Free Entry
Open any reasonable time during daylight hours
Address:
Cotman Fields, off Bishopgate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 4AA
One of the earliest purpose-built artillery blockhouses in England, this brick tower was built in about 1398-9 to command a strategic point in Norwich’s city defence.
Read more about the history of the tower.
Managed by Norwich City Council - visit the heritage section of their visitor website for further information about the area.
Before You Go
Parking: No parking on site but there is charged short stay parking available at Norwich Railway Station or in a multi-storey car park over the road from the station, next to the Riverside Complex. Both of these are a 10-minute walk from the Cow Tower along the Wensum Riverside Walk which is a 2-mile route through the city centre.
Access: The interior of the tower is not open to visitors but the exterior of the tower is easily accessible on flat paths.
Facilities: There are no facilities on site but it is close to the centre of Norwich where there are public toilets, shops, restaurants, cafés, pubs and other amenities.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.
Drone flying: English Heritage does not permit drone flying from or over sites in our care, except by contractors or partners undertaking flights for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances and permissions, and are operating under controlled conditions. Please see our drone filming guidelines for more details, or email our Filming team.
Plan a Great Day Out
A 45-minute drive away you'll find the delightful Great Yarmouth Row House and Greyfriars' Cloisters. The Row Houses are two rare survivors of the town's original distinctive 'Rows', a crowded network of alleyways linking Yarmouth's three main thoroughfares. These unique and vividly presented houses both show life as it would have been at various stages of their histories, and are a real treasure trove for lovers of period decoration. Nearby Greyfriars' Cloisters, the remains of a 13th-century Franciscan friary, later converted into a number of Row dwellings, are also worth seeing.