We rolled up late afternoon on a long day out in Norwich and the friendly staff kindly suggested we…read morespend 5 mins in the cafe or gift shop so we could purchase their Twilight tickets at GBP2.50 which is a steal. We did have to pick what we were interested in and walk through some displays we weren't necessarily into, but we had plenty of time to enjoy everything on offer. And boy, do they have offerings! Firstly I was impressed by the architecture as you approach the antiquated castle, then by the glass addition on entry which blend both old and new together. We started by walking up to the ramparts to view the city and you continue to see the seamless way they integrated the buildings on the staircases. Then we started at the beginning of the museum and enjoyed the banquet hall where there are hands on displays including fake food and clothing for children....or your inner child ;) Great photo op! There are continued interactive displays throughout the museum to enjoy so keep a lookout. As well as museum displays there are art galleries and although I'm not usually a fan of modern art I was intrigued by some of the artwork using mixed media. The museum really does have something for everyone's interests, military, archaeology, social history, teapot collections, taxidermy in landscapes, every era represented. I hadn't expected to see so many excellent exhibits in a museum this size. Norwich knows how to build a museum! If I ever return I will start my day at the museum and spend more time there.

A small regional museum. The castle can clearly be seen from quite a lot of the city. Very nice…read morefriendly people, no signs from the city to say how to find the entrance.

This shop provides a charming home to all things Colman's. The city's most famous product…read morecelebrates its history in a suitably historic location, the fabulous Royal Arcade. There are historical displays with explanatory text, well worth a browse. However, the main purpose of the shop is to offer an impressive range of distinctive yellow or blue products, not only the local mustard itself but also variations including mustard chocolate. Other items include mustard spoons and pots, memorabilia from magnets to tea towels, and an assortment of nostalgic gifts. The staff are really helpful and the shop is a joy to browse around. You're sure to come away with a few mustard-themed souvenirs!

If you are a mustard lover, this shop is for you! Located in the beautiful Royal Arcade, this shop…read moreshowcases the locally produced Colman's mustard and a huge range of speciality mustards and related products.

The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum is next to the castle museum in the centre of Norwich on castle…read moremeadow. If you do a combined visit enter through the castle museum as they are linked by a long underground passageway which has sights/ sounds of 2nd World War trenches.This may be abit scary for small children though! There is a range of displays of uniforms through the ages, and lots of information on local regiments etc. On some days they do activities for children, my two boys went home on the bus wearing hats they made! It is free to visit if you have a norfolk museum pass, well worth looking into as it includes enty to the Norwich castle museum, Time and Tide in Yarmouth, and Gressenhall Museum with its large outdoor play area. With children you probably will only need an hour or two for the visit, adults with a special interest may want to stop for longer. No parking, closest car park is in the Castle Mall.

Excellent Cathedral, beautiful architecture, amazing stained glass windows, covered cloister to…read morewalk around (keep an eye out for the graffiti on the walls), still some traces of the original paint on the cathedral ceiling, watch out for the quirky historical touches eg the font is made from recycled machinery from a local chocolate factory. We were lucky to arrive just as a walking tour was about to start and we joined in and learned so much about this majestic building, it is definitely worth taking a tour to get in depth info from the friendly knowledgeable tour guide. There is a nice gift shop, and a cafe which was unfortunately closed by the time we finished our Cathedral visit but looked inviting. I did love the smell of the Cathedral when we entered, that old/cold/slightly musty smell, I don't know if there is a word for that fragrance but if not there needs to be! Petrichor describes the smell of rain....biblichor the smell of old books.....perhaps Cathchor?

Norwich Cathedral is a gem of English mediaeval architecture, and one of the best preserved from…read morethe Norman period. History The Normans moved the Saxon see of Elmham to Thetford in 1072 and again to Norwich in 1094. Building started in 1096 and was completed in 1145. Much of this fabric survives, particularly the main tower and the arcading of the nave and choir. The exceptions include the clerestory of the choir, rebuilt in the Perpendicular style after the spire collapsed in 1362; the spire itself (1480), replaced after being struck by lightning in 1463; the vaults, built successively in the 15th and 16th centuries; and the cloister (1297-1430). The cathedral suffered badly in the Commonwealth period, when mobs stripped what they regarded as idolatrous furnishings. Repairs were carried out after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, and again in the 19th century in 1950s. A new, award-winning refectory was built in 2004 on the site of the mediaeval original. The Church The Cathedral retains its original proportions and ground plan, unusually in England in having an apsidal East End behind the high altar, with a processional ambulatory. The spire is, at 315ft, the second highest in England after Salisbury; the cloisters are the also the second most extensive (again after Salisbury). The arcades are wonderful examples of Norman Romanesque, but the vaulting is equally spectacular - the collection of bosses (over 1,000 in total) is unique. Those in the Nave tell the story from the Creation to the Day of Judgement, whereas those in the Cloister (which are more easily accessible) depict the life of Christ and scenes from the Apocalypse. Other furnishings of interest include a superb set of over 60 misericords, the 11th century statue of St Felix, and the outstanding Despenser Reredos. Rediscovered in 1847, this dates from the time of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, and may have been commissioned as a thanksgiving. The Erpingham Window contains most of the Cathedral's surviving mediaeval glass. Outside the Cathedral, the Cathedral Close has well preserved 14th and 15th century gatehouses, and a variety of buildings, ruins, monuments and gardens within its 85 acres. Buried here are the remains of Edith Cavell (1865-1915), the nurse infamously executed in Brussels by the German Empire in the First World War. Her remains were brought back to Britain and interred in 1919.

This museum has recently won a grant to be extensively redeveloped. Unfortunately this means it…read morewill not reopen until at least 2010. It houses collections relating to the history of Norwich and Norfolk, including a complete Apothecary's shop and a recreation of a pawnbroker.

Bridewell Museum is a fantastic place to visit in Norwich, especially with children. It is a lot…read moresmaller than the Castle Museum, so is enjoyable in a different way. I didn't know about the redevelopment, but when I went there last (for work experience) I helped set up a shoe shop for children to play in, complete with working till and fake paper money. This is part of the shoe exhibition, which shows shoes through the ages, much more exciting than it sounds! As well as all this, the museum also offers a tour guide, which because the museum is so small, is more personal and friendly. Each child recieves a backpack filled with goodies such as a scavenger hunt type questionnaire, various other activities, crayons and colouring pencils and their very own feedback form. I know that every single form is looked at, because when I was working there even a form that was filled out: Name: poo Date: poo Comments: poo etc, was analysed and then filed in the negative feedback section (significantly smaller than the positive!) Anyway, I don't know how it will change in 2010, but I expect it will only get better!