But What of the Norwich Yards Today?
In a single generation their use and appearance have changed almost beyond recognition. When we visit the bijoux yards on Elm Hill, the yards adjacent to trendy wine bars and restaurants, picturesque houses in small developments maybe we should bear a thought for their previous occupants. The 21st century has seen a return to city living and the yards have been resurrected in new guises providing desirable modern housing within an urban setting.
Most poignantly the old inns and taverns by which the yards were known may have long gone, but some names live on in the social housing schemes that have replaced the deprivation of the past.
New communities no longer occupy unsanitary accommodation but dwellings constructed from state-of-the-art materials, in comfort and security beyond the dreams of those long-ago residents.
Such developments have paved the way to a new lease of life for this historic areas with a colourful and fascinating past and, thanks to the pioneers of social reform, a positive future for the old yards of Norwich.
