The stories behind
our street names

GOULD ROAD (Elizabeth Fry Road)
HE was the minister who came to Norwich… and stayed.
The Rev George Gould was born in Bristol in 1818 and entered the Baptist Ministry in 1841.
After serving in Dublin and Exeter, he arrived in Norwich in 1849 to become the minister of St Mary’s Baptist Church.
He must have loved the job, because he did it for more than 30 years.
For many years, he was chairman of the Norwich School Board, a governor of the Grammar School and of the Commercial School.
In 1878, Norwich was hit by terrible floods when the river broke its banks and washed hundreds out of their homes.
Gould was the man who spearheaded the campaign to help the victims and he organised a committee to work on their behalf, helping with food, clothes and furniture.
He died in 1882.

GOWING ROAD/CLOSE/COURT
THE Gowing family has been closely identified with the parish of Hellesdon for many years.
Farmer George Gowing lived at Old Hall Farm, Hellesdon, and he died there in 1848.
His son, also called George, succeeded him in the tenancy of the Old Hall where he established a large diary herd.
At one time, he farmed more than 3,000 acres in various parts of Norfolk, breeding sheep and grazing cattle.
All his six sons became well known in agricultural circles all around the county.
He died in 1902 and was buried in Hellesdon churchyard.

GRANGE ROAD (Christchurch Road)
THE old meaning of the word was a barn or granary but it later came to mean the largest farmhouse in the area.
Another definition is “a society or combination of farmers” and then, perhaps the farm would be known as “the granger.”
Anyone living near, or a worker, in the early days at a grange could be called Grange or Granger.

GRAPES HILL
TODAY it is little more than a busy road and a roundabout, but there was a time when Grapes Hill when a hustling, bustling community with houses, shops and pubs.
More about Grapes Hill

GRAVELFIELD CLOSE (from Borrowdale Drive)
MANY moons ago, the people of Pockthorpe (outside the City Walls) claimed they had the right to take turf and gravel from Mousehold — and few people took issue with them.
They were a tough lot down Pockthorpe way. In 1866, it was reported that “by the sale of gravel, the poor inhabitants of Pockthorpe have been receiving an average £50 per annum, which has been distributed in bread and coal.”
This road is roughly where most of the gravel was dug from.

GREEN HILLS ROAD (Aylsham Road to St Martin's Road)
THIS area was where the Green Hill Pleasure Gardens were — on a spot known in the 19th century as “The Timbers” because of all the felled timber lying around. These gardens were frequented by the sporting fraternity, boxers, dog and bird fanciers. There were said to be “amusements a-plenty” with walks starting from the Green Hills.
It was also a meeting place, and back in 1838, the angry “camlet” weavers gathered on the hills and voted to go on strike because the bosses had threatened to cut their wages.

GRISTOCK PLACE (Knowland Grove)
EVER heard of George Gristock? He is a man worth remembering. A rough, tough, hard-drinking professional soldier who died fighting for our freedom.
More about Gristock Place

GROSVENOR ROAD (Unthank Road)
SOUNDS posh doesn’t it? One of those names which adds a little something to the neighbourhood.
The story of the immensely valuable Grosvenor estates in London was started back in the 16th and 17th centuries by Hugh Audley.
Eventually, Audley left some of his properties to Alexander Davies. His only child was a daughter, Mary, who at the age of 12 was married off to Sir Thomas Grosvenor.
They went on to have three sons. One of these (Sir Robert) had a son Robert, and he was raised high in the peerage as First Marquess of Westminster.

GUARDIAN ROAD (Bowthorpe Road to Dereham Road)
A GRIM reminder of the bad old days when it was almost a crime to be poor.
The old workhouse — otherwise known as the union, or house of industry, was on Bowthorpe Road.
Hundreds of men, women and children were forced to “go to the guardians” who were an elected board to administer the poor laws in the parish or district.
They had enormous power which was brought to an end when the system was abolished by the Poor Law Act of 1927.

GUILDHALL HILL
THE year was 1404 and it marked a turning point in the history of Norwich which was then home to about 10,000 people — the first Charter of Incorporation was granted.
More about Guildhall Hill

GUNTON ROAD (Elizabeth Fry Road) and HARBORD ROAD (Colman Road)
THE wonderfully named Sir Harbord Harbord is one of the few men who have not one but two roads named in his honour.
Born way back in 1733 he was created 1st Baron Suffield of Gunton in 1786. He represented the City of Norwich in Parliament in 1756 and then from 1761 to 1786. The city leaders clubbed together to pay for Thomas Gainsborough to paint his portrait in 1783 as a mark of their appreciation for the way he had represented Norwich. He died in 1810 at the age of 77.

GURNEY ROAD (Mousehold)
IT was back in the winter of 1847 that the people of Norwich went into mourning — the banker with a heart of gold had died.Joseph John Gurney, a member of the powerful and famous family, never recovered from falling off his pony after it stumbled on Orford Hill.
More about Gurney Road

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