Norwich Shopping

Norwich is a shop-a-holics delight! It is one of the top shopping destinations on the UK, with a mix of small individual boutiques and large department stores. You will find 2 modern shopping malls, one of the largest outdoor markets in England and plenty of cobbled, picturesque alleys and lanes. Sit back and discover why Norwich is great place to come for that weekend or city shopping trip.

Norwich is fairly compact, compared to other city's in the UK and therefore makes a good choice for a weekend shopping spree as all the main areas can be accessed easily on foot. You will find some lovely streets and alleys linking the main areas, containing all kinds of shops, from chain stores to individual boutiques.

After the Norman Conquest of 1066, Norwich Market was moved to its current location, in an area known as 'Mancroft', to give it more space. By 1300 the market had grown substantially and sold vegetables, fish, meat, bread, cloth, shoes, rope, livestock and many other commodities; all from their own designated place. Today, Norwich Market remains one of England's largest and finest open air markets, selling all kinds of different goods. The market is open Monday to Saturday, with around 200 traditional stalls covered with a canopy of stripped canvas.

Norwich Royal Arcade runs from the market place towards Norwich Castle and was designed by architect George Skipper in 1899. It has been described as a fragment of the Arabian Nights dropped into the heart of the old city! Among its many interesting features are some specially designed glazed tiles manufactured by Doulton, with images of Peacocks and flowers. Today the Royal Arcade contains a row of fine timber fronted shops.

The Norwich Lanes offer a relaxed alternative to the busy malls and chain stores.  With narrow cobbled streets lined with beautiful historic buildings, the area is packed with small and creative independent retailers.  It is a beautiful mix of modern and traditional shopping at the original heart of Norwich.

Underneath Norwich Castle is the Castle Mall shopping centre, opened in 1993 the site redeveloped the area around one of the oldest streets in Norwich (Timberhill) as well replacing the unsightly area of the old cattle market. The Castle Mall features a vast array of shops on three levels, food courts, two car parks, bars and restaurants, a cinema and even park gardens on the top!

At Christmas Norwich is a colourful winter wonderland. It is a great place to do all your Christmas shopping and find all those bargains in the January sales.