Report about Norwich from Malaysian Newspaper

[Farkes The Herald Angels 0]

Shows how much a sponsorship like this can help - I''m sure articles like this (from the largest circulation newspaper, The Star) will help tourism...
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QUAINT AND BUSTING NORWICH BUSTLING WITH RICH HISTORY - AND A PASSION FOR FOOTBALL

Norwich City have proved that they are a team to be reckoned with their return to the English Premier League after a nine-year hiatus. But Norwich is not just about football. The country is a great place to visit too, as K. PARKARAN finds out.

QUAINT, rustic and hardly touched by the ravages of modernisation, Norwich is a welcome relief for Malaysians surrounded by ever-sprouting skyscrapers and concrete jungles.

Situated about three hours drive to the north of London in England, Norwich dates its history back to Anglo-Saxon times.

The city, that sits on the banks of the River Wensum, grew quickly and merged with others to become, by medieval times, the largest walled town in England, its walls encompassing more land than any other city in England.

The Normans, who invaded the country in the 11th century, were quick to realise the importance of the city and within a year of their conquest, a castle was built on a man-made hill.

The original castle, built of timber, stood for some 60 years before being replaced with a more lasting stone structure. Today, this magnificent building still stands proud in the centre of the city, housing a museum – where one gets to see more than displays. One may even check out the dungeons and battlements.

Churches were also built throughout the city and Norwich now has more medieval churches than any other city in Europe.

There are other impressive buildings like The Assembly House, The Theatre Royal and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital but the one that really impresses is the Castle Mall – England‘s only underground shopping mall.

In the 15th century, it used to be a weekly cattle market. It was initially turned into a car park.

But, thanks to far-sighted city planners, the area has managed to retain much of its old charm and yet service the needs of today.

Norwich has since the 1960s renovated and restored many of its old buildings. Large parts of the old city wall, which at one time went to decay, have been saved and incorporated into modern schemes.

The cobbled streets of yore are still to be seen in many parts of Norwich, like Elm Hill with its quaint houses and shops.

Areas such as Tombland, the site of an open market in Norman times immediately in front of the Anglican Cathedral, have open-air cafes and several of the streets have returned to pedestrian ways.

Among the other popular sites are the Bishop Bridge, built between 1337 and 1341. This is the last remaining medieval bridge in the city and is reputedly the oldest bridge in England still in constant use.

The Cathedral, with its splendid stained windows, was founded in 1096 by Herbert de Losinga. The present spire was constructed in 1480 and is the second highest in the UK, measuring 315 feet or 96m. Salisbury Cathedral has the highest spire at 404 feet.

The Ethelbert Gateway, meanwhile, has a story of its own. It was built by the citizens of Norwich as an atonement for the riots of 1272 which involved the monks of St Ethelbert’s Church and the citizens.

The people of Norwich felt that the monks were taking too much money in taxes and so rioted. During the riots, the thatched Church of St Ethelbert was burnt to the ground.

The Bishop of Norwich decreed that the people of the city had to build the gateway as a punishment. The middle floor of the gate is a chapel dedicated to St Ethelbert.

Then, of course, there is the centre of life on Saturday – the Norwich Stadium at Carrow Road. Built in 1935, it is the third home of the club, whose humble beginnings were a