Free things to do

From nature trails to poetry prompts, and audio tours to hands-on crafts — there’s plenty to explore, discover and feel inspired by at our Literature House.

Coming up at NCW

Plan your visit by taking part in our upcoming free activities and events.

Tiny Dragons: Early-Years Explorer Sessions

A wonderful opportunity for young explorers to discover Dragon Hall through crafts, storytelling, and singing with guest creative facilitators.

Tuesday 27 January – Tuesday 23 June

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Drop-in & Write (ages 60+)

Enjoy a quiet, supportive environment where you can focus on your writing alongside like-minded individuals.

Monday 9 February – Monday 8 June

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Family Activity Day

Discover fascinating stories within Dragon Hall, one of Norwich’s most iconic medieval buildings.

Tuesday 17 February – Tuesday 26 May

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Explore the history of Dragon Hall and King Street

Our home on King Street is one of Norwich’s most significant medieval buildings. Drop-in to discover the fascinating stories of the people who have lived and worked within its walls for hundreds of years.

Originally a thriving trading complex, the Great Hall was built in 1427 by entrepreneur Robert Toppes and since then has been through many changes. Other parts of Dragon Hall date back event further, including archaeological evidence of Anglo-Saxon dwellings.

Pick up a map or download the audio trail to learn about the history of the site through self-led tours, use interpretation panels and labelling to identify fascinating features that have developed over centuries of use, and meet the Great Hall’s last remaining dragon.

Guided heritage tours of the site are also available on a monthly basis (donations greatly appreciated!).

Dragon Hall’s history

More free things to do

Get creative & find inspiration

Pick up one of several self-led trails of the building and draw creative inspiration from the stories within its walls. We’ve got mindful nature trails for adults, and nature and dragon trails for families. You’ll also find writing prompts dotted throughout the site!

Take a literary walking tour of the city

Discover Norwich of the past, present, and future through Wandering Words, a self-led literary walking tour featuring poems from five brilliant writers. Pick up a map from the Dragon Hall reception or click to download a digital copy below.

Find out more

Free activities across Norwich

For a compact city centre, Norwich offers a lot of culture and history. From NCW it is just a short walk to free attractions including St Julian’s Church, Norwich Cathedral, the Norwich Book Bench Trail and the Urban Art Trail, as well as low-cost experiences such as Norwich Castle.

Find out more

Our drop-in visiting days are currently closed for the winter season as we carry out our annual maintenance programme. Dragon Hall will reopen to visitors in spring 2026. For the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media.

Visit our What’s On page to view our public programme of events, guided tours, workshops and activities for adults, families and communities.

Our Writers’ Room is open on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year. Click here for more information.

Find us at National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, 115–123 King Street, Norwich, NR1 1QE.

We are a short walk from Norwich train station and local bus routes. Find out more here.

More about your visit

Public spaces

Heritage & history

Plan your visit

What’s on