'Closure' and the urban Great Rebuilding in early modern Norwich

Abstract

Urban buildings have been largely ignored in the debate over the 'Great Rebuilding' of vernacular houses in 16th- and 17th-century England and in Matthew Johnson's influential thesis of 'closure'. This paper reviews the extensive archaeological evidence (from both standing buildings and excavations) for houses in post-medieval Norwich, focusing on the dwellings of the prosperous 'middling sort'. Norwich experienced a significant period of housing development between the late 15th and mid-16th centuries, with rebuilding continuing through the later 16th and 17th centuries. Accordingly, the concept of 'closure' must be adapted to incorporate the distinctive character and chronology of urban buildings.