Description

KING'S LYNN

TF6120SE KING STREET 610-1/7/104 (West side) 01/12/51 Guildhall of St George (Formerly Listed as: KING STREET St.George's Hall)

GV I

Guildhall for the Guild of St George, now a theatre and restaurant. Founded 1376, granted charter 1406, constructed 1410-1420. Various theatre and warehouse functions from mid C16, restored 1948-51 by Marshall Sisson and passed to The National Trust. Brick with ashlar dressings and plaintile roof. Rectangular range running west with the gable-end to the road. 2 storeys. Facade has one 4-centred doorway right and left with hood moulds on label stops, the arches and jambs double-chamfered with a hollow separating the chamfers. The doors are 1949. Between them is a blocked doorway now used a a display case. Above is a 6-light double-transomed panel tracery window with arches to the upper transom lights and the window head, all much restored. Gabled roof. Facade closed to either side by polygonal corner turrets stepping up to the eaves, now encased by adjoining buildings, that to the south virtually disappeared. North and south flanking walls supported on stepped buttresses, those to the north repaired in C18 and C19, those to the south repaired C20. Pedestrian arches cut through both sets, the northern ones allowed a town drain to flow alongside the hall. On the north side the 2-light mullioned brick windows lighting the warehouse undercroft remain, one between each buttresss, but to the south they have been largely obliterated by later alterations and new building. Four 3-light transomed windows to north side at first floor level, one between each buttress, with arched lights: these light the great hall. The eastern bay is lit through a 3-light mullioned window, c1950. The south side retains 2 similar transomed windows and has various C20 fire escape doors, stairs and other impedimenta. The western gable head has additions of 1948 at first floor level, and earlier buildings abut the ground floor. INTERIOR. Internal disposition comprises a passageway to the south running the whole length of the building, entered from the corresponding doorway in the facade. The other doorway opens into the C20 foyer and leads to a flight of steps on the north side descending into the undercroft, now a restaurant. Against the east wall of the foyer is a C20 staircase in C17 style rising to the great hall itself. The south passage has various doorways cut through the brick wall to the north side serving the undercroft and rehearsal rooms to the west end, all of post C16 date. On its south side are C20 toilet facilities which have blocked mullioned windows formerly lighting the passage. The original function of the passage was to provide accesss to the rear and the river. Heavy bridging beams support very wide floorboards, some of the beams shaved to increase headroom. The foyer has C20 detailing except for a wave-moulded bridging beam running north-south and 2 chamfered bridging beams running east-west, set higher up. The undercroft originally had a flat timber ceiling supported on heavy bridging beams, part of which exists to the east end. This replaced in early C18 with a brick elliptical vault. The guildhall on the first floor is now ramped up at the east end and fitted with seating. Multiple-roll moulded wall plates supporting ashlaring and a scissor-braced roof of 61 trusses. The external buttresses removed the need for tie-beams and King-posts. This is said to be the largest complete medieval guildhall in England. Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Listing NGR: TF6161820224

External Links

• King's Lynn Arts Centre at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17536541

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)