Norwich's Lucky Nipple.

Alright?

I wasn’t planning on including any smut until newsletter #10, but sometimes, an oddity crosses your desk that just needs to be shared. Today, that oddity is Norwich’s lucky nipple.

Before that, a hearty welcome to the 407 of you who’ve joined us since last week. That’s 407 more Norwich folk trying to figure out whether to wear a big coat, jacket or t-shirt in the beautiful (but deceptively chilly) weather we’re having. If you manage to figure it out, please reply and let me know.

Right then, let’s get started. This nipple isn’t going to rub itself.

Where is Norwich’s lucky nipple?

If you’ve ever walked down Bridewell Alley, you’ve almost certainly walked past Norwich’s lucky nipple.

Between the main alley (where Bread Source is) and St Andrews Hill (where you’ll find Cinema City) is a small pathway lined by one of the most impressive walls in the country (Note: there isn’t an official ranking of ‘impressive walls’ in the UK, so you’ll just have to trust that I’ve seen them all, and yes, this particular wall is indeed one of the finest).

It looks like this:

Hidden amongst the lumps and bumps of this flinty tapestry is Norwich’s lucky nipple.

Searching for it is like an incredibly boring version of Where’s Wally, so if you don’t fancy a game of ‘Find the nip’, here’s a sophisticated map I created that shows you where it is:

And here’s what it looks like up close:

A brief word on flint knapping

You might’ve noticed that flint is a big deal in Norwich. Flint knapping - the process of shaping flint - became a bit of an art form, and huge walls like this made for the perfect canvas. The aim was simple: shape these flakey stones into perfect squares, such that you won’t need to see any visible mortar when you build with them.

If you want to see the creme de la creme of flint knapping in Norwich (and who wouldn’t?), the Guildhall is probably the best example.

But the Bridewell’s wall, home of the lucky nipple, is still one of the most famous examples in the country.

How was this nipple formed?

There’s some science involved here, so I asked ChatGPT to explain it to me like I’m a 10-year-old. Here’s what it said:

Imagine a lump of flint forming underground, surrounded by chalk. When flint forms, there are tiny spots or bumps made from minerals that are a bit tougher or formed slightly differently from the rest.

Later, when water moves through the ground, it slowly dissolves and wears away some of the softer parts of the rock. But the tougher bits don't dissolve as easily, so they're left sticking out like little bumps or nipples. These are the nipple-like nodules you see on flint.

What happens when you rub the lucky nipple?

All your dreams come true. Obviously.

The real answer will depend on whether you put any stock into these superstitions. It was said that pupils at the Norwich School (which has been around for around 930 years, btw) started rubbing it to ensure their future success. Given that its alumni includes one of the greatest naval commanders in history, perhaps they were onto something.

Thanks for reading! It’d be great to get your feedback on these newsletters, so please take a moment to respond to the poll:

See you next Sunday,

Secret Norwich.