Guided Walks of Historic King’s Lynn

King’s Lynn has over 400 Listed Buildings Grades I, II* & II, with the finest medieval architecture anywhere in the country for a town of its size.

King’s Lynn’s unique 12th Century development and prosperous Hanseatic trading links created one of the wealthiest towns in medieval England. Today, its architectural legacy includes two Market Places (one of which is the largest in England), two Guildhalls (one of which is the largest in England) and 2 Churches (one of which is the largest chapel in England). 

King’s Lynn Town Guides conduct regular guided walks every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from May to October and at other times throughout the year by appointment. The full range of walks can be found on this website. 

Each year we show over 1,000 locals and visitors around our wonderful town and introduce them to its unique heritage. It all started with a small band of enthusiastic people who formed the first Town Guides back in 1977.

All the guides are volunteers who have given up their time to train to be awarded their badge. All the money that is collected from the walks is given away to local charities and organisations that further the conservation and promotion of the town.

King's Lynn Town Guide

Our Walks

Regular walks take place from May to October every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, mostly starting at 2pm outside Stories of Lynn in Saturday Market Place and finishing in Tuesday Market Place. For the first Saturday of each month, walks begin at 11am. All walks last approximately 2 hours at a gentle strolling pace.

Throughout June and July the Guides hold a series of Monday evening walks that take on more specialist themes. These walks are particularly popular with local people, many of whom come to several of the walks, making a regular outing for a Monday evening through the summer whilst discovering different aspects of the town’s history.

July in King's Lynn marks the start of Festival Month and the King’s Lynn Town Guides take a number of specialist Festival Walks. New for this year is a special Festival Too Fundraising Family Walk on Sunday 8th July.

In addition, there are several free walks that are offered at various times of the year, including Hanse Weekend and Heritage Open Day.

DOWNLOAD FULL 2018 WALK SCHEDULE

Regular Walks

Monday Eve Walks

Festival Walks

  • Historic Lynn
  • Maritime Trail
  • Custom House to St Nics’
  • Hanse Walks
  • Darker Side of Lynn
  • Supper Walks

Historic Lynn

Beginning at the Saturday Market Place and ending at the Tuesday Market Place, this walk shows the development of the Town, its power and wealth, from 1100 to the present day and takes in familiar and less familiar buildings. Meet outside Stories of Lynn. See the map.

May — October

Tue, Fri & Sat

Stories of Lynn

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Maritime Trail

King’s Lynn has a rich maritime heritage some of which is exhibited in True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum, The Custom House, Lynn Museum and Marriott’s Warehouse but this walk provides an opportunity to follow a route through the town and see many of the buildings and locations associated with this heritage. 

May - Oct

Tue, Fri & Sat

True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum.

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Custom House to St Nics’

Explore Bishop Turbus’ ‘new’ town, the second medieval town, started in 1180 but much altered and the buildings refaced over the years. The walk takes in King Street, St George’s Guildhall, Tuesday Market Place, True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum and St Nicholas’ Chapel.

May - October

Tue, Fri & Sat

The Custom House

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Hanse Walks

This walk explores King’s Lynn’s long and illustrious maritime tradition. You will have insight to the old and new Hanseatic leagues whilst also discovering the fascinating history of key Hanseatic sites, one of which will be the only surviving Hanseatic warehouse in England.

May

On request

The Custom House

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Darker Side of Lynn

This is not a ghost walk but from St Nicholas’ Chapel to the Minster Church of St Margaret this walk explores the ‘darker side of Lynn’. You will visit sites reflecting the grimmer aspects of Lynn’s history, including the ducking stool and the pillory. As you move through the centuries from the 14th to the 19th, you will hear tales of murder, treason, hangings and witchcraft.

May - October

Tue, Fri & Sat

St Nicholas’ Chapel

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Supper Walks

The supper walks start and finish at each restaurant and last for around an hour followed by a two course meal. Each walk will take in a different set of historic features that are close by and will also take in the history of the restaurants themselves. Bookings should be made directly with each named restaurant.

On Request

On Request

Various

Check with Restaurant ADULTS / N/A CONCESSIONS / N/A UNDER 16’S
  • Old Lynn New Pubs
  • South Lynn
  • Gaywood Walk
  • Riverside Streets & People in Victorian Lynn
  • Fisherfolk, Merchants and Smugglers Too
  • Victorian Lynn

Old Lynn New Pubs

A walk through King’s Lynn’s ‘old town’ discovering how historic sites have been brought back into new use, including visits to three new pubs that have been recently created in some of the most important locations.

On Request

Monday 4th June

Stories of Lynn 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

South Lynn

This delightful walk along the banks of the River Nar traces Lynn’s medieval boat building and whaling sites and ends with a tour of All Saints Church. On the way we discover the secluded and unspoilt Georgian streets of their former maritime quarter.

June

Monday 11 June

Boal Quay Car Park 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Gaywood Walk

Gaywood’s history is older than Lynn’s. This walk will explore the development of Gaywood from Bishop’s residence, to rural village and Bagge family estate, to the busy suburb of King’s Lynn that we know today.

July

Monday 9th July

At the old gate to King Edward VII Academy. 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Riverside Streets & People in Victorian Lynn

Lynn’s riverside streets of historic buildings are rarely visited to discover their Victorian Past (1837-1901), but they were teeming with people as in earlier centuries. Merchant houses, taverns, overcrowded yards and waterside warehouses in these years all merit attention. Who was where? This guided walk from the Saturday Market Place to the Tuesday Market Place via Queen and King Streets looks at the social character of the “Old Town” during Queen Victoria’s reign.

July

Monday 16th July

Stories of Lynn. 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Fisherfolk, Merchants and Smugglers Too

A tour of the North End looking at the trade, buildings and lives of some of the people who lived there. This walk starts at True’s Yard and finishes at the Tuesday Market Place

July

Monday 23rd July

True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum. 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Victorian Lynn

Victorian Lynn tells the fascinating story of the fortunes of the town in the nineteenth century. London Road with its public buildings was developed from the 1820s and the railway station influenced the construction of the adjacent streets. The walk takes in the Victorian buildings in the older part of the town, with the Corn Exchange and Swimming Bath particularly noteworthy.

July

Monday 30th July

Stories of Lynn 7pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S
  • Darker Side of Lynn
  • Religious Lynn
  • Celebrating 60 years of the Preservation Trust
  • The River Walk

Darker Side of Lynn

This is not a ghost walk but from St Nicholas’ Chapel to the Minster Church of St Margaret this walk explores the ‘darker side of Lynn’. You will visit sites reflecting the grimmer aspects of Lynn’s history, including the ducking stool and the pillory. As you move through the centuries from the 14th to the 19th, you will hear tales of murder, treason, hangings and witchcraft.

July

Wednesday 18 July

St Nicholas' Chapel 2pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £4 UNDER 16’S

Religious Lynn

This walk explores The Minster Church of King’s Lynn (C12th) and, following the merchant streets, arrives at All Saints Church (C11th) stopping on the way to visit The Greenland Fishery (C17th).

July

Thursday 19 July

Stories of Lynn 2pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

Celebrating 60 years of the Preservation Trust

Since its foundation in 1958, the KLPT has rescued and restored many of the town’s best loved buildings. This walk will include some of the most well-known: Hampton Court, Thoresby College, The Greenland Fishery, Clifton House and more. You will hear about the history of each building, how it was saved, and get a glimpse behind the scenes. 

July

Wednesday 25 July

All Saints Church 2pm

£5 ADULTS / £4 CONCESSIONS / £1 UNDER 16’S

The River Walk

This walk explores both banks of the river and includes discovering Harding’s Pit, crossing the river at the South Lynn Bridge and experiencing the view of King’s Lynn from the West Bank. A Ferry crossing ends the walk in Ferry Lane/King Street. PLEASE NOTE: The walk will take 2 - 2½ hours and involves walking along footpaths which are not concreted and a ferry crossing. Walking shoes are recommended.

July

Thursday 26 July

The Custom House 2pm

£5 plus ferry fare ADULTS / £4 plus ferry fare CONCESSIONS / £1 plus ferry fare UNDER 16’S
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King's Lynn Job Centre Private Walks

Private Walks

The Guides are more than happy to take privately arranged group walks. These can be tailored to suit any theme or length and are available all year round. 

If you can’t make one of our scheduled walks and would like to get a group of people together, then a private tour may be an ideal way to show off the town for corporate or family events. 

Many local companies use a private tour as part of a team-building event or just as a staff night out, taking in a Historic Walk in the early evening followed by dinner in an old-town restaurant.

We only need a minimum of 6 people to arrange a private group and tours can be arranged any day of the week with reasonable notice. 

Please get in touch with us to discuss your ideas and requirements. 

The Guides

All the guides are volunteers who have given up their time to train to be awarded their badge. They come from a diverse range of backgrounds, but are united by a common fondness for King’s Lynn and an enthusiasm that they wish to share with others to raise the profile of the town amongst the wider population.

The King's Lynn Town Guides
THE KING'S LYNN TOWN GUIDES

Money Raised

One of the important benefits of the Town Guides’ work is the money that is raised that goes towards good causes in King's Lynn.

All the money that is collected for our walks is used to further the conservation and promotion of the town. Since 1998 we have guided over 50,000 visitors on walks around King’s Lynn and donated over £65,000 to worthy causes.

This is recognised in a ceremony that takes place each year in the Town Hall and has become a regular feature in the King’s Lynn calendar as each year the Guides donate the proceeds from their Town Walks to local heritage organisations.

The latest Annual Donations Ceremony took place at King’s Lynn Town Hall on Wednesday 21st February 2018, in the presence of the Borough Mayor, Cllr Carol Bower.

Last year was the most successful year for visitor numbers for over 15 years, with attendances up by over 20% against the previous year. This was our 40th Anniversary and we have had record numbers – over 2,000 people joined one of our walks. This means that we were able to increase the amount of money donated and to increase the number of organisations we can support. The Guides gave away £6,000 this year, an increase of 50% on the previous year, to 8 local organizations.

  • Hampton Court
  • Worfolk Boat Trust
  • True’s Yard
  • Marriott’s Warehouse Trust
  • King’s Lynn Preservation Trust
  • Lynn Minster
  • All Saints Church
  • Friends of St Nicholas’ Chapel

£65,000 Donated to Worthy Causes

Contact & Book

Tickets for all walks can be purchased in advance from the Tourist Information Centre in The Custom House (01553 763044) or simply turn up and pay the guide at the start of the walk. Prices are £5 for Adults, £4 for concessions and £1 for under 16s.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & QUERIES

guides@kingslynntownguides.co.uk

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