by Janis / 0 comments
Strolling the Historic Centre
We visited King's Lynn one sunny morning.
A town with quite a significant amount of maritime history.
King's Lynn is one of the few Hanseatic towns in the UK, during the 14th century The Hanse defensive alliance was set up in Europe, this league included significant seaports & market towns.
During this era, King's Lynn in the East of England was one of our most important ports for sea trade.
Many historical buildings from this period remain today along the cobbled streets and on the banks of the River Great Ouse, Custom houses, Guildhalls, warehouses & a large communal market square.
Why not Pin it for later?
The statue to Captain George Vancouver
Where is King's Lynn?
How to get to King's Lynn?
- By Car It's 105 miles/171kms from Central London although there is no direct mortorway route so it's a mix of roads to the town.
- By Train It's around 1hr 40mins from London's King's Cross station
The Custom House, Kings Lynn
Doubles as the tourist officeOn locating the 17th-century Customs House in Purfleet Quay, we also found that this is now the local tourist office, so armed with a map we set off to discover the historical centre of King's Lynn.
Purfleet Quay & The Customs House
Custom House was King's Lynn’s first classical building and originally used as a merchant’s exchange. The House was built in this prime location to witness the comings and goings in this once busy port.
The River Great Ouse
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Kings Lynn Quay
And the historic King's Staithe SquareStrolling around this pleasant Quay, you’ll wander into King’s Staithe Square, still used through the 18th century for trading in corn & wine.
King's Staithe Square
St George's Guildhall
Heading along King’s Street is England’s largest surviving 15th-century Guildhall, the medieval St George’s Guildhall, now a theatre.
Next stop Tuesday Market Place
Where wealthy merchants once tradedWalking into Tuesday Market Place was quite a surprise, considering the size of King's Lynn this is rather a grand square and quite a quirky name.
Tuesday Market Place
Within the same square is the Corn Exchange, an elegant building with a classical façade, built in 1854 and where merchants and farmers traded their wares.
The Corn Exchange
On the opposite side of Tuesday Market Place, is The Duke's Head, this striking Inn was built as a coaching house in 1685 and was used by many local traders for business including ship auctions.
Tourist Information
If you're tempted by the beautiful English county of Norfolk and its incredible far reaching coastline take a look at the 'Visit Norfolk' official website.
The Duke's Head
In contrast, The Maid's Head just next door was frequented by a slightly lesser clientele of local smugglers.
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Booking.com
The Maid's Head
It all builds up quite an image as to how this bustling town was in its heydey.
Escape for a few days
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Exploring the North End of Kings Lynn
Tales from the local fishermenTrue's Yard is a museum dedicated to the fisher folk who worked in the old fishing quarter at ‘The North End’ and was opened by HRH Prince of Wales in 1993.
True's Yard Museum
St Nicholas Chapel
Continue along St Ann’s Street is St Nicholas Chapel, the name given as St Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors and merchants.
Opposite the chapel is another wonderful example of a merchant’s house ‘The Tudor Rose’ which was built around 1500.
The Tudor Rose
All of these buildings give so much character to King's Lynn.
A little more of Norfolk
Our few days in Norfolk gave us some wonderful memories, Why not check out our posts on the places we visited with tips & inspiration to get the most out of your visit?
Discovering Queen Street and Saturday Market Place
Home of the striking GuildhallTurning right from Custom House you follow along Queen Street, once again the cobbled lanes full of charm and some wonderful historic architecture.
Queen Street
Heading towards Saturday Market Place, the chequerboard style building on your left is King's Lynn Town Hall & Trinity Guildhall. Through the 19th-century the merchants would have used the Guildhall as a base to stamp their authority across the town.
The Town Hall and Trinity Guildhall
St Margaret’s Minster
Honoured by the BishopDominating the view opposite is the wonderful St Margaret’s, Minster. Originally built around 1100, the Priory Church has grown over the years, and in 2011 the Bishop of Norwich designated St Margaret’s as a Minster Church.
St Margaret's Minster
A Norfolk Road Trip
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Discover Kings Lynn Hanseatic warehouses
Stroll the cobblestones of Nelson StreetAll around the surrounding area of Nelson Street are merchants houses and the Hanseatic warehouses dating from 1475.
Constructed around a narrow court, the large warehouses were owned by Hanseatic League merchants until around 1751.
The Hanseatic warehouses
Hampton Court
Nearby Hampton Court was another prominent merchant warehouse which was built in the 14th century and had additional wings added during the 15th & 17th centuries.
Why not visit?
King's Lynn is a bustling town and an ideal base if you also want to visit Sandringham Estate, just 8 miles (13km) away.
Would you like a little more?
We have created a little YouTube video of King's Lynn. Why not take a look?
Also, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel and get the latest clips as we post them?
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