Today, Norwich Road is home to Indian restaurants, Turkish eateries and businesses from around the world, but in years gone by it had a completely different character.

Ipswich Star: The Hare and Hounds at the junction with Orford Street closed in 2011The Hare and Hounds at the junction with Orford Street closed in 2011 (Image: Dave Kindred)

The stretch of road between Barrack corner and the junction with Bramford Road has a very international flavour but the building line has changed very little since the Victorian and Edwardian period, writes David Kindred.

Traffic has, however, increased dramatically since the days when horse-drawn traffic and electric trams were a familiar sight.

There were public houses, including one at the junction of St Matthew’s Street, all within just a few hundred yards and now all closed.

Our first photo, above, shows Norwich Road, taken from Barrack Corner in December 1965. Shops on the right included Dansie’s grocers, Vogue hairdressers, George Moore drapers, Ipswich Co-op grocers, butchers and greengrocers, Evelyn chemists and pharmacist, Percy Brewster house furnisher, W Thompson confectioner, R Frazer china dealer and William Coe men’s outfitters.

Ipswich Star: Norwich Road looking towards the junction with Bramford Road on a busy day around 1912.Norwich Road looking towards the junction with Bramford Road on a busy day around 1912. (Image: Dave Kindred)

The next photo shows the Hare and Hounds at the junction with Orford Street closed in 2011. This photograph was taken soon before closure. It is now a bridal wear shop.

Another shows Norwich Road looking towards the junction with Bramford Road on a busy day around 1912.

The Rose and Crown, stood at the junction of Bramford Road and Norwich Road, can be seen in the next photo. The pub, which was a coaching inn dating back to at least 1618, closed in 2011 and is now a Kurdish community centre.

A photo from 1910 shows Norwich Road from near Granville Street. The sign high on the building, on the right, is for the Waveney Arms, a beerhouse, which closed in 1911.

Ipswich Star: The Rose and Crown stood at the junction of Bramford RoadThe Rose and Crown stood at the junction of Bramford Road (Image: Dave Kindred)

The imposing building in Norwich Road, shown in the next photo is now the Maharani Indian restaurant.

When this photograph was taken around 1910 it was W Rush, selling fish game and poultry. Rush’s also imported ice in a time when few had refrigerators.

In the 1960s this was the premises of Barker’s fish merchants.

The Half Moon and Star was at the junction of St Matthew’s Street, Barrack Lane and Norwich Road, Ipswich, and closed in 1988. It has been converted to residential use.

Ipswich Star: Norwich Road from near Granville Street (right) around 1910Norwich Road from near Granville Street (right) around 1910 (Image: Dave Kindred)

If these photos bring back memories for you, email David Kindred and share them with our readers

Ipswich Star: This imposing building in Norwich Road, Ipswich, is now the Maharani Indian restaurantThis imposing building in Norwich Road, Ipswich, is now the Maharani Indian restaurant (Image: Dave Kindred)

Ipswich Star: The Half Moon and StarThe Half Moon and Star (Image: Dave Kindred)