Things to do in Norwich on a wet afternoon - go down into the bowels of history

Team Christian (myself and Janie) recently went on a "Hidden History of Norwich" (UK) tour at the KindaKafe on Castle Meadow. (Note the "castle" bit, we'll come back to that.) The story starts with the Missing Kind charity taking over the old Ponds shoe-fitters shop (Ponds had been there since the 19th century – Norwich ised to have a major shoe manufacturing industry) and while clearing out decades of junk from an old storeroom, they discovered a doorway leading downstairs to another old storeroom filled with junk.

Guess what, when that was cleared away, they found another doorway leading even further down into the ground to another old storeroom and what appeared to be a row of old shops and an undercroft. Historians and archaeologists were called in and they dated the timbers of a building at the lower level to circa 1600.

What had happened? Basically early Norwich was a walled city and as the population grew, the only option was to build up and over existing properties. In addition, when the medieval castle, built on a mound and surrounded by a deep ditch and meadows, ceased to have any military significance, the local residents started encroaching on that as well – and so the property line started to extend in front of earlier properties and the street level also increased as the ditch filled. Which explains why the Ponds site appears to contain abandoned buildings that are now about 20 feet below the modern street level.

Anyway, if you are ever in Norwich, do take one of these tours. Totally fascinating and the guide is an excellent (and professional) storyteller who knows how to tell a good tale without being corny. The tour (lasts about an hour – no wheelchair access, wear sensible shoes as you'll be climbing down tight wooden staircases) helps support a charity and you get a free hot drink in the cafe – which also does a nice line in cakes and light meals. (Mmm... cake.) HOWEVER you do need to book in advance – and wrap up well, it was surprisingly cold down there.

One a more gruesome note, the city used to execute its criminals in the castle ditch while the county, which took over the castle keep as a prison, used to execute its criminals on the top of the castle hill. As our guide said, if you'd lived in these old properties "you'd have a great few of the gibbets". For tour times and tickets call 01603 850309 or visit https://www.missingkind.org