King’s Lynn – Norfolk From The Middle Ages Till Today

Norfolk is the beautiful county which is home to King’s Lynn, once named Bishops Lynn until Henry VIII renamed it for himself. Lynn is a word from medieval English, and it is used to describe a tidal pool, which is the Oust at Kings Lynn, so this is actually both a port and a market town.

As is often the case with historic British towns, Kings Lynn grew around a Benedictine Abbey which was established there in 1095. The area was owned by Bishop De Losinga and it is he who bestowed market rights on the town. An annual fair plus weekly markets were allowed and these still run today. The annual fair starts on Valentines Day and runs for two weeks.

In the 12th Century Bishop Turbus a church was erected in the honor of the patron saint of sailors, St. Nicholas, and Kings Lynngrew to become a large and very important town with a population of around 5 500 residents. Salt, wool and grain were exported from this port, while timber, pitch iron and fish came in from Scandinavia by sea and this may have proved its downfall.

Plague was sweeping Europe and came into England because of trading routes, many outbreaks of these decimated populations of British people, with the first outbreak in 1348 killing half the residents of Kings Lynn. Fire was also a problem, but Thatched roofs were banned way back in 1572 and the last outbreak of the Black Death was recorded in 1665.

Trades people and religious order built guildhalls in the town and the St. Georges was one of the first built in 1406. This was made into a theatre in the 20th century, and in the 13th century the first stone wall was built to protect the town.

Being a magnet for pilgrims and religious orders the then Bishops Lynn, got Thoresby College in 1500, this was completed in 1510. However by 1537 King Henry VIII was on the rampage regarding the Catholic religion and he took over the town, renamed it Kings Lynn, closing down a swathe of friaries, Priories and Abbeys, and the rest as they say is history.

One of the most significant landmarks of this town is the Greyfriars Tower. This is a piece of the religious history of Kings Lynn. It is remarkable in that wear and subsidence have made the tower lean.

This tower is the only part left surviving of a medieval Franciscan priory, and is also known as the Leaning Tower. It was decaying at a very rapid rate due to weather and subsidence, but has been restored and stabilized. It also features in the BBC’s series of important restorations.

Look for hotels in King’s Lynn.