Meetings will start at 7.30 apart from the February meeting which is preceded by the AGM at 7.15. The current year will run from February to November 2026.
Speakers 2026
18th February: Matt Williams – Norwich down the drain: 150 years of sewerage
Matt Williams spent many years working in Eastern England in the construction industry as an engineering geologist, and latterly ran a cycle training company based in Norwich.
He has acquired a detailed understanding of the physical and historical make-up of the city and is keen to encourage a greater awareness of this for the good of all.
His publications on local subjects include Subterranean Norwich, Norwich Submerged and Norwich’s Netherflow, and several publications about Norwich Over the Water and the Anqlia Square area.
About the talk: ‘Out of sight, out of mind, but where would we be without the ability to flush away waste? For most of Norwich’s history, there was no such service for the majority of people, and the first public sewers didn’t arrive until a couple of lifetimes ago. At one time, Norwich had become known as the happy hunting ground of the nations’ civil engineers, for reasons he will explain.
Matt will describe some spectacular past feats of underground engineering – infrastructure that ensured the needs for a growing city were met. But can we continue to rely on our sewerage system?’
18th March: Adrian O’dell: What the Normans did to and for Norwich
The Castle and cathedral dominate the heart of Norwich and bear witness to the lasting power of the Normans who built them.
We are pleased to welcome back Adrian O’dell to talk about the dramatic effect the Norman conquest had on the city.
15th April: Michael Nix: Manufacturing and marketing Norwich textiles in the 18th Century
By the 18th century Norwich was known for its textiles produced in great quantity by small scale weavers.
Dr Michael Nix researches textile history and will talk about the variety of textiles produced in the city and which were exported across the globe.
16th September: Cathy Terry: Strangers’ Hall, from Merchant House to Museum
Strangers’ Hall has had many occupants in its 700 years of history, but by the 1890s it stood empty and derelict. A local solicitor, Leonard Bolingbroke, saved it from demolition and restored it. In 1922 he presented it as a museum to the City of Norwich.
Cathy Terry is the Senior Curator, in Social History, with the Norfolk Museum Service and is based in Strangers’ Hall. She has close connections with CHS as her father was one of the leading lights in the formation of CHS. We are delighted to welcome her back.
21st October: Richard Matthew: The residents of Dragon Hall in the 19th century
We are familiar with Dragon Hall as a mediaeval trading hall, but the censuses between 1841 and 1911 show that a vibrant and varied working-class community lived there. This is a new aspect of one of Norwich’s most famous old buildings.
Richard Matthew is a volunteer at Dragon Hall. He recently gave us a fascinating talk about the Guildhall and we look forward to an equally interesting talk on an unusual aspect of Norwich’s history.
18th November: Pete Goodrum: Norwich in the 1970s
Pete Goodrum was born in Norwich and has a great interest in the area and its history. He is much in demand as a speaker and we are delighted that he is coming to give his lively and vivid take on the Norwich of 50 years ago.
Visits 2026
Wednesday 20th May. Visit to Norwich Castle – A Royal Palace Reborn
£25 pp. Those with a Pass, affording free entry, will receive a 10% reduction. Booking must be received no later than 26th April.
Meet in the Rotunda at 1.45pm for a 2pm start. The tour of the keep and roof will last 45 minutes and be led by a member of the refurbishment project team. Participants may enter the museum at any time before 1.45pm; just give your name and that of the group to staff at the desk. You may also stay on after the tour. Visitors claiming a 10% discount should have their pass with them. Please be aware that the top lift to the roof may be out of action for maintenance; access would then be by a short flight of stairs.
Thursday 18th June. Walking tour of Norwich based on The Strangers
£7 pp. Booking must be received no later than 1st June.
Meet at the Guildhall (on the side facing the market) at 6.20pm for a 6.30 start. The tour lasts no longer than 90 minutes and will finish between 7.45pm and 8pm at St. Andrews’s Hall, Blackfriars. We have an experienced expert guide in Professor Chris Joby, who has undertaken to tailor the tour to our physical capabilities. Walkers take part, however, at their own risk.
Wednesday 15th July. Visit to Carrow House
£20 pp. Booking must be received no later than 1st June.
We meet at 2.45pm in the Reception area to begin the tour at 3pm. This 90-minute tour is run by Shoebox Enterprises and includes not only the House itself, once home to the Colman family, but also the underground vaults. Visitors with reduced mobility may find the tour challenging as there are four sets of stairs, some of which are steep and narrow, and a limited number of seats.
Arriving on foot: Carrow House is at 301, King Street and is a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Use the pedestrian entrance on King Street.
By car: On-site parking is available via the entrance, also on King Street, opposite Governor’s Court. Once inside, go past the Conservatory to the main car park.
Booking forms for the three visits will be available at the meeting on April 15th, or can be sent by email on request via our Contact Us Page.