Lost Norwich - From Bowthorpe Road to Bowthorpe

This video takes a lengthy journey from Bowthorpe Road, off Dereham Road, to the modern development of Bowthorpe, which actually existed at the time of the Domesday Book, stopping off at the former Bowthorpe School site in the process.

[@peterjameson321]

Thank you John. Your videos always enlighten me about the Norwich I'm unaware of despite having lived here all my life.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks very much Peter.

[@The_Brit_Girls]

It was surprising to learn that Bowthorpe was mentioned in the Doomsday Book! I always tend to think of it as being relatively modern. Some great old photos and interesting narration, as always. Thank you!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you, glad you found it interesting.

[@HalfdeadRider]

As an estate as we know it, it obviously is relatively modern. Very interesting that it has been around so long otherwise, I never new quite how long but the church ruins did give me a clue that it was much longer than most of us realise.
As it is today the shopping centre was the first modern part built, when I was a baby/toddler in the late 70's my mum used to have to push my pushchair across the old fields to go to the first supermarket she had ever been in, we lived on Beecheno Rd back then, I have lived all over since but lived in Bowthorpe for many years now.

[@davegoldsmith4020]

Hi John, This really is a video that brought back memories, my wife lived in a cottage, her father was a cowman, on Upper Farm, her back garden was the graveyard of St Michaels church. The ruins of the church was the playground of her and her brothers. She left in the early 70,s, ill health meant her father had to seek a less strenuous job. Not long after we met she took me back to the farm, there was still not much to Bowthorpe. She used to walk down to the pub, now demolished at the start of the video to catch the bus to work. She rememberers that the travellers parked up along the road when they visited Norwich, I wonder if that's why Gypsy lane got its name. We sat and watched the video together, talking about that visit almost fifty years ago, you have the thanks of both of us.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

That's fantastic, thank you Dave, what a lovely comment. It's an interesting suggestion about Gypsy Lane, you may well be right. I'm glad you both enjoyed it.

[@autumnmatthews3179]

Very inserting as always. I used to live in Clover Hill so I would walk to the Bowthorpe School and back and I was there from 1984 to 1988. The year I left it had been decided they wouldn't take in any new students and the final intake would no doubt finish in a very empty school. I remember one morning I was driving my first wife and I to work one morning and tried to sneak down the bus lane. I thought I could see a police car down the road opposite the shops on Earlham Green Lane and told her. In the end though it was easier to face the police than her stubborn argument that someone had just got through there okay, and at least I'd been proved right, at a cost!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

I think it's always difficult when schools effectively run down. That must have an effect on the kids. Re the police incident, I guess it's best to be proved right....

[@russellmarriott9396]

Good video John. Some other points of interest. Cricket Way which runs at the rear of the church towards the current NNUH is a Roman Road.
This probably ran to Caister St.Edmund and possibly Brancaster. The fact that is still exists as a straight path in the landscape is a nice fact.
Regarding the Hall, Douglas Bader was billeted there during the early part of the Battle of Britain when he was stationed at Coltishall.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you very much, Russell, for adding those details. Always good to pick up further information.

[@martinthirkettle599]

Great video - remember shopping at the ‘new’ Sainsburys when I lived on Earlham Road. Had totally forgotten about the petrol station.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Martin. You seem to have lived everywhere!

[@geoffpoole483]

I live in Bowthorpe and what surprises me is how small the original settlement was, despite the presence of Bowthorpe Hall and St Michael's church. Traces of the petrol station can be found on Wendene, which leads to Roys. One of the photos of the pub displays a Tolly Cobbold logo. Tolly Cobbold was based in Ipswich and their beer didn't have the greatest reputation; perhaps that forced them to try and sell the stuff outside Suffolk.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks so much Geoff for adding all those details. I wish I'd spotted the traces of the petrol station. It was a very early one connected to a supermarket, and much cheaper than anywhere else!

[@danvanbelk1]

I may have heard wrong but is seemed like you said the Norkie used to be the Four leaf clover but they’re different pubs. The four leaf clover was in clover hill. I may have heard it wrong though.
Great video again, I lived in Chapel Break from 87 to 96, mum was the warden in the sheltered housing called Alnick Court. My house was right behind Sainsbury’s petrol station only separated by a couple rows of trees to my garden, I used to climb through and run across the petrol station forecourt when mum sent me to Sainsbury’s for milk and bread, usually for 10p for going lol

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you. You heard me right, but sadly I was wrong! Thanks for the comment - the additional info you've given is great 👍

[@thetruthk5138]

Thanks John interesting as always.
The view from Guardian Road before development all those fields just fields and farmland.
Now Sweetbrier Road probably the busiest road in Norwich.
Sadly its getting all to common.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks - you're right! You may find this one of interesting showing the rest of the ring road of nearly 100 years ago. th-cam.com/video/zsdkwkBkN10/w-d-xo.html

[@DJWerkz]

I attended Bowthorpe Comprehensive from 1979 to 1983. It was originally the Henderson and Gurney school with separate wings so boys and girls could be kept separate.
Remember the running track very well, or I should say trying my best to walk the 1500 metres race as I hated running lol. Following in the same vein, we would have to run from Bowthorpe to the Earlham woods for cross country. Bowthorpe was not a prestigious school by any means and it appeared our sole purpose was to trample down all the stinging nettles and weeds on those cross country exercises so the better schools had a clearer path to run through 😂. But the great thing was that once in Earlham woods there were plenty of places to hide from Mr. Kilshaw our PE teacher so we could get out of all that nettle beating!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks so much for all those additional details, for clarifying about the school name, and for the cross country stories!

[@MultiAndrew1971]

I attended Bowthorpe between 84-87 mr Kilshaw was still p e teacher alongside mr Pete. The old cross country down earlham rd and around the park. They wouldn’t let the kids do that nowadays

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@MultiAndrew1971 it would have taken a while to get to the country bit of the cross country!

[@Paul-ru2ws]

Another interesting video, thank you

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you.

[@suesands9024]

Loved watching this video John! Very informative. Have lived in Bowthorpe for 22 years now and love learning more about the area. The Sainsburys petrol station on Wendene backed onto Alnwick Court and Bateman Close. There's still a wooded area there.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Sue, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for adding the info about the petrol station.

[@MultiAndrew1971]

Oh my god. So many memories in one video. I lived in the 70s and 80s on the larkman est. went to Bowthorpe school. Spent many days in bunker hill or twenty acre woods. And my sister worked in the Sainsbury’s petrol station. Just one thing you missed which I would have loved to see. The old good companions pub on earlham green lane. Great as always John

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you very much for your kind comments. I hope this link may be of interest - sorry, I was unaware of the Good Companions. norfolkpubs.co.uk/norwich/gnorwich/ncgco.htm

[@MultiAndrew1971]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich thanks for the link. So many old pubs from around that area now gone. The freed man’ marlpit’ the larkman. Shoemakers and of course the goods. Maybe another video idea

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@MultiAndrew1971 maybe....I did an early one about pubs, but I could do a much better one now!

[@andywhite6254]

Great informative video John. One little issue. The Four Leaf Clover was the first pub in Bowthorpe at Clover Hill Village Centre. It was renamed Wardy's. After closure it became one of the first Sure Start Childrens Centres.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you Andy that's helpful. Are you saying Norkies is a different location to Four Leaf Clover/Wardy's? I hadn't realised that. It looked similar if not exactly identical - so thought they were one and the same.

[@andywhite6254]

The Four Leaf Clover was just off Humbleyard just across from Clover Hill Village Hall. Have a quick squint at Google. The area there was set up as a village centre a few shops, the doctors practice was there too before the HC was built. Mr Seaman even had a dental practice there as well.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@andywhite6254 thanks, I'll do that!

[@MultiAndrew1971]

Yes the norkie is near where the Sainsbury’s shop was. And the four leaf clover was on clover hill

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@MultiAndrew1971 thanks, I must learn not to make assumptions!

[@James47298]

Another excellent informative vid

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you!

[@nicksrestos8505]

Hello John, another great video.
Have you done or could you do a video about Temple rd and area.
This is were I lived as a baby before we immigrated to Canada almost 55 years ago.
I took my family there in 2017 and our neighbours were still there!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it all the way from Canada! 55 years is a long time for your neighbours to still be there. The nearest one I have done to Temple Road is this one - I hope you find it interesting. th-cam.com/video/EvQkmzQoGfE/w-d-xo.html

[@nicksrestos8505]

They were as shocked as I was, after my Auntie told them who I was
He remembered taking us to the fun fare with his kids.
Thnx for your link.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@nicksrestos8505 fabulous story, thanks.

[@stephendey5056]

Never understood the fact that you had to access Bowthorpe from Dereham Rd and not directly from Bowthorpe Rd apart from buses, taxis and on foot.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Totally agree - always a mystery to me.

[@IDreamOfGaming]

Another excellent video.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you!

[@adrianrutterford762]

Thank you for another interesting video.
Have a good weekend

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks very much Adrian, you too.