Ber Street is a historic street in Norwich City Centre between Queens Road and King Street. It has served as one of the major routes into Norwich city centre since the 12th century. The street now exists as a fragmented row of historical buildings and post-war industrial buildings as a result of Second World War bomb damage and 1960s slum clearance.
Ber Street Gate was first mentioned in 1146 AD, and it was built on a corner of the city wall which runs southeast and southwest from the gate. The gate itself was demolished in 1808 but the street remained busy and densely populated. It was known locally as "Blood and Guts Street", due to its many slaughterhouses and butcher shops, and because cattle was driven down the road into the city.[citation needed]
In the 1640s, the three parishes that lined Ber Street had anti-puritan clergy. One of these, All Saints, was home to many butchers. In 1646, Norwich MP Thomas Atkin urged the mayor to settle a godly preaching minister to the Ber Street parishes, forseeing unrest there. The alderman Adrian Parmenter's house was located on Hogg Hill, close to the butchers on Ber Street. This house was targeted during the 1648 riot that led up to the Great Blow. Rioters communicated using military passwords, such as "for god & kinge Charles", on Ber Street. One rioter, James Sheringham, was seen riding through Ber Street Gate, urging "every one bringe out his armes".[1]
Richmond Hill
The area between Ber Street and King Street was densely populated from the 1840s onwards. It consisted of many yards and courts leading off Ber Street. Known locally as the Village on the Hill, three main roads, Mariners Lane, Horns Lane and Thorn Lane lead into the district. It became the settlement for a small Italian community, who later set up Vallori's Ice Cream. In 1960, the district was condemned as slums, and many residents were forced to leave due to compulsory purchase orders on the old terraces and lanes.[citation needed]
The whole borough was demolished, which consisted of around 56 acres of existing streets, including 833 dwellings (612 considered unfit for human habitation), 42 shops, 4 offices, 22 public houses and 2 schools.[2] Communities were moved to high rise buildings such as Normandy Tower, or new housing estates such as the Tuckswood Estate, that were being built around the city at the time. A new road, Rouen Road was developed in the area's place in 1962, which consists mainly of light industrial units and council flats. Ber Street had its whole eastern side demolished. Low rise council housing was built in 1967–8.[citation needed]
Present day
The street currently houses some light industrial units, and one public house, The Berstrete Gates.[3]
Buildings
Churches
View along Ber Street towards St John de Sepulchre, Norwich.
Three churches have existed on Ber Street; these are St Bartholomew's which has some remaining ruins, St Michael-at-Thorn which was destroyed by bombing in 1942, and the surviving St John de Sepulchre.[4]
St Bartholomew's church was dedicated to Bartholomew, one of the apostles. It was built of flint with freestone dressings, and likely consisted of a 51-foot-long aislelessnave and a 15-foot-long chancel, both 16 feet wide, as well as a square west tower. It was declared redundant in 1549 and the parish was united with that of St John de Sepulchre, but it was not yet demolished. As late as 1939 susbstantial remains were still standing, having been incorporated into later buildings. After bomb damage was dealth to the east side of the street, almost all of the church's remains were demolished in the 1950s aside from part of the south and west walls of the tower which remain today.[4]
Plaque on the site of the now destroyed St Michael-at-Thorn
St-Michael-at-Thorn was dedicated to the archangel Michael. Its suffix refers to the several thorn trees that existed in its churchyard, though it was also known as St Michael-super-Montem and St Miles-on-the-Hill. It was a Ritualist church, though did not attract negative attention for this, unlike its neighbour St John Timberhill. It originally consisted of a nave and chancel with no internal division but with different roofs. It had a square unbuttressed tower with a distinctive crow-stepped parapet and a south porch, all of which were from around 1430. In 1836, a north aisle was added and this was rebuilt in 1874. In the 1870s the interior of the church was refitted, with the addition of east-facing benches. In 1886, its tower fell and was rebuilt the next year. Later interior additions included a rood screen and reredos. The church had a south transept though it is unclear when this was built or demolished. In 1942, incendiary bombs gutted the church and it was demolished 10 years later. It is now a car park, the only remaining part of the church being its Norman south door which was transported to become the doorway to the cell at the rebuilt St Julian's in the city.[4]
Other buildings
156 Ber Street
Other notable buildings on the street include:
8, former Kings Arms public house, carriage entry on right of building, closed 1968, now offices.[5]
89 and 91, Commercial house, 1884. Now art galleries.[6]
125, former famous Jolly Butchers public house. 18th century, landlady Black Anna was a jazz singer. Closed 1989.[citation needed]
137, former Horse and Dray public house. Closed 2012, now a Chinese restaurant.[7]
123Groves, Nicholas (2010). The Medieval churches of the city of Norwich. Norwich: Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust. ISBN978-0-9560385-2-4.
↑"No 8 Ber Street". Norfolk Heritage Explorer. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
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