AD 1066-1500 Late medieval

In the year of the Norman Conquest, eastern England was a thriving region and Norwich was an important town. The Normans built a castle (now the home of the Castle Museum) and a cathedral there and by the 14th century AD, Norwich was the wealthiest provincial town in England, with a major Benedictine priory, 6 friaries, and 57 parish churches.

Population growth in the 12th and 13th centuries put pressure on the land to produce food. Fenland and marsh were reclaimed and more intensive farming techniques used. Grain was exported to the Low Countries and Scandinavia, but wool was the major source of wealth.

The 14th century saw a sharp reversal as plague was followed by famine and depopulation. These factors, and the imposition of harsh taxes, led to the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, which was joined by many from eastern England. Anti-clerical feeling played a part: the Church, from the cathedrals at Ely and Norwich, to the many religious houses, was extremely wealthy. This bred resentment and left a legacy of dissent for future centuries.

The population rose again in the 15th century. By this time the cloth trade had become the dominant industry. Merchant clothiers and landowners lavished their profits on the many beautiful Perpendicular churches that still dominate the flat acres of the region.