When Orford was the place to be

August 3, 2005

ORFORD HILL and ORFORD PLACE

Who was Orford? He was the Earl of Orford, a powerful and wealthy man
who helped to pay for new roads in the heart of old Norwich.

Rock house: The Orford Arms, left of picture, in Orford Place in 1960.

Who was Orford? He was the Earl of Orford, a powerful and wealthy man
who helped to pay for new roads in the heart of old Norwich.

Way back in 1792, Rochester Lane was widened and a carriageway made across the Castle Ditches into King Street.

Previously known as The Griffin Passage, Rochester Lane was the chief entrance to the Castle Ditches.

The money to pay for the road was raised by public subscription, and one man who paid more than most was the Earl of Orford.

So he was honoured by having a new thoroughfare, Orford Street, named after him and the compliment was extended when Hog Hill became known as Orford Hill.

Busy Orford Place has been an artery of bustling Norwich traffic from the age of the horse-drawn cart. More than a century ago it served as the nerve centre of the much-loved tram service which sliced through the city centre.

Power lines and steel rails criss-crossed its ancient cobblestones.

Trams rumbled around Orford Place from 1900 until about 1935, when they were edged out by the bus in a mini transport revolution. But even then Orford Place continued as a key crossing point for the local bus services.

The whole area was drastically remodelled by Hitler’s bombers, who destroyed much of it during the Second World War.

The age of the tram in Orford Place. Trams rumbled around Orford Place from 1900 until about 1935.

By the time the new Curls opened in 1956, Orford Place and Red Lion Street took on a whole new modern look.

Back in the swinging 60s Liverpool had its Cavern while Norwich had the Orford.

Mention the name Orford to members of the “Beat Generation” and they will go weak at the knees.

On the ground floor was the Orford Arms, a busy and bustling city centre pub — and at one time very posh.

Downstairs was the “Cellar”, the hottest place in the whole of Norwich and Norfolk.

There was nowhere quite like the dingy and damp Cellar, where some of the greatest names in pop came to play. The atmosphere was electric. Jimi Hendrix was there on more than one occasion and charged less than £40.

Other youngsters who went on to play on slightly bigger stages included the likes of Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton. Many of the shows were put on by the late, great Howard Platt and his brother Harvey, ex-member of The Continentals, who told me how, years later, he was introduced to Rod Stewart, then a superstar, in Hong Kong.

“When I said where I was from, he said: ‘Norwich! The Orford,’ it was that kind of place,” said Harvey.

And of course many of the local bands, who re-formed for the Evening News Golden Years charity gigs, played the Orford.

• Who did you see at the Orford Cellar? Drop me a line at Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE or e-mail me at derek.james@archant.co.uk.

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