{"id":1428,"date":"2026-04-22T10:10:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2026-04-22T10:10:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:10:35","slug":"five-unusual-facts-about-norwich-the-best-place-to-live-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/five-unusual-facts-about-norwich-the-best-place-to-live-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Unusual Facts About Norwich \u2013 the Best Place to Live in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>This article looks at the city of Norwich, which has just been named as the best place to live in the UK. There\u2019s a closer look at why The Sunday Times reached its conclusion, as well as some unusual and interesting facts about the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There\u2019s also a mention of the services provided by Norfolk-based Hamiltons Removals, who offer commercial and domestic moves to the city and the rest of the county.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It will take between three and four minutes to read.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"404\" height=\"256\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hamiltons-Norwich-April-2026.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hamiltons-Norwich-April-2026.jpg 404w, https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hamiltons-Norwich-April-2026-300x190.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Norwich has just been named as The Best Place to Live in the UK. The city beat off competition from 71 other towns and cities to land the coveted accolade from The Sunday Times. Here we look through the reasons for the award \u2013 and highlight five unusual facts about the city which may not have formed part of the judges\u2019 deliberations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Removals to Norwich <\/strong><strong>with Hamiltons Removals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Norfolk removal company Hamiltons Removals has been helping people and businesses relocate to Norwich for more than three decades. As well as our local knowledge and vast experience, we also offer video surveys, online quotations, packing and unpacking services, as well as dedicated storage facilities in Norfolk. Call us on 01379 855203 to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why Did Norwich Win the 2026 Title?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Judges praised Norwich\u2019s vibrant, independent shopping areas, top-tier schools, high-speed internet, and excellent balance of culture and green spaces, offering a high quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its historic and artistic legacy were also mentioned \u2013 Norwich was England&#8217;s first UNESCO city of literature in 2012. And its Castle, which reopened in August last year following a major revamp,&nbsp;was picked out as a cultural highlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the judges stressed that the city wasn\u2019t rooted in the past as it is also a &#8220;creative, contemporary city, with a small-town feel&#8221;. But what are Norwich\u2019s other, more unusual, claims to fame?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. It Has the Longest Balcony in the UK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Norwich City Hall, an art deco building completed in 1938, has what is believed to be the longest balcony in the UK. The Hall itself is the administrative centre of Norwich City Council, and its main frontage, which overlooks the city\u2019s main market, is 280&nbsp;ft (85&nbsp;m) long. The balcony itself is 200ft (61m) long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The balcony is used during Royal visits and other civic occasions, and is usually the centrepiece of any celebrations for the city\u2019s football club when they have won a trophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. It Made the First Rolo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first Rolo chocolate was produced in&nbsp;Norwich in&nbsp;1937&nbsp;by the confectionery company Mackintosh\u2019s.&nbsp;The firm\u2019s Caley factory was located at Chapelfield, where the shopping centre now stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rolo production later moved to Nestl\u00e9&#8217;s factories in York and Newcastle after the Norwich plant was closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Its River is Part of a National Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Broads National Park, comprising 303 square kilometres of navigable, lock-free waterways, lakes, and marshes, officially includes the waterways leading into Norwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specifically, this includes the River Wensum, which rises between the villages of Colkirk and Whissonsett in\u00a0North-West Norfolk and flows for approximately 30 miles (50 km) through Fakenham and Norwich before merging with the River Yare at Whitlingham, just east of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Its Castle has the World\u2019s Largest Collection of Ceramic Teapots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Castle\u2019s Twining Teapot Gallery has around 3,000 ceramic teapots. They date from the early 18th century to the present day and come in many different shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The collection was formed from two major acquisitions: a 1946 donation from Edward Bulwer\u00a0and the 1992 purchase of Philip Miller&#8217;s collection. The collection also includes pieces from the only porcelain factory in East Anglia, in Lowestoft.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. It has the First Pedestrianised Street&nbsp;in the Country&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1967, London Street (pictured above) became the first shopping street in the UK to be designated for pedestrians.\u00a0Many other cities have since followed suit, and further pedestrianisation of Norwich\u2019s streets has continued, more recently with St Benedicts Street and Exchange Street.\u00a0Following a temporary closure for sewer repairs,\u00a0the local authorities decided to make the arrangement permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Domestic and Commercial Removals to Norwich with Hamiltons Removals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you are interested in moving house \u2013 or your business \u2013 to Norwich, Hamiltons will be able to help. We are British Association of Removers (BAR) registered, so you can rest assured that our Norwich removals services are always carried out professionally and to an excellent standard. You can see us in action on YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LUm-IC5adzo\">here<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LUm-IC5adzo\">.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can help with moves to all parts of Norfolk, including Sheringham, Cromer, Fakenham, Diss and Wroxham, as well as removals to Norwich. For more information about all our East Anglian removals services<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/removals-to-east-anglia.php\">, follow this link<\/a> \u2013 you can kick-start the whole process on this page, by opting for an online quote or a video survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FAQS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What other places in East Anglia were mentioned in The Sunday Times List?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Although Norwich was the overall winner, seven other places in East Anglia were mentioned \u2013 Woodbridge in Suffolk, Manningtree, Chelmsford and Saffron Walden in Essex, plus Bedford and Cambridge. Hamiltons Removals offer moving services to all these locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q:<\/strong> <strong>Do you offer storage if my new home in Norwich isn&#8217;t ready?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Yes. Since our headquarters are located on the Norfolk\/Suffolk border (Harleston), we offer secure, climate-controlled storage that is perfectly situated for those moving into the city. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/safe-n-stored\/\">Safe N Stored<\/a> sites are located at Harleston and nearby Aldeby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Why choose a local company like Hamiltons Removals over a national chain for your move to Norwich?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: National chains can underestimate the time needed to navigate the county\u2019s rural lanes or Norwich\u2019s one-way systems. Being local means that we know the shortcuts, the height restrictions, and the specific requirements of the local councils. We aren&#8217;t just &#8220;passing through&#8221; \u2013 Norwich is our home county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article looks at the city of Norwich, which has just been named as the best place to live in the UK. There\u2019s a closer look at why The Sunday Times reached its conclusion, as well as some unusual and interesting facts about the city. There\u2019s also a mention of the services provided by Norfolk-based [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Removals to Norwich | Unusual Facts | Hamiltons Removals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Removals to Norwich \u2013 Hamiltons Removals, who can help with both domestic and commercial removals to Norwich, highlight five unusual facts about the city\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hamiltonsremovals.co.uk\/news\/five-unusual-facts-about-norwich-the-best-place-to-live-in-the-uk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta 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