NORWICH, a city of England, capital of the co. of Norfolk, and a co. in itself, on the Wensum, immediately above its confluence with the Tare, 20 in. w. of Yarmouth, and 98 in. n.u.e. of London. It covers an area about 5 in. in circumference, is skirted on its 11, and e, sides by the river, and on the w. and s. it was formerly surrounded by walls, the last vestiges of which have been recently removed in order to make room for the extension of the city. The market-place (600 ft. long by 340 ft. wide) and its vicinity contain many large shops and good houses. The castle, finely situated on an elevation near the center of the town, originally covered, with its works, an area of about 23 acres. The bridge (150 ft. long) over the ditch has one of the largest and most perfect Anglo Norman arches remaining. The massive quadrangular Norman keep is now used as a prison. The cathedral, almost wholly Norman in plan, was founded in 1094 by bishop Herbert Losiuga. It is 411 ft. long, 191 ft. broad at the transepts, and is surmounted by a spire 315 ft. high. Near the cathedral are a number of ancient and interesting struc titles now more or less in ruins, among which may be mentioned St. Etbelhert's and the Erpingham gate, the former in decorated English, the latter in late perpendicular, and both valuable and rich specimens of their styles. Besides a large number of dissenting chapels and other places of worship. there are about 40 churches, of which St. Peter's, Mancroft, a handsome cruciform edifice of the 15th c.. with a remarkably fine peal of 12 bells; St. Andrew's, St. Clement's, St. George's, St. Giles, St. Michael's, and others, are worthy of mention. The Free Grammar school, with an endowment of about ;C200 a year, was founded by Edward the VI., and the other educational establishments are
numerous and various in character. The public library contains 20,000 volumes, and the library of the Norwich literary institution, 15.000 volumes. Norwich is the scat of extensive and flourishing manufactures, the chief of which are bandanas, bombazines, shawls, crapes, gauzes, damasks, camlets, and muslins; shoemaking is extensively carried on, yarn and silk mills are in operation, and employ many hands. Iron-founding, dye ing, malting. etc. and agricultural implement-making. are also carried on. The trade, which is facilitated by a canal and river system of communication with the sea, is chiefly in agricultural produce and coal. Norwich is the see of a bishop, and returns two Mem bers to parliament. Pop. of municipal and parliamentary borough in '71, 80,386 About 3 in. s. of Norwich is Castor tit. Edmunds, which, prior to the Roman era, was called Caister, and under the Romans received the name of Venta leenorum. Norwich occupies a place in history from the time of the earlier Danish invasions, had its origin in the castle erected as a stronghold by the East Anglian kings, and resorted to as a place of safety by the inhabitants of kenoram, who gave it the name of North-wic, or northern station or town, on account, of its postion with respect to their own town. The bishopric of the East Angles was removed hither in 1094. About 4,000 Flemings settled at. Norwich in the reign of Elizabeth, and greatly increased the pros perity of the town by the branches of manufacture which they introduced.