NHER 55406 (Building record) - ABC Wharf and warehouses (formerly the Common Stathe)

Wharf and warehouse on the south bank of the River Wensum.

The former wharf at this location had been in use since at least the 13th century. It is recorded that it was brought from the city by the de Wendling family in 1266, who later granted it to the Abbey that they had founded at Wendling in Norfolk. It was subsequently leased out, before being reacquired by the City in 1456 (S1). Subsequently referred to a the Common Stathe, it was a place where goods were stored that had been brought in by ‘aliens’; that is, people who were not freemen of the city. In 1474 an order specified that “..all aliens bringing any merchandise by water shall lodge it at the Common Staithe and not elsewhere.” (S2).

The wharf continued to be important in the 18th century, when it was known as the 'Town Stathe'. From around 1896, until c. 1912 the wharf was used by the ABC Steam Shipping Co. After this time the wharf saw limited industrial use. The warehouses that stands adjacent to the wharf were subsequently used by a variety of companies, including a firm of electrical engineers, Goodyear Tyres and a mineral water manufacturer. The principle building is currently a nightclub known as The Waterfront. See (S3) for notes compiled by the Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society (NIAS).

P. Watkins (HES), 14 April 2011.