then thought better of it and moved off to Mousehold
where he had a better view.
BOILEAU CLOSE (Constable Road)
The Boileau family lived at Ketteringham Hall and were
a powerful clan in old Norfolk.
Members were, at various times, magistrates, deputy
lieutenants for the county, and Sir John P Boileau was
High Sheriff in 1844. As a memorial to his wife, who
died in 1862, he founded the Catherine Ward at the old
Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He died in 1869.
On October 20, 1876, the Boileau drinking fountain was
erected at the junction on the Ipswich and Newmarket
roads in Norwich. Sir John Boileau had bequeathed £1000
to pay for the bronze work which was designed by JE
Boehm and built by Mr Hubbard from Dereham.
The fountain became a beautiful landmark but it was
in the way of progress - cars were taking over the roads.
It was eventually taken down and placed in the grounds
of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
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What's in a Name hompage
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