Sniff the air for a trace of the past

March 17, 2003

FINKELGATE

IF you stand in Finkelgate at the top of busy Ber Street and sniff the air the chances are all you’ll get is a whiff of obnoxious traffic fumes.

A sketch of how the Ber Street gate used to look. It had a portcullis and battlements to defend the ancient highway leading to Norwich castle.

But there was a time when the air was full of the sweet smell of herbs.
And that’s how this strange-sounding and ancient part of Norwich got its name.

Today, little Finkelgate is almost forgotten. A clutch of houses and a church that most people take for granted as they drive past to get on and off Queen’s Road or Bracondale.

But traces of its past have survived against all the odds and are still around — there are some fine buildings on the Ber Street side and a row of terraced homes opposite the 14th century St John’s Church.

And on the corner is St John’s House, a curiously ornate building with a turret, that was once home to the famous Ninham cake mix empire.

As you may know the range of traditional cake mixes, first established in 1870, have now been given a new lease of life.

Anyway — back to Finkelgate. It is said that the name Finkel (Finkel or Finckle) comes originally from fennel — the herb that was used for both sauces and medicine and veterinary preparations. This was so popular in the Middle Ages that its sale was regulated in Norwich to Finkelgate next to the Ber Street Gate.

How it looks today: The church of St John De Sepulchre stands near to where the old gate used to be.

Ber or Burgh Street Gate — the pub named after it still stands proud — was one of the earliest built in Norwich.

There were 12 gates piercing the old city wall. Work started in about 1294 and finished in around 1319 although the gates were not hung and the gatehouses lived in until around 1342.

The whole idea was to keep out those who were not welcome and traders had to pay a toll before they were allowed to enter. The Ber Street Gate had a portcullis and battlements to defend this ancient highway leading to the castle.

Over the arch was a chamber for storing arms and ammunition. The archway and tower were demolished in 1807. The Lily Tavern in Finkelgate is no more, but we can still drink a toast to this old part of the city in the Ber Street Gates public house that has survived . . . who knows, after a few pints, you may still be able smell fennel in the air!

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