I can remember seeing Victoria house being built and thinking at the time how modern it looked, I never thought I would see it demolished in my lifetime. I can remember the empty site before it was built with the remains of the old railway tracks and the coal yard where Sainsburys now is. Thanks for an interesting video.
If u look carefully at the walls at the back of the car park, u can see the original tunnels from when it was a train station. The tunnels have been bricked up, but Sainburys next door was the coal shed. The train lines went through the tunnels and joined to lakenham footpath. If u look straight down the road with Sainburys on your left. Again the tunnels still stand just where the entrance to sainburys car park is. At one time we had 3 train stations in Norwich, Victoria station, city station where Halfords stands right by the roundabout, is a statue made by original train tracks. This station is part of Marriotts way, so goes out to Hellesdon, larkman, wroxham, aylsham and Reepham. The Bure valley railway between Aylsham and Wroxham is part of the train line. Then of course thorpe station which still stands.
For those interested in seeing more of this building, Victoria House features in an episode of 'Tales Of The Unexpected', titled 'Proof Of Guilt' from 1980.
Thank you for this video, Ian. Yes, it is remarkable how buildings go up and come down in the space of a lifetime, as Duckworth Square, the former Debenhams/Ranby's and the neighbouring Central United Reformed church on Victoria Street, the Main Centre and Eagle Centre and Coliseum pub, for a few examples in my home city of Derby, my being a Norwich City fan, strangely enough. Much of what surrounded the old Friar Gate railway station - Derby's second station after the Midland station - is lying derelict and has done for some decades now, so that was a good insight into a another station apart from the main Thorpe station within the city of Norwich.
An interesting 'update' on the Victoria House site, Ian. When I last visited Norwich in August, work had just started on the actual demolition (I used the Travelodge on Queens Rd, so had a great view of the site!). I doubt there will be anything still standing when I next visit in mid-November. Having worked in financial services for 30+ years (most of it in the same office), I couldn't agree more about the importance of such buildings in the lives of the many thousands of people who have worked there over the years. Thanks for creating this video.
Victoria House had a large car park which I was permitted to use when working shifts at a nearby charity. An unfortunate side effect of the demolition is that 1,000 workers will no longer do their lunchtime shopping in the City Centre.
Thanks for this Ian. I worked in the office from 1998 (one of the last people employed by Sedgwick in Norwich) through to closure in August 2022. It had a refurb in the very early part of the 2000s but had become very tired and outdated but certainly more character than the new office! I'm not sad that the building has been pulled down but there were certainly many memories made there and friendships formed and for that I will always be thankful!
Great video! I enjoyed watching it and certainly learned more about this building. All the footage was very interesting to see, and who knew it used to be a park and then a train station!! I liked the way you reminded us of the busy office it once was, and the debate about brutalism. I will be sad to see it converted to yet more flats/ student accommodation - wouldn’t it be brilliant if it was turned back to a park/ pleasure area. Norwich doesn’t have enough parks in the city centre.
Currently work at Marsh' McLennan's current site employed by a contractor. My longer serving colleagues worked in this building up to September 2022. I joined shortly after the move to Broadland Business Park. I think that houses should be built on the site. Not flats - more than enough of those. I agree that there is little demand for commercial or retail space at present.
I really think this location would be absolutely perfect for a Multi-Purpose Indoor Arena. Could host multiple different sports, concerts all year round. The bus station is right opposite, there's many carparks nearby. It would be an ideal location
It certainly was a landmark building, & yes, it was incredibly stylish when it was first built, the beige concrete wall panels & the gold tinted/filmed windows really gave it a classy look about it. The building was never imposing & actually did fit in well, a credit to the architects. The landscape design & landscape maintenance over the years should also be noted. The big expanse of grass was always lush & well maintained, & the tree & shrub planting equally good & matured well. Am I imagining this or was there once a large Henry Moore-esque type sculpture out front in the grass area also (is this what the flint-sided raised area was originally for at 1:32 ?)...??? I always remember it as 'The Guardian Insurance Building' & spent many a time in the NCP car park chinese restaurant opposite. In it's life time, it must be amazing just how many billions of £££'s of insurance deals were completed & covered from this building, & likewise the salaries paid to workers & how much of this was returned back into the Norwich & Norfolk economies, even the lunch break 5 minute walk down St. Stephens for workers must have overall generated a few thousand £££'s per week for shops.
@@waynenewark5363 I did my O-Levels in 1979. I left from A-Levels in 1981 and the school then went comprehensive, changed its name and ditched the sixth-form. Mr Batten and Mr Newton retired as head and deputy head also.
It really did need demolition to improve the city centre. Never knew there was a train station though. I think it should be blocks of flats with greenery 😊
I can see new development to be built such as new apartments. Or maybe a new retail park. I do remember that building when I used to live near Norwich and it's such a great shame to see it knocked down.
It wasn't that bad looking compared to other similar type constructions of the same period, at least they did set it in a proper landscaped environment. It would have made nice spacious apartments, similar to those on the other side of Queens road in what were the Norwich Union/Aviva buildings. I hope the landscaping is retained.
I started work here in 1998 but my team was moved out a few years later to the old Stationary Office building in Duke Street which is now expensive apartments. I remember the scary lady who worked in HR and was a devil in interviews. She was talking away quite naturally and then suddenly barked at me ‘Why do you want to work here?’. I obviously survived though
I visited an exhibition in a railway carriage here in the 60s. Wasn't the place called Bland Payne House originally? I expect they'll replace it with another concrete office building!
I could see the right hand set of lifts still remains, other two lifts one of the motors was hanging at a weird angle in the shaft halfway down. I suspect the other two are now gone.
Whatever they build it will completely ugly,I think we might regret the demolition at least it was built with moderately good quality materials in a large landscaped garden,the carbuncle that will replace it will not.should have converted to private flats.
Always remember it as being Bland Payne, certainly not as ugly as that corner of St Stephens with the Bus Station and multi storey car park. Have to say that the Norfolk County Council building in Lakenham is perhaps the ugliest large building in Norwich.
Yes, that remained a goods depot for a while. But there was an actual station on the Marsh site. Hence the black railway bridge where I’m standing for the videos. I assume the line used to run up the road from the Sainsbury’s car park and under the bridge to Marsh. That’s now been built up into the Brazengate road.
I respect our views on this building but to me it was, at best, nondescript. I just hope it's replaced with something more attractive - not just more of those blocky apartment towers which seem to be in vogue.
County Hall needs to go the same way. It is totally devoid of character, bland and soulless, not to mention difficult to get into and out again at certain times of the day.
Your comment about buildings that had come and gone through your life reminded me of a few (being a similar age) that I had been inside in particular those that were tower blocks. One was Derwent Tower in Gateshead (a residential one) built in the late 1960s and subsequently demolished, Western Tower, Reading (an office block I worked in for many years). That has been demolished with a new block of flats on Station Hill. Another was an office block at Euston Station, London. That has been demolished re. the HS2 project. Then there was the World Trade Center, New York NY, which I visited as a tourist; you know what happened to that one.
Interesting that there's no rules on demolition in the UK for water to be sprayed on the demolition to stop that dust travelling anywhere. To prevent any potential dangerous particles.
Ian. I do not agree with you regarding this demolition. Most architecture built after 1950 has been an ugly monstrosity. Just look at Anglia Square and flyover over Magdalen Street in Norwich. Regarding Anglia Square. Best thing they could do that is to demolish the whole thing and build something really attractive and aesthetically pleasing in its place. Most architecture since 1960 has been quickly flung up and cheaply built with poor quality materials along with poor quality workmanship. If you look at Norman and Tudor buildings. They will built with good quality materials. Good superior craftsmanship and workmanship. They were actually built to last. Many Tudor buildings and buildings built in and before the 19th century will out last all of the modern buildings are being built. Just look at Tower blocks of flats throughout the country. A growing number of them are having to be demolished because they are dilapidated and falling to bits. Again poor workmanship and poor quality materials. Again quickly flung and slung up. Along with being really really ugly. I am glad this office block is going. Would be nice if they turned it into a big open Green space for people to sit and kongregate. But I have heard rumours that they are turning it into homes. Generic ugly 21st century gentrified architecture. Nothing pretty or attractive about it at all. Most new architecture is soulless. Just like architecture in the 1960s and the 1970s. Why can't our Architects design pretty aesthetically pleasing architecture like architects did 200 years ago and before? Today's buildings will be the slums of tomorrow in about 30 or 40 years time. Buildings of the 1960s and 70s I have it to be knocked down because they're high maintenance costs. This again is because the poor workmanship and poor quality materials. They purely and simply are not standing the test of time I'm standing up to the elements ie rain. Regarding Anglia Square. They should never have got rid of stumps Cross and the beautiful Botolph Street. They should built the ring road under Magdalen Street in the form of a Road tunnel and kept Magdalen Streets original good pretty historic appearance. Anglia Square is also falling down and in a poor state of repair. Most of the shops when it rains leeks and get severe water damage. The car park adjacent to Anglia Square is dangerous and not fit for purpose. The whole of this shopping centre should be knocked down and something better and more attractive should be put in its place. You just have to look at sovereign House. The home of the former stationery office. What an ugly monstrosity and blott on the Landscape. A complete ugly eyesore. No disrespect you here Ian. As far as I'm concerned it's good riddance and a quicker it goes to better. I for one will not miss it. Along when they finally demolish Anglia Square. Unfortunately and regrettably Ian I do not share Your Love brutalist architecture. However thank you for putting this video up. Maybe you should put a video up about Anglia Square? Just an idea. Pure.
I was born in the mid sixties on a rough tough council estate learnt amateur boxing from a very very early age We brought our children up in bracondale a And I am or was a Roofing specialist company, I would go past that building most days It was always well kept so its a shame actually because its more workers of Norwich out of work Along with all the other companies that closed Just to make way for shops Or for future Norwich in 50 years time Which helps absolutely no one back then or today So it's a shame The biggest EYE. SORE in Norwich was and still is ANGLIA SQUARE , The worst blight since I was a teenager although for anyone who cares enough to remember pennies nightclub Full of broken 💔 thats joking Thumbs up i enjoyed the video and sadly I am not a fan of seeing buildings demolished
