The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum office and archive sits within the Shirehall building, which dates from the 1800s and has historically been the centre for jurisdiction and administration for the county.
Documentary evidence lists a Shirehouse next to the Castle in 1270. In 1579 the Shirehouse was rebuilt on the castle mound and from then on saw several redevelopments.
In 1789 Sir John Soane built a new Shirehall. It was a controversial building that was unpopular amongst local people.
In 1821 William Wilkins won a competition to design a new Shirehall, and also improve the gaol. The new Shirehall was to be built at the base of the mound, where it stands today, linked to the Castle by a tunnel. This tunnel was used to take prisoners through to the courts from the prison.
In 1907 the next major renovation of the building saw the expanse of chambers added on the south side of the Shirehall. Since then, both parts of the building have been refaced, and in 1988 the courts moved to a new site near the Cathedral. The civil courtroom was lost with the construction of the Regimental Museum in 1988, but the other courtroom remains intact within the Norwich Castle Study Centre.
The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum was opened by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1990. The extensive and varied collection is loaned to the Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service by the Regimental Trustees.
The Museum is part of the Social History Department and the displays aim to explore the daily life of a soldier in peace and wartime. Temporary displays highlight the stories of individual soldiers.
The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum displays in the Shirehall have closed. A new temporary exhibition will be installed in Norwich Castle from 21 October 2011 prior to larger permanent displays in 2012/13.
The Regimental Museum office and archive continues to be in the Shirehall and will operate as normal a service as possible during the change round.
For more information about the Regiment and museum please visit our other website.