Heritage

More than nine hundred years of maritime trading history are preserved in the historic core of King's Lynn. Fine houses, medieval churches and guildhalls and museums telling the town's proud story are there to be discovered.

The Lynn Museum has undergone a major 1.1 million redevelopment to offer an even better story of the town. Throughout 2006 people can enjoy a fascinating new exhibition called The Changing Face of Lynn, which looks at the town's history over the past 200 years.

The Town House Museum displays the domestic life of King's Lynn's merchants, traders and families from medieval times to the 1950s.

St George's Guildhall is the largest surviving English medieval guildhall, maintaining many rare and interesting features. It now houses the King's Lynn Arts Centre.

King's Lynn also has some stunning old buildings right on its doorstep.

Oxburgh Hall is a grand, 15th century manor house built in 1482 by the ancestors of the current residents, the Bedingfelds. The property is surrounded by a moat and a prominent Tudor gatehouse. There is a range of tapestries on display around the hall, featuring works from Mary Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick. You can also take a walk in the woodlands and gardens that surround the property and pay a visit to the nearby Catholic chapel.

Houghton Hall, built in the 18th century by Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister, is a grand restored hall set in 350 acres of fine parkland. The original walled garden has been recreated to feature a formal rose garden while the Model Soldier Museum is a unique collection of more than 20,000 model soldiers.

Perched on mighty earthworks, Castle Rising is a massive stone ringwork and bailey fortress, founded by William de Albini. The impressive Norman hall-keep and handsome forebuilding stand almost concealed within the formidable bank and ditch of the central enclosure.

Castle Acre Priory has long been a 'pit stop' for pilgrims over the centuries. Dating from 1090, the ruins span seven centuries and include a 15th century gatehouse, a 12th century church with an elaborate west front, a prior's lodging still fit to be lived in, and his private chapel.