The claim
A little Dutch-gabled pub in the shadow of Norwich Cathedral, the Adam and Eve is the city's traditional claimant to oldest-pub status, dated by legend to 1249 when monks brewed for cathedral workmen. The tiny beamed bar, 1930s snug and flower-decked frontage make it a favourite pause for walkers near the river.
What the records show
The claim is the pub's own: its history page says the pub is first recorded in 1249, when it was used by workmen building the cathedral, and that monks of the Great Hospital brewed here. No primary record for that first reference has been published. The standing building is largely 17th century; the lower bar was created from the cellar in 1973.
What to look for inside
- Traditionally Norwich's oldest pub
- Saxon well said to lie beneath the lower bar
- Served ale from the barrel until a bar was installed in 1971
- Linked by tradition to Kett's Rebellion (1549)
Visiting
Adam and Eve is in Norwich, England, at 17 Bishopgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- camra.org.uk/pubs/adam-eve-norwich-189752
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve,_Norwich
- www.visitnorwich.co.uk/article/the-oldest-pub-in-norwich/
- www.adamandevenorwich.co.uk/history.htm
- www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol4/pp367-403
- www.norwich-heritage.co.uk/pubs/norwich_pubs_today/norwich_pubs_today.shtm
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/5231
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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