"Norwich was mined for chalk and flints from the Middle Ages until the beginning of World War 2. The chalk was used for liming in agriculture and in building mortar. Flints were used to build the City Walls and some of Norwich's finest buildings. The Guildhall is an excellent example. Initially the chalk was excavated from an open hole but then tunnels were started from the side of the resulting pit, following the richest seams of flints. The oldest mines are closest to the centre of Norwich. As the city grew, mines were dug further out. The last to close was at Harford Hills, to the south of Norwich."
The wooded area surrounding the entrance to this mine clearly shows that it was once a chlak pit/quarry. The railway line is very close by as is the A140 road that runs from Cromer in North Norfolk to Ipswich is Suffolk.
Sadly, there are no detailed maps of the mines that lay within the City Boundary. It is known that the mines were privately owned and were dug between the 12th and 18th Century when record keeping was not thought necessary.
The wooded area surrounding the entrance to this mine clearly shows that it was once a chlak pit/quarry. The railway line is very close by as is the A140 road that runs from Cromer in North Norfolk to Ipswich is Suffolk.
Sadly, there are no detailed maps of the mines that lay within the City Boundary. It is known that the mines were privately owned and were dug between the 12th and 18th Century when record keeping was not thought necessary.
