General Outline of Moyse's Hall Museum

Although Moyse's Hall has had many different uses over the centuries, and many alterations have been made to the fabric, it remains a rare and important example of Norman domestic architecture. Other surviving urban examples include the Music House in Norwich and the Jew's House and Aaron's House in Lincoln. Almost all the surviving examples, including Moyse's Hall date from the second half of the 12th century. In many examples, the ground floor was used for storage and business, whilst the first floor formed the living quarters.

Moyse's Hall had two rooms at both ground and first floor level. The main first floor room was the Hall, but there was also a second room called the Solar or Chamber which was the private bedchamber of the owner of the house. There is some evidence that there may once have been a third chamber at Moyse's Hall, but if so it has long since been destroyed.

The Exterior 

The building is in two halves, each with its own gabled roof. The front wall, built of flint with ashlar dressings, is largely original Norman work. The broad flat buttresses are typical. The two first floor windows about the entrance are also original. The windows have rounded outer arches enclosing rectangular lights, an unusual variant of the normal Norman window. The other first floor window, to the left of the Norman windows, is a modern replacement of one inserted in the 15th century. Below the sill is a carving of a wolf guarding St Edmund's head. The door, ground floor and attic windows are 19th century. The clock turret was added by George Gilbert Scott in 1858. To the left of Moyse's Hall is now a shop which was converted from an inn called The Castle. The left-hand part of Moyse's Hall formed part of this inn for many years.