The building at Recorder Road that we will be using as an assessment hub for people sleeping rough will soon be welcoming their first guests. Part of planning requirements stipulated that we must fulfill the heritage interpretation requirements. We approached Kevin Hardingham, a supporter of St Martins to ask for his help. 
He discovered that the building was erected on the part of the Hills and Underwood Distillery and Vinegar Works site. It was the largest of more than a dozen Norwich firms making vinegar in the 18th and 19th Centuries. From the 1920s until 2006 the building was used as the Christian Science Reading Rooms where one could study and contemplate the Bible and Christian Science literature in peace and tranquility.
To retain the important history of the site, this building has been renamed ‘The Old Reading Rooms’. A slate plaque is on display outside to acknowledge the history of the building and the local area.
For more information about Kevin’s walking tours click here to visit the Canary on a Stick Facebook page
Kevin’s tours are free of charge and he asks attendees to make a voluntary donation to St Martins.