The difficulty of finding the precise Address of the Inhabitants of so populous a city as Norwich, the general utility of a Directory, and the spirit of Public Improvement which has of late appeared, have, at the present period, rendered this publication peculiarly necessary.

The contents are fully expressed in the title-page, the arrangement is adapted to every capacity, and will be found to answer every useful purpose.

The houses in each street are all regularly numbered, beginning on the right hand, and returning on the left, with a few exceptions for the sake of convenience.

The boards, with the names of the streets, lanes, and thorough-fares, which are now correctly painting, will be put up at the corner, or entrance of each; and the whole will be completed as soon as possible.

It is with the greatest pleasure we review the many alterations for public convenience which have been recently made: in particular—

The Reservoir in Chapel-field, which, by the aid of a steam-engine, is always filled, and supplies the highest parts of the city with water.

The taking down of Brazen-doors, St. Stephen’s, St. Giles’, St. Benedict’s, St. Augustine’s, Pockthorpe, Bishop, and King-street Gates; thereby admitting a current of salubrious air; and if such parts of the wall round as are not built against were to be removed, it would be still more complete.

The Paving of the Gentlemen’s Walk with Scotch granate.

The taking down of the cumbrous Weigh-house in the Hay-market, which ought now to bear another title, and erecting a house for the purpose on the Castle-Dykes, with an elegant engine, which acts with a steel-yard under ground, and the carriage placed on the level above.

The widening of the street, now Orford-street, leading from Hog-hill to the Castle-dykes.

The opening from off the Castle-meadow into King-street.

The levelling of the old houses at the back of Messrs. Gurney’s, at the foot of the Castle hill.

The new Flour Mill, worked by steam, which is erected, by subscription, near Black Friar’s Bridge, for better supplying the city with flour.

And the new Horse Barracks, without Pockthorpe.

Not to mention the superior appearance which the Shops in the Market-place, London-lane, and other parts of the city, now assume.

We have authority to say, that, the two Old Workhouses being in a ruinous state, it is the intention of the Court of Guardians to apply to Parliament for an Act to enable them to build One New and Complete Workhouse—the spot fixed on is the Gilden-croft.

Much has been done under the gloomy aspect of War; but from the establishment of Peace, we ardently hope to see our native Commerce revived, every necessary improvement carried into effect, and the splendour of our ancient city equal to its opulence.

Decorative divider

We here present our Readers with a Retrospect of the Proposed Public Improvements.

On the 23d of January, 1800, John Herring, Esq. then Mayor, summoned a General Meeting of the Inhabitants, at the Guildhall, to consider of the propriety of applying to Parliament for an Act for the better paving, cleaning, lighting, and watching of the city; for removing and preventing annoyances and obstructions, and for regulating hackney coaches.At this meeting, a committee of twenty-one gentlemen was appointed to consider of the plan proposed by the Mayor, and to make a report, to a future general meeting, of the result of its opinion.

This committee had several meetings, in which it very minutely investigated the subject submitted to its consideration: it employed proper persons to estimate the expence of paving a particular district, and stationed men at fourteen entrances into the city, to ascertain the actual number of carriages, horses, &c. of every description, which passed and repassed during a week, that a fair calculation might be made of the expence to be incurred, and of the funds to meet it.

The result of the labours of this committee was laid before a general meeting of Inhabitants, on the 3d of March following, in a report, which stated the expediency of applying for an Act for the following purposes:

I. To empower a Deputy Mayor to be appointed in certain cases.

II. To empower the Mayor, or the Deputy Mayor, with one Justice, to adjourn the Sessions in the absence of the Recorder and Steward.

III. To better regulate the watch.

IV. To better light the city.

V. To better regulate the sweeping and cleansing of the city.

And on a supposition that scavengers would undertake the sweeping, &c. for the produce of the muck, the saving would be £312.

VI. To new pave the city.

The expence of the new pavement, with foot paths on each side of the streets, the middle of the streets crowning, and the removing of all obstructions, was estimated at £55,000, on an actual survey and valuation, made by Messrs. Stannard and Athow; and this estimate was, in the opinion of Mr. Hamerton, an eminent Paviour in London, very fair and correct.

To defray such an apparent heavy expence, the committee, proposed levying a toll on carriages, horses, &c. coming to and going from the city, in the following proportions:

The annual produce of these tolls, deducing the expence of Houses, Collectors, &c. was estimated at £1715.

The committee likewise proposed a rate, not exceeding 6d. in the pound, per quarter, on the landlords and occupiers of houses, &c. within the city (exclusive of the hamlets), the annual produce of which was calculated at £3000; so that the whole expence, under the proposed bill, would have stood thus:

Leaving for the immediate commencement of paving, the sum of £1945; which sum would have been increased by the annual payment of a certain sum by the Corporation, the Bishop, and Dean and Chapter, for such parts of the city now repaired by them; and by the annual decrease of the sum of £1000, in proportion as the new pavement was completed.

The committee concluded this well-digested report by stating its opinion, that no time should be lost in applying to Parliament; but as it had several other matters under consideration, it begged leave to be permitted to make a final report at some future time.

The general meeting concurred, after some deliberation, with the committee; and a petition was signed by most of the Inhabitants of the city, for leave to bring in a bill for the several purposes mentioned in the report.

Unfortunately, however, the petition could not, from some unforeseen circumstances, be presented that sessions; it being a standing order of the House of Commons, that no such bill could be brought before Parliament, unless notice of it had been given at the preceding Michaelmas sessions: but it was suggested, seemingly from authority, that such notice, in the present instance, might be dispensed with, provided the city would abandon the toll, or a tonnage on goods.

To such a restriction, the committee would not submit; it therefore resolved to postpone the petition to the next sessions of Parliament, and, in the mean time, that a committee of Country Gentlemen, to be appointed at the ensuing sessions, should be requested to meet a sub-committee of the city, to hold a conference on the subject.

This conference took place, and after a number of queries had been proposed by the Country Gentlemen, to all of which satisfactory answers were returned in writing; notice of the intended application to Parliament was ordered to be affixed on the doors of the Sessions Hall, both in the county and city.

The committee however soon found, notwithstanding it had given what if deemed the most satisfactory answers to the queries suggested by the Country Gentlemen, that the bill would meet with the most determined opposition from the county; nor did it appear that the opposition could be obviated, unless the whole expence to be incurred by any intended improvements was confined to the city only. With such an opposition, the committee had no hopes of success; and whatever sentiments it might entertain of the liberality of the Country Gentlemen, who would, with the county at large, have materially partaken of the benefits and advantages attending the improvements, though they were unwilling to bear the most trifling part of the expence of them, it did not choose to hazard the experiment of a contest.

The committee, however, had the object entrusted to it too much at heart to abandon it entirely: it therefore relinquished all the former part of the proposed regulations, and confined itself solely to what it deemed the most expedient—the New Pavement. The Committee submitted a report on that subject only to a general meeting, on the 15th of December, 1800, the substance of which was, that, to carry the plan proposed into execution, a rate not exceeding 3d. in the pound, per quarter, on the rack-rent, should be levied on the Inhabitants of the city, at such times only when the poor rate was within 6s. per pound, per quarter, for three successive quarters.

At length, from considerations of the distress of the times, this truly interesting business was deferred, but we have authority, and are happy to say, that it will be resumed in a more favourable season.

We cannot quit this subject without observing, that the arduous and unremitted assiduity of the Gentlemen forming the Committee, met the warmest approbation of their fellow citizens, and afforded a prospect that, at a future period, their labours for so desirable an object would ultimately be accomplished.