River Trip Along The Wensum And Through Norwich

A film documenting a journey along the River Wensum from Foundry Bridge around to New Mills Yard, showing several Norwich landmarks as well as a number of industrial buildings which used to be served by the river.

A film which opens with a series of establishing shots of various roads and areas near the River Wensum in Norwich. This is then followed by a sequence shot from a boat on the river, documenting its journey from Riverside Road around to New Mills Yard and featuring a number of bridges and buildings on the river’s edge. The film shows the river as a working hub for Norwich, with many industrial vessels and buildings visible during the boat’s journey. A number of shots show views of roads and buildings situated on the riverside in Norwich. Boats – both engine- and oar-driven – are seen making their way up and downriver as the camera shows buildings such as Norwich Cathedral, the Norwich City Football Ground, the Youngs, Crawshay & Youngs brewery; and the Jewsons timber yard, where timber is offloaded from a moored ship onto a waiting flatbed truck by crane. The camera focuses on several road signs: Bishopgate; Cowgate; Quay Side; Wensum Street; and Fishergate. The point of view changes to a boat on the River Wensum, making its way northward parallel to Riverside Road. Almost every berth along eastern side of the river is occupied by a pleasure craft of some description. The boat is shown making its way under Foundry Bridge (likely an earlier shot as the bridge is south of where the boat is at the start of the film), and the Great Eastern Hotel can be seen as the boat passes by. The boat continues to make its way upriver with the camera capturing pedestrians walking along both the riverside and the roadside above, with some waving cheerily at the camera. The boat passes Pulls Ferry before making its way beneath Bishop Bridge. The camera focuses upon Norwich Cathedral for a time, before the boat rounds Cow Tower. On the right a large chimney can be seen next to W. George & Sons Tannery, beyond which large piles of what appears to be coal can be seen. The cathedral spire can be seen again as the boat makes its way beneath Whitefriars Bridge, and then on to Blackfriars Bridge (where the Technical Institute can be seen). The boat then passes under Dukes Palace Bridge and St Miles Coslany Bridge, before finally making its way into the area of New Mills Yard pumping station. As the boat nears the station, the camera shows water cascading down behind the building through the sluice.

Featured Buildings

Carrow Bridge; Youngs, Crawshay & Youngs Brewery; Norwich Cathedral; Bishop Bridge; Whitefriars Bridge; Fye Bridge; Foundry Bridge; Great Eastern Hotel; Pulls Ferry; Cow Tower; W. George & Sons Tannery; Blackfriars Bridge; Dukes Palace Bridge; Anchor Brewery; St Miles Coslany Bridge; New Mills Pumping Station

Keywords

Rivers; Norwich; Wensum; Industry; Shipping; Bridges

Background Information

The film shows a number of buildings and features which have since either been demolished or relocated, such as the Great Eastern Hotel which was demolished later in 1963. Many of the industrial buildings shown have either been re-purposed or have made way for new developments (such as the New Mills Yard housing development). The Dukes Palace Bridge seen spanning the river in this video was removed in 1972 to allow for a new, wider bridge to be installed over the river at Duke Street. The ornate ironwork from this bridge was kept, and was installed over the entrance to the Castle Mall car park in 1991.