Categories
During the day, the Tombland district of Norwich (derived from the term for ‘Vacant Land’ – it doesn’t actually refer to anything serious about it) is a huge draw for tourists and locals alike, is home to numerous historic buildings and is flanked between the majestic Cathedral and Elm Hill. The immediate area also has many excellent cafes and restaurants, including Tatlers and Erpingham House.
However, as Halloween approaches, it pays to explore a lesser-known side of Tombland, and perhaps the possibility that frequent visitors to the cobblestone streets aren’t just the living …
Situated at one end of Tombland are The Maids Head Hotel and Samson & Hercules House (formerly Ritzy’s, Central Park … recently remodeled into apartments). They both have ghost stories associated with them, and when you explore their heritage a bit more, it might be easy to understand why. The Maids Head dates back to the 13th century, when it was called the ‘murtle fish’. The name is said to have changed after a visit by Queen Elizabeth I to Norwich in 1578. Rumors that she stayed at The Maids Head are contradicted by rumors that it was full at the time and therefore she stayed somewhere else nearby. Like most places visited by the Royal Party in 1578, the Black Death or plague was destined to follow in its wake. It has been suggested that a member of the great party spread the plague while traveling from place to place and Norwich was no exception (although historians have subsequently doubted this claim). From August 1578 to February 1579, almost 5,000 victims of the plague were registered in the city. In all, nearly half of Norwich’s entire population may have perished from the plague during this time. As the rats thrived in the narrow alleys, the grim cry of “bring out your dead” rang out throughout the city. As the number of corpses grew in colossal numbers, formal burials were abandoned in favor of mass graves or “plague pits.” Wheelbarrows of corpses were taken to the Cathedral Enclosure, which became a large burial area. The cemeteries behind the church of San Jorge are so high that they were raised to accommodate the large number of bodies.
The church is alleged to have played an even more sinister role during this time, being the site where opportunistic looters of the dead and dying took if caught. It is said that, after being bound at the ankles and wrists, they would be dropped headlong from the Church of St. George to the unforgiving ground below. Their bodies, dead or alive, would join the plague victims in the wells.
One of Norwich’s largest pest pits was dug beneath the Samson and Hercules site, which for many years was a nightclub by various names. Those who recall dancing the night away may not realize that they were also dancing on the bodies of some 5,000 plague victims. This singularly gloomy feature, coupled with the proximity to the Cathedral, may be the main cause of numerous ghost stories and disturbances in the building over the years. These include the appearance of a ‘Lady in Gray’ (perhaps the ghost of a young woman who apparently starved to death in Augustine Steward’s house next door (now an antique store) after it was bricked up during the plague?), Spectral monks, dark figures and, when the building was used as a YWCA, recurring nightmares for residents of being buried alive in a huge pit filled with corpses …
The Maids Head has also been the site of reported sightings of an elderly woman dressed in gray (the same ‘Gray Lady’ seen at the Samson & Hercules perhaps?). Staff and guests who have witnessed her move around the hotel, often accompanied by the scent of lavender, speculate that she was once a maid at the hotel. The ghost of an old man, believed to have been a former mayor, has also been seen vigorously shaking his head in the courtyard.
Ghosts and spirits are often awakened when remodeling work is carried out on an old building, disturbing their peaceful rest. Please note that both the old nightclub and the hotel have undergone repair and renovation in the recent past.
Other ghostly occurrences that have been reported in the old Tombland district include the ghost of a strangled girl, soldiers, rebels, and the sound of the hoofs of Oliver Cromwell’s slain cavalry on a cold January night. Maybe it would take a brave soul to stay around Tombland late this Halloween …?
Other places to visit in Norwich.
