Tucked beneath Upper St Giles Street, the former Old Rifle Range and historic wine cellar will be opened through a new attraction titled The Old Rifle Range and Underground Norwich Tour, launched by Shoebox Experiences.
The non-profit organisation is known for bringing the city’s lesser-known stories to life, and this latest venture promises to uncover the myths and history lying beneath Norwich’s streets.
Lisa Willett, Customer Experience Manager at Shoebox Experiences, said the underground chamber has never previously been accessible to the general public.
“The space is privately owned and we’ve secured a short-term lease to run the tour,” she explained. “It has never been opened to visitors before.”
Historians believe the chamber dates back to the 1700s and was operating as a wine cellar from 1783. Records show that Robert and Thomas Suffield, both wine merchants, once traded from the site.
In the 20th century, the space took on a very different role, becoming home to the Eaton Rifle Club before the group eventually disbanded.
The tour will also explore the wider underground landscape of Norwich, particularly the network of chalk mines beneath Earlham Road, close to Upper St Giles Street. One of the city’s most dramatic modern incidents will also feature in the experience, the 1988 collapse that caused a double-decker bus to sink into the road after a chalk mine gave way.
Ms Willett said she is currently attempting to track down former members of the Eaton Rifle Club to enrich the storytelling behind the site’s more recent history.
Early ticket access was offered to email subscribers on 23 February, before general sale opened the following day. Some tickets remain available until the end of June, with further dates expected to be released.
The tour officially launches in April and is expected to run between three and five times per week.
Adult tickets are priced at £20, with children’s tickets available for £8.50.
Shoebox Experiences already operates the popular Norwich Hidden Street Tour, which takes visitors beneath Castle Meadow into a preserved medieval street another reminder that Norwich’s most fascinating stories often lie underground.
Culled from Evening News 24
