Undercroft beneath 3, Queen Street, Norwich

Undercroft, constructed in the C15 of brick.

EXTERIOR: the undercroft is completely below ground. It is below a late-C20 commercial building that is not of special architectural interest, and is not included in the listing.

INTERIOR: the undercroft is set back from the street line. Access to the undercroft is from the ground floor of the building above, down a winder stair within a circular stair turret; this is one of only two known in the city. The opening to the turret at basement level has a Tudor arch, with right-angled depressions to either side, suggesting that a door was at one time inset. The undercroft is an irregular rectangle in plan, c.7 metres by 7.50 metres; across the centre, from west to east, is a modern breeze block wall with a central opening. The roof is a slightly pointed barrel vault. To the north is a low arched recess, above which is a rectangular window-sized recess, and there is a small arched niche set into the wall to the west. The south wall also contains a rectangular window-sized recess.

Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the part of No.3 Queen Street above the undercroft is not of special architectural or historic interest.

MAP: the undercroft has been mapped as accurately as possible using survey and office plans, but as these only show internal dimensions, some allowance has been estimated for the thickness of medieval walls and the depth of recesses.