Dragon Hall

I’m proud to say that 10 years or so ago I was one of the team doing an archaeological excavation at the back of Dragon Hall, it was January and raining and freezing cold and muddy (gotta love British archaeology) but very interesting, we dug through the Victorian clay pipes and animal bones etc. to the Saxon layer and right down to the natural. It was good to be a tiny part of making this wonderful building the visitor attraction that it is today, highly recommended.

Dragon Hall is the site of an old 15^th-​century merchant’s trading hall. The original building created by the guy (Toppes I think) still stands and it’s pretty cool to wander through it and see all the crooked old beams in the walls. Active archaeological work is still taking place here I believe, and they’re finding that the site has actually been in use for over 1000 years. Most of the exhibits are pretty interesting, especially the archaeological sites in the lower level; many are geared more towards children though, so some parts can be a bit meh. It’s kinda smallish overall (ok I’ve spent the last several days touring castles so my basis for comparison may be a little skewed) but worth a visit at least once.

I atended a wedding here in October and what a stunning place. Along with a spacious hall, with beams and original dragon features, it also contains lots of interesting information and history of the place. As a venue for events, it has a lovely outside courtyard, perfect for warm evenings and photos opportunities. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, and the layout of the facilities were excellent.
One major memory that has to be mentioned are the super strength hand driers in the toilets!

I really enjoyed a Birthday Party here in 2007, amongst the ancient beams and history. A really mellow place to eat drink and be merry and to soak up 1,000 years of Norwich life.