Music House, Norwich

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Issacs Hall; Jews House; Moyses Hall; Paston House; Wensum Lodge

In the civil parish of Norwich.
In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

In King Street. This has a groined vault of five bays with a round-headed door in the side and cross-walls and narrow loops near one angle, with traces of a forebuilding; a jamb retains mouldings of about 1175. How defensive this house was is open to some question.
“... At Bury St Edmunds is still to be found the strong Jew’s House known as Moyse’s Hall, and correspondingly the Jew’s House in Norwich is still to be found although greatly disguised by reason of subsequent additions. It is in the parish of St Etheldred, and has been known both as “Paston House ” and “The Music House”. ... a conjectural drawing of the original Jew’s House ... exhibits the usual method of entrance to a Norman building which was by a covered staircase leading to a door on the first floor. ... the Norman groined cellaring (has) the only remaining portion of one side of the entrance door of the Isaac’s Hall, all the rest of the door, porch and staircase having been destroyed when the Jacobean portion of the Music House was erected on the south side. The bases (of this entrance door) have vertical “nicks” about 1 inches apart inside the concave moulding ... similar to the three transitional pillars of the old Infirmary of the Norwich Priory ... the date of these is believed to be between 1175 and 1190. “It appears then that the house was built by Isaac the Jew temp.Henry II. On his death it was escheated by King John and alienated in favour of Sir William de Valoines by Henry III. After passing through many hands it was in 1474 the city house of William Yelverton esq who sold it to Sir John Paston Knt. In 1613 it was purchased by Sir Edward Coke, Recorder of Norwich and Lord Chief Justice. He it was who probably built C17 addition to the south, calling it Paston House in memory of his first wife. Finding the old porch in the way, he destroyed all except the fragment shown. The “Music House” was first mentioned in the “Norwich Gazette” of 19th January 1723, the City Waits being accustomed to meet and practice there.”

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Major remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG23640804

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.