Jurnet’s House occupies a unique place in English and Jewish history. Located on King Street in Norwich, it was the home of Isaac Jurnet, a major patron of Jewish learning and financier of Norwich Cathedral. As one of the oldest medieval Jewish houses in England, it offers a rare and powerful link to the history of English Jewry and the wider Jewish diaspora.

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Jews arrived in England after the Norman Conquest and thrived until their expulsion in 1290 by Edward I – the first such expulsion in Europe.  Norwich itself is central to that history. It was home to one of England’s most significant medieval Jewish communities, but also the site of the first recorded blood libel in Europe in 1144, an antisemitic accusation that spread across the continent for centuries. Archaeological evidence, including remains found at Chapelfield from an 1190 massacre, connects Norwich's medieval Jewish population through DNA to today's Ashkenazi Jewish community.
 

These stories matter now more than ever, as antisemitism and racism remain central challenges in our society.

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Our vision is to restore Jurnet’s House as a national centre for understanding Jewish heritage and the histories and legacies of antisemitism, racism and exclusion. In its twelfth-century undercroft, visitors will encounter the lives of Norwich’s medieval Jewish community, while innovative digital interpretation will trace the building’s later history — from noble residence and civic music hall to brewery, hostel and place of learning.

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Education has always been at the heart of Jurnet’s House. Working with partners including Norwich City Council, the owners of the building and our collaborators, the University of East Anglia, Norwich University of the Arts, and the local community, the project will support learning, creativity and dialogue, while contributing to the regeneration of East Norwich and its emerging Cultural Quarter.

Jurnet’s House is a registered charity (No. 1207900) led by an experienced Board of Trustees and advisors.

For further information, contact the project leads at jurnetshouse@gmail.com.