Norwich Castle

One of the most famous landmarks Norwich has to offer, The Norwich Castle was originally a royal palace which was built over 900 years ago during the Norman conquest of England. Discover the castles history as a royal palace for the monarchy and through to when it got turned into a prison. The castle, which is now a museum, has many collections of art, archeology, natural history and the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum collections.

Brave the battlements

There is a great view of Norwich waiting for you, and all you have to do is climb 62 steps of a Norman staircase. Although this may sound knackering, when you reach the top of the staircase you will find yourself staring at a 360° view of the beautiful city of Norwich which goes uninterrupted for miles. See the sites which Robert Kett's 17th century rebellion are associated with. Also observe the local landmarks in Norwich such as the Norwich cathedral or the Market.

Discover the dungeons

The dungeons of Norwich castle are a spooky place to be in, the sheer amount of atrocities that were committed there will make your spine shiver. As you navigate your way through the dungeons, unravel the mysteries of the unlucky souls of the people who were held there.

See the spot where prisoners were crushed; learn of the crimes in the past and how the punishments were much more severe; examine the tools and the instruments used to torture any law breakers who were held at the castle like the ducking stool, scold’s bridle and gibbet iron.

View the model heads of executed prisoners using plaster cast and use these for the pseudo-science of phrenology, a belief that gained popularity in the victorian era as it was a science that claimed to learn everything about your personality by reading the bumps on your head.

Norwich Castle café

After you've finished learning about the doom and gloom behind the past of Norwich Castle, please feel free fulfil your day of discovery with a lovely chance to sit down and enjoy the cafe we have placed in the castle. Hot and cold drinks are obviously served here at the castle and we have a variety of snacks you can pick from or there is soup which is served at the cafe also. There is also an eating area outside which on a sunny day you can take out anything from the cafe and enjoy the fresh air.

Shop at Norwich Castle

Don't let yourself leave without check out our lovely gift shop, whilst your visiting the castle come here to find an array of knick knacks that you can buy to remember your stay here, such as crafts, including jewellery and pottery as well as castle souvenirs, posters, prints and an extensive range of greetings cards. The shop is free to visit like our cafe so don't forget to check it out even if you are not touring the castle. 

For any visitor who is hiding a secret army from the middle ages, be sure to check out our selection of wooden swords and bows, armour sets and books on castles.