Norwich, England
St James Mill
A Grade I-listed 1839 yarn mill proposed for conversion into an 88-bed hotel — Norwich's first — still awaiting planning approval.
Announced · NC
St James Mill, a Grade I-listed former yarn mill on the River Wensum, has been proposed for conversion into Norwich's first hotel: 88 bedrooms plus a restaurant, café, bar, spa and gym. The application was submitted to Norwich City Council in December 2024 and remained undecided as of this writing, with no operator or opening date confirmed.
The essentials
- Group
- NC
- Opening
- NC
- Rooms & suites
- 88 rooms
- Segment
- Boutique
- Designer
- NC
- Entry rate
- NC
The place
St James Mill sits on the north bank of the River Wensum in Norwich, inside the Grade I-listed building that has housed department-store group Jarrold's offices since 1903.
The concept
Built in 1839 as a yarn mill, the six-storey St James Mill was bought by the Jarrold family in 1903 and later became Jarrold Printing, employing up to 2,000 people at its peak between the 1930s and 1990s. Jarrold Group announced plans in September 2024 to convert the building into an 88-bed hotel, with bedrooms proposed across the first to fifth floors, a restaurant, café and bar on the ground floor, and a 20th-century extension demolished and replaced by a new two-storey cafe extension. The planning application was submitted to Norwich City Council in December 2024. As of August 2025, the developer said it remained optimistic about approval "by autumn," but no decision, operator or opening date has been confirmed since.
Dining & wellness
The proposal includes a restaurant, café and bar on the ground floor, plus a spa and gym — none of it built or confirmed, pending planning approval.