Carrow House and The Forgotten Vaults

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Meet your guide at Old Carrow House before stepping inside the former residence of the Colman family. Explore its historic rooms and hear stories of the family, their famous mustard-making legacy and their influence on Norwich. Then descend below ground into the vaults hidden beneath Carrow House. Sealed away for decades and rarely seen by the public, these atmospheric underground spaces reveal another layer of the building’s history.

   1.5 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 48 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Really interesting tour. Recommended

  Visited carrow house as part of heritage week. Excellent tour and the guide ( gary?) had a wealth of norwich re the Colmans and the house. This is a great tour with a few surprises. Recommended

  Departure66513748870September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Really fascinating tour

  A really interesting tour and Gary was brilliant.

  BabblingbatesSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Well worth it.

  I took my very unwilling 14 year old to The Carrow Road Tour. He thoroughly enjoyed it. The guide was enthusiastic and entertaining making it upbeat and fun. Well worth going. I’d definitely book for the other tours.

  602jessuSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5“Fascinating Stories, Brilliantly Told”.

  We thoroughly enjoyed the “Carrow House and The Forgotten Vaults” tour. It was not only very enjoyable, but also incredibly interesting and educational, with so many fascinating facts about the Colman family, their history, and the legacy of the famous Colman’s mustard. Our guide was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and, just as importantly, had a wonderful way of bringing all that knowledge to life and telling the story in a way that was engaging and easy to follow. You could really tell how passionate he was about the history, and it made the whole experience even more enjoyable. This was our second tour with Shoebox Enterprise, and we already have a third one lined up, which probably says everything! We’ve thoroughly enjoyed both tours we’ve done so far and would highly recommend them to anyone who would like to discover more about Norwich and its incredibly rich and fascinating history. A fantastic experience, and we’re already looking forward to the next one!

  527reginasAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Another amazing tour from Shoebox Tours

  We booked a private tour of Carrow House for guests who had attended my daughter’s wedding at the venue the previous day. We had done this tour previously and just knew that our guests would enjoy it as much. Max, the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and he told us so much about the Colman family and their mustard empire. What was particularly interesting was their enlightened treatment of their staff. I would highly recommend this tour.

  ClaireD2011August 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Carrow House and the Forgotten Vaults - part of Norwich's history

  The house itself isn't exceptional, but the excellent tour guide (Max) made the history of the place come alive (Colman's Mustard family) and we really felt that it was a fascinating and worthwhile visit. The admission fee was reasonable for an hour and a half tour and it was quite a small group so there was no problem hearing or seeing. When we went there was a small cafe running in the modern section of the building next door (giving work experience to people with learning difficulties) which was welcome as there is nothing else within a 10 minute walk. We walked there from Castle Meadow bus stop which took about 15 minutes, but they really need a bigger sign for Carrow House as only the modern building next to it is immediately visible from the entrance and we nearly walked straight past it!

  JudyH139August 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Norwich

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 36 experiences we list in Norwich.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 8 of 36.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Norwich

Norwich is a medieval cathedral city in Norfolk, with a Norman castle, cobbled lanes, a long-established market and the Norfolk Broads on its doorstep.

Norwich grew rich on the wool trade and in the Middle Ages was among the largest cities in England. The Norman cathedral, begun in 1096, has a spire rising above the city and a vast cloister, while the castle keep on its mound now houses a museum and art gallery. Elm Hill, a cobbled lane of Tudor houses, and Tombland, the old marketplace by the cathedral close, capture the older city.

See all 36 experiences in Norwich