Norwich lies at the centre of a great agricultural area, and thus for many centuries it has been an important market town. The Saxon market was situated in Tombland, but after the Norman Conquest of 1066 a new market was established in the area known as 'Mancroft'.

About
Norwich Market is an ancient market place, established by the Normans between 1071 and 1074, and is today the largest six days a week open air market in England. The market has recently undergone redevelopment and modernisation. However, the new stalls at the market have proved controversial, and have been unpopular with many stallholders and customers alike. Norwich City Council has also been criticised for overspending during the market's renovation.

Norwich Market is unique in Britain. It boasts over 200 stalls and is the largest Monday-to-Saturday open market in the country. Its long tradition complements Norwich’s modern shopping facilities – the market has been on this site longer than any of the buildings that surround it. In former times it was held at Tombland, in the open space now occupied by café terraces. This ancient market was displaced when the Normans began to build the Cathedral, and so, for more than 900 years, the market has been bustling on its current site, on a slight slope facing towards the Castle.

The stalls are laid out on a neat grid pattern. One striking feature of it has been the brightly coloured canopies of the stalls, creating a sea of red, yellow and blue stripes. This has been continued into the recent refurbishment of the market.

Norwich Market Place today is still one of the largest and finest of its kind in England.