Record Details
| NHER Number: | 12916 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | Shakespeare House, 29 and 29c King Street |
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Summary
A late 15th century timber and brick hall house with later alterations. Floors were inserted into the open hall in the 17th century and the house was refronted in the 18th century. The house has an ovolo mullioned hall window, and was formerly in use as a pub. The house is now an office.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 6163 2023 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF62SW |
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| Parish: | KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
November 1977. Site visit.
Odd little house, with Georgian façade of two bays and two storeys leaving large areas of blank brickwork; central archway resembling a door. Large beams exposed in roof of passage. (S1) claims a medieval core, and a hammerbeam roof.
E. Rose (NAU), 2 November 1977.
(S1) dates the above-described façade as 19th century but states the single set back 18th century bay to the south also belongs. Dates original house to 15th century but notes a six-light ovolo moulded mullioned and transomed window to the hall - can this be that early? Ground floor noted as having bridging beam with mortises for arched braces in front range, and remains of crownpost roof, but roof of hall range was not seen. The building was Listed Grade II in 1951.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 March 1999.
In the 19th century this was the Shakspeare (sic) Inn. The Victorians preferred to spell Shakespeare as Shakspeare.
Information from (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 20 November 2006.
(S3) notes that the survey of Chequer Street (latterly King Street) was ordered by the Paving Commissioners in August 1803. However, by March 1806 the list of work yet to be done included alterations to the Shakespeare public house, owned by Thomas Allen, at a cost of £73 12s. This timber-framed building was subsequently refronted.
(S4) indicates that this was The Sun public house in 1736, and The Shakespeare's Head by 1777. It was referred for closure by compensation in 1914 and the licence was extinct by 1915. The property was put up for sale in 1920 and the particulars describe it as very extensive, having a frontage to King Street of about 31 feet (9.5m) and a depth of about 168 feet (51m) and containing a large front room, kitchen, cellar, wash house, coal house and range of buildings on north side of yard, together with a small front office, six good bedrooms and WC on first floor, two attics over, range of wood and corrugated iron and tiled buildings in large yard to rear, stabling for five horses, store houses, etc.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 28 November 2018.
Monument Types
- HALL HOUSE (14th Century to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1539 AD)
- HOUSE (14th Century to 21st Century - 1400 AD to 2100 AD?)
- PUBLIC HOUSE (18th Century to World War One - 1736 AD? to 1915 AD)
- OFFICE (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)
- STABLE (Early 20th Century - 1920 AD? to 1920 AD?)
- STOREHOUSE (Early 20th Century - 1920 AD? to 1920 AD?)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 505. |
| --- | Website: Norfolk Pubs. Norfolk Public Houses: Shakespeare, King's Lynn. http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/kingslynn/skingslynn/klshk.htm. 28 November 2018. |
| <S1> | Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. |
| <S2> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1883. 1883 first edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey map. |
| <S3> | Monograph: Higgins, D.. 2008. The Remaking of King's Lynn: Brown Brick and Rounded Corners. p 36. |
Related records - none
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