Dragon Hall, Norwich
Encyclopedia
Dragon Hall is a Grade 1 listed medieval merchant's trading hall located in King Street, Norwich
, Norfolk
close to the River Wensum
. The Great Hall dates from around 1430 but some parts of the site, such as undercroft, are older. Archaeological research has shown evidence of 1,000 years of human habitation on the site. Dragon Hall was built by a merchant called [Robert Toppes] as the hub of his international trading empire. The building stands close to the River Wensum on King Street, the main road through the city in the fifteenth century, with excellent road and river transport links. The Great Hall is the centre piece of the site with its magnificent crown post roof which contains an intricately carved dragon on one of the spandrels. This was where Toppes displayed goods from home and abroad to other English and European merchants. Dragon Hall is unique because it is the only known surviving building of its type built by one man for his own use rather than by a Guild. The building operated as a showroom and warehouse for about 30 years. After Toppes' death it was sold and over the centuries was gradually adapted and divided to become a row of individual houses and businesses. It was bought by Norwich City Council in the 1970s and then a group of volunteers created a charity, The Norfolk & Norwich Heritage Trust which leased the building and took over the management of it. Gradually funds were raised to repair and restore the building and in 2006 a major £1.8 million programme of restoration and development took place, primarily with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Great Hall has been restored to its original state, with the addition of a new floor and central heating, a modern wing contains toilets, a kitchen and a lift for access to the first floor hall. A contemporary glass extension has opened up the architecture and displays now tell the history of this unique site. Dragon Hall is managed by a small team of staff and relies on the support of a large body of volunteers. It operates as a heritage museum and is also a venue for all sorts of community, cultural,and learning activities such as weddings, parties, theatre and music, markets, school visits and workshops.
In 2010 The Norfolk & Norwich Heritage Trust was awarded a grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a two year project to record the memories of people who have lived and worked in the area in more recent times .
Dragon Hall is one of the Norwich 12
heritage sites.
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
close to the River Wensum
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
. The Great Hall dates from around 1430 but some parts of the site, such as undercroft, are older. Archaeological research has shown evidence of 1,000 years of human habitation on the site. Dragon Hall was built by a merchant called [Robert Toppes] as the hub of his international trading empire. The building stands close to the River Wensum on King Street, the main road through the city in the fifteenth century, with excellent road and river transport links. The Great Hall is the centre piece of the site with its magnificent crown post roof which contains an intricately carved dragon on one of the spandrels. This was where Toppes displayed goods from home and abroad to other English and European merchants. Dragon Hall is unique because it is the only known surviving building of its type built by one man for his own use rather than by a Guild. The building operated as a showroom and warehouse for about 30 years. After Toppes' death it was sold and over the centuries was gradually adapted and divided to become a row of individual houses and businesses. It was bought by Norwich City Council in the 1970s and then a group of volunteers created a charity, The Norfolk & Norwich Heritage Trust which leased the building and took over the management of it. Gradually funds were raised to repair and restore the building and in 2006 a major £1.8 million programme of restoration and development took place, primarily with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Great Hall has been restored to its original state, with the addition of a new floor and central heating, a modern wing contains toilets, a kitchen and a lift for access to the first floor hall. A contemporary glass extension has opened up the architecture and displays now tell the history of this unique site. Dragon Hall is managed by a small team of staff and relies on the support of a large body of volunteers. It operates as a heritage museum and is also a venue for all sorts of community, cultural,and learning activities such as weddings, parties, theatre and music, markets, school visits and workshops.
In 2010 The Norfolk & Norwich Heritage Trust was awarded a grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a two year project to record the memories of people who have lived and worked in the area in more recent times .
Dragon Hall is one of the Norwich 12
Norwich 12
Norwich 12 is an initiative by Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust to develop 12 of Norwich's most iconic buildings into an integrated family of heritage attractions which act as an internationally important showcase of English urban and cultural development over the last 1,000...
heritage sites.