The Petches >
Link were boat builders based at Barrack Street, Norwich. A wherry mast, the remains of which can be seen in the foreground at right (it was cut down by the city council in 2016), was until 2016 situated on a bend in the River Wensum opposite the Cow Tower to mark the location of their boatyard. A drawing and a watercolour >
Link (
Archive Link ) both by John Thirtle >
Link and depicting Petch's boathouse, are on display in the Castle Museum. One of the first mentions of Petch's boatyard can be found in Hunt's Directory dating from 1850. At that time the business was run by Hannah Petch.
The Cow Tower is a cylindrical brick tower dating from the late 14th century and built as part of the defences of Norwich; it is one of the earliest artillery blockhouses in England and may be the first major brick building in England. The tower replaced an earlier toll house attached to a 13th-century Benedictine monastery. By 1378 the toll house was considered ruinous, and the site was converted into an artillery tower which provided 12 gun ports used for handheld guns, whereas larger guns would have been placed on the roof so that they could fire through gaps in the parapet. In 1549, the tower was put under fire by Robert Kett's rebels, who were trying to enter the city via the nearby Bishop Bridge. A shot from Kett's gunners struck the top of the tower, and the damage it caused can still be seen. The Cow Tower is 15 metres high and has an internal diameter of about 7 metres.