The Oak Room
Dating from the fifteenth century, the Oak Room retains its period character and remains one of the hotel's most distinctive gathering spaces.
Our History
Eight centuries of hospitality
For 800 years, the Maids Head has welcomed travellers to the heart of Norwich. From royalty and bishops to merchants, pilgrims and modern explorers, every generation has left its mark on one of England's oldest hotels. Today, that remarkable history continues, carefully preserved while creating a hotel designed for contemporary life.
A home for travellers since the Norman Conquest.
The story begins shortly after the Norman Conquest, when Bishop Herbert de Losinga founded Norwich Cathedral and had his first Palace here. By 1287, records refer to the Murtle Fish Tavern, one of the earliest known inns on the site, laying the foundations for what would eventually become the Maids Head Hotel.
A short, uneven history of one Norwich inn.
Bishops, coaching horses, wartime evacuations, ten queens or thereabouts, and one small dog on the courtyard cobbles that nobody has quite claimed.
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1096
Bishop Herbert de Losinga establishes accommodation for visitors beside the newly founded Norwich Cathedral.
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1287
The earliest recorded inn on the site appears as the Murtle Fish Tavern, welcoming travellers to medieval Norwich.
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1472
The name Maids Head is first recorded, beginning a legacy that has continued for more than five centuries.
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1500s to 1600s
The inn expands as Norwich flourishes. Royal visitors, merchants and travellers pass through its doors as the city becomes one of England's wealthiest centres of trade.
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1587
Queen Elizabeth I is said to have dined and was entertained at the Maids Head during her visit to Norwich, cementing the hotel's royal connections.
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1700s to 1800s
As a thriving coaching inn, the Maids Head becomes an important stop on the route between London and the east of England, welcoming visitors arriving by horse and carriage.
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1900s
The hotel evolves with modern travel while preserving its historic buildings, gradually expanding into the collection of interconnected properties seen today.
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Today
A four-star hotel with 84 individually designed bedrooms, award-winning dining, historic event spaces and a commitment to preserving one of Norwich's most remarkable landmarks.
Historic spaces · The oldest rooms in Norwich
History you can still experience.
The Maids Head isn't simply a historic building, it's a collection of spaces that continue to tell the story of the hotel today.
The WinePress Restaurant
Once an open courtyard serving travellers and coaches, today it has been transformed beneath a striking glass roof as the heart of the hotel.
The Maids Head Bar
Original beams, historic features and centuries of stories make the bar one of the hotel's most atmospheric spaces.
Notable Guests
Queen Elizabeth I
Visited Norwich in 1587, with the Maids Head closely associated with her royal progress through the city.
The Maids Head Today
Historic by nature. Contemporary by design.
More than eight centuries later, the Maids Head continues to welcome guests from around the world. Today the hotel combines carefully restored heritage with contemporary comfort, offering:
- Bedrooms
- 84
- Silver
- 4 ★
- Rosettes
- 2 AA