Norwich, city, administrative center of Norfolk, eastern England, on the Wensum River. Norwich is a university and cathedral city with manufactures that include footwear, silk, electrical equipment, and mustard. Educational institutions here include the University of East Anglia (1964), the Norwich School of Art (1846), and a grammar school dating from the mid-16th century. Principal among the city's many notable ecclesiastical structures is a cathedral, begun in 1096, that is almost wholly Norman in style. Norwich was founded in Saxon times and received its first charter in 1158. Flemish immigrants introduced the wool-weaving industry in the 14th century, and the town remained a prosperous textile center until the late 18th century. Population (1996 estimate) 126,221.
