Twenty Stories. One City. The City of Stories.
Margaret Fountaine (1862 – 1940)
Margaret Fountaine began writing her diary at the age of 16. 62 years later she was still writing. Following her death, she bequeathed a trunk to Norwich Castle under instruction that it couldn’t be opened until 15 April 1978 exactly a century after her first diary entry. Margaret was a lepidopterist. And Norwich Castle today is where you will find her collection of 22,000 butterflies as well as her leather-bound diaries and sketch books. Over 50 years and 60 different countries, Margaret bred caterpillars and documented species and lifecycles- and all during a time when lepidopterists were predominately male.
Did you know Margaret travelled more widely than any other lepidopterist at that time? She visited Europe, the Middle and Near East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Fiji, Burma, South America, India and Ceylon.
Step Into The Story
- See some of the Fountaine-Neimy collectionin the Natural History Galleries at Norwich Castle Museum & At Gallery.
- The Bug Parcin Lenwade (11 miles from Norwich, Wednesday – Sunday and bank holidays, adults from £13.95, children from £11.95) has an amazing tropical Butterfly House (and other tropical houses, including bug handling). The large butterfly dome spans 2,700sq ft, a Koi pond and goldfish pond.
- Pensthorpe nature reserve (23 miles from Norwich, Monday – Sunday, from £10.95) offers 700 acres of natural grounds with gardens, play areas, and stunning wildlife- a great place to look for butterflies.
Marking twenty years of championing the city, VisitNorwich presents an ambitious year-long cultural celebration: Twenty Stories. One City. The City of Stories. Written by local guest authors our stories range from medieval rebels and mystics to pioneering reformers, artists, entrepreneurs and unsung heroes, these are the people who shaped Norwich – and whose legacy can still be discovered across the city today. Read the stories so far.
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