Aylsham Road
Aylsham Road At the northern end of Aylsham Road is
the site of one of the city’s mediaeval boundary
crosses. After the granting of a charter early in the
fifteenth century giving Norwich jurisdiction over a
certain area beyond the walls (the county of the city)
steps were taken to mark the boundary with a series of
stone crosses. There were at one time no fewer than ten
of these, of which only three now remain, if one includes
that at Hardley marking the limit of the city’s
jurisdiction over the river Yare. Of the other two, one,
known as Hellesdon Cross, is at the junction of Boundary
Road and Drayton Road; the other stands in Hellesdon
churchyard twenty yards northeast of the church. Both
were restored in 1902.Here at the junction of Aylsham Road and Boundary Road stood another such cross, known in former times as St Faith’s or the Whytecrosse. About 1930 it was removed from its rather vulnerable position near the middle of the five cross roads to what was deemed to be a safer position in front of the newly erected Boundary inn. Unluckily those who planned the move were proved to be too optimistic when in August 1956, a lorry demolished it. The pieces were taken away to the Corporation storeyard, but it was decided that it should not be reconstituted: it was said that only the base was medieval. This was contrary to Basil Cozens-Hardy’s findings when in 1935 he carried out a survey of all the existing Norfolk crosses; he considered that five feet of the Barnack shaft were original. Eventually the stone base was moved again, this time to a site adjoining the front door of the inn. A plaque attached to it at a cost of £10 reads: “Base of the 15th century Mile Cross which stood near this spot to mark the bounds of the City of Norwich”. In September 1958, a request by the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society that the Mile Cross should be restored was turned down by the City Council. It was then reported that the base had been recently damaged by a Corporation dustcart. Having referred to Hardley Cross, it might not be out of place to mention the annual proclamation, which used to be made there by the Mayor, Sheriff or Town Clerk: Oyez, Oyez,
Oyez. If there be any manner of person that will absume,
purfy, implead or present any action, suit, plaint or
plea, for any offence, trespass, or misdemeanour done or
committed upon the Queen’s Majesty’s River of
Wenson, Let him repair upon the Right Worshipful Mr Mayor
and the Worshipful Sheriff of the City of Norwich for the
redress thereof, and he shall be heard. God save the
Queen. Somebody once asked the Town Clerk what was meant by “absume” and “purfy”. On being told by the official that he did not know, the inquirer asked what would he do if anyone appeared before the Mayor to say he had come to do those things. “Tell him to do it” was the prompt reply! It appears in fact that “absume” means “to take up” and “purfy” is probably the same as “purvey”, one of the meanings of which is “to procure”. Text and photographs Copyright © G.A.F.Plunkett 2004 |