The stories behind
our street names

MILLER'S LANE & MILLCROFT (Angel Road)
NAMES that remember the old black tower mill that stood on higher ground at the St Clement’s Hill end of the lane.
During the early part of the last century Mr Hammond was the miller.
One day he was painting the sails when they were not fully locked. He fell to the ground and had to retire from milling.
At 67 Miller’s Lane lived Mr Betts, a maker of pill boxes that he made from wood shavings.
And also in the lane was a house-cum-chip shop that was famous for its potato fritters.


THE MONASTERY (Elm Hill)
This is the area around the monastery of the Blackfriars where, many moons ago, a man by the name of Brother Ignatius was the talk of the city.
A report from 1864 described him as: “A clergyman of the English church, who has the temerity to come before a public audience attired as a Benedictine monk, with bare head and bare feet, carrying a rosary and crucifix and calling himself by a name not accorded to him by his godparents.”
He arrived in Norwich, started preaching to the people and attempted to form a religious order.
He bought a house on Elm Hill to turn into a monastery, from where he could preach his beliefs.
The citizens flocked to the site, some fervent admirers of Ignatius, others so disgusted by his sermons that riots and fights followed.
In the end, Brother Ignatius had to seek protection, ironically from the mob that went after him.
That was not the end of the trouble, as further riots occurred in 1869 and 1876 and eventually he was thrown out of his Elm Hill headquarters.
He moved on and built Llanthony Abbey in Wales before dying in 1908.


MUNNINGS ROAD
Catch him on a good day and he was an elegant country squire who behaved impeccably, with marvellous courtesy.
Bit if it wasn’t a good day, he could be a foul-mouthed boor, famous for swearing for 10 minutes without repeating himself.
That was Sir Alfred Munnings, a Norwich apprentice who grew up to become one of the truly great East Anglian artists.
And when he died in 1959, his reputation as an English eccentric of the most colourful kind was almost as well known as his work.
More about Sir Alfred Munnings

MUSIC HOUSE LANE (King Street to Rouen Road)
A rather dull stretch of road, but it pays tribute to what is reputed to be the oldest dwelling house in Norwich.
The Music House, now Wensum Lodge, is one of the great survivors from the glory days of ancient King Street.
And as the builders now move along the street putting up new homes, this building helps to remind us of our rich heritage.
More about the Music House

MUSPOLE STREET (St George’s Plain to Pitt Street)
Back in the 13th century in St Clement’s Parish, on the south side of Colegate and opposite the Church of St Mary of Coslanye, there was a slough or a swamp.
And this area was known as Muspolgate or Muspol Stret and the muspol or pit was one of many within the city walls in those days.

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