Description

KING'S LYNN

TF6119NE SATURDAY MARKET PLACE
610-1/9/197 (South side)
01/12/51 Church of St Margaret

GV I

Benedictine Priory founded 1095, now a parish church. Rebuilt
during C13, altered continuously since. Exterior mostly C15.
Central lantern and south-west spire collapsed 1741.
Substantial internal rebuilding 1745-46 by Matthew
Brettingham. Restored 1875 by Scott.
Limestone. Lead roofs.
Twin west towers, nave, aisles, transepts with crossing tower,
aisled chancel. West front with central arched door under
crenellated surround. Above is a Perpendicular 7-light window.
3-stage south-west tower complete to ringing chamber by c1260:
bundled buttresses, Norman interlace to lower stages gives way
to trefoiled C13 arcading, then to 2-light ringing chamber
windows, terminating in bar tracery of the C14 belfry stage.
Crenellated parapet with pinnacles. North-west tower also
Norman in lower courses but rebuilt 1453: indeterminate stage
divisions, clasping buttresses, small 3-light Perpendicular
windows. Crenellated parapet.
Remains of an outer north aisle abut, lit through a 5-light
west window. 5-bay nave aisles and clerestory added 1472-83,
the north aisle by Roger Cony. 3-light Perpendicular windows
under basket arches. Short projecting transepts with hints of
Norman work. Large Perpendicular principal windows.
Squat crossing tower which carried a timber lantern until
storm of 1741. 3-bay north chancel aisle 1394, 5-bay south
aisle 1433. Three-light windows and basket arches again.
10-bay chancel clerestory with similar fenestration. Chancel
east end has polygonal tower buttresses gripping the corners.
Rose east window of 1875.
INTERIOR. 6-bay nave arcade. West bay is round-arched on
compound piers with scalloped, stiff-leaf and water-leaf
capitals and undercut arch mouldings. South-west tower with
bundled piers. North-west tower with Perpendicular piers and
details. Remainder of arcade of quatrefoil piers standing on
Norman bases. Roof is 1745: tie beams on arched braces.
Stiff-leaf capitals to crossing arch piers. Chancel clerestory
has wall passage and remains of Early English arcading.
C14 screens between chancel and its aisles, C16 screen in
north transept. Mid C18 pulpit. Organ case by Sneltzer, 1754.
The 2 largest brasses in England. One to Adam Walsoken and
wife of 1349, both in civil dress. No space undecorated; post
windmill depicted in lower left predella scene. Flemish. Other
to Robert Braunche and 2 wives. 1364. Civil dress. Similar
decorative frenzy and also Flemish.

Listing NGR: TF6177219806

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• King's Lynn Minster at Wikipedia
• King's Lynn Minster official website
• Wikidata Q6410996

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)