The Strangers’ Hall. 
I N the beautiful mediaeval mansion known as the 
Strangers’ Hall, the citizens of Norwich have a building 
rich in memories of the past history of the city from 
the thirteenth century to the present day, and illustrative of 
the evolution of domestic life according to varying tastes 
and needs. 
The Hall and its collections were the generous gift of the 
late Mr. Leonard G. Bolingbroke to his native city ; he 
visited the Scandinavian Folk Museums early in the present 
century and on his return to Norwich purchased a portion 
of this building and opened it to the public as the first Folk 
Museum in this country. The Corporation has since 
Strangers’ Hall. 
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acquired the remainder of the property with the result 
that there are twenty-three rooms furnished according to 
varying periods. 
Between two modern shops in Charing Cross, Norwich, 
is the gateway with carvings depicting the English lion 
crowned and the Scottish unicorn gorged with a crown and 
chained. At the end of the modern passage is a quaint 
little flagged courtyard, and at the far side a richly groined 
perpendicular porch in carved stone work, approached by a 
flight of black marble steps. A massive oak door opens 
into the picturesque banqueting hall, with an open king post 
roof on tie cross beams, richly moulded and notched. 
These beams have spandrels filled with open quatrefoil and 
wheel tracery, and rest on carved stone corbels still showing 
traces of the original colour, and inscribed Ave Maria 
Gracia Plena . 
A screen near the door is a splendid example of oak¬ 
panelling carved with linen-fold pattern, bearing the arms of 
the city of Norwich and the merchant’s mark of Nicholas 
Sotherton, a wealthy merchant and Mayor of Norwich in 
1539. Above the screen is a finely carved Carolean 
staircase lighted by a beautiful oriel window dated 1627, 
which is the original of that depicted in the well-known 
picture by the late Ernest Crofts, R.A., cc The Gunpowder 
Plot : The Conspirators’ last stand, Nov. 7, 1605,” exhibited 
in the Royal Academy in 1892. Both staircase and window 
were inserted by Francis Cock, a grocer, who then owned 
the property and extended it during his Mayoralty in 1627. 
In the centre of the banqueting hall is a long refectory 
table with joint stools on either side, and numerous objects 
reminiscent of days when it was used for the purposes of 
family meals and the entertainment of guests. 
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