Kings Lynn
Kings Lynn
Kings Lynn is situated in the west of the county, it is a town with a long and interesting history, as a trading port in the 14th century it was one the most important in England. originally called Bishops Lynn it changed to Kings Lynn when the king, Henry VIII seized it during the reformation. The inhabitants refer to the place simply as Lynn.
The town was a member of the Hanseatic League and prospered shipping wool and grain to Europe you can still see two former warehouses of the Hanseatic League: Hanse House built in 1475 and Marriott's Warehouse, in use between the 15th and 17th centuries. They are the only remaining buildings of the Hanseatic League in England.
The town has many fine buildings from mediaeval times to the Georgian period, the Trinity Guildhall which was rebuilt in 1421 after a fire. It is debated whether the Guildhall of St George is the largest and oldest in England. This lovely flint chequered building is flanked by the 19th century town hall itself a tastefully designed building .
Town walls and gatehouses were erected to protect the town; these include the South Gate and East Gate. Lynn’s most iconic building is the lovely square customs house built in 1683 by the architect Henry bell who was the mayor of Lynn in that year. In the early 18th century, Daniel Defoe called King's Lynn beautiful, well built and well situated.
Nearby to this is the statue to Lynn’s famous son the explorer George Vancouver, In Canada, Vancouver Island and the city Vancouver are named after him, as are Vancouver, Washington in the United States. Vancouver was the son of the deputy customs officer.
Visitors to Lynn will be pleased to learn that there are two markets the Tuesday market founded in the 12th century is held in the Georgian square near St Margaret’s church and the Saturday market is held at the southern end of the high street near St Nicholaus.
Nearby attractions, include Holkham hall, which is a fine Palladium mansion built by Coke of Norfolk it is set in large grounds complete with lake and deer.
Activities in Kings Lynn
Visit abcbritain's profile on Pinterest.