​

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 the oldest known house of Jewish habitation in England, it offers a rare and powerful link to the history of English Jewry, medieval Norwich and the wider Jewish diaspora.

​

Jews arrived in England after the Norman Conquest and played a significant role in the life of the country until their expulsion in 1290 by Edward I — the first such national expulsion in Europe. Norwich itself is central to that history. It was home to one of England’s most important 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, racism and exclusion remain urgent challenges in our society.

​

Our vision is to restore Jurnet’s House as a national centre for Jewish heritage, learning and dialogue, exploring 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 interpretation will trace the building’s later history — from noble residence and civic music hall to brewery, hostel and place of learning.

​

The project has now reached an important new stage. Jurnet’s House has a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwich City Council, the owner of the building, and has been invited by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to apply for a Stage 1 grant of £9 million. This is a major endorsement of the project’s national significance and its potential to become a landmark heritage and education resource.

Education has always been at the heart of Jurnet’s House. Working with Norwich City Council, the University of East Anglia, Norwich University of the Arts and community partners, the project will support learning, creativity, research 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.