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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	5482
Type of record:	Building
Name:	Greenland Fishery House

Summary

A timber framed and brick house that was built in 1605 for the merchant John Aitken, and is thought to have been the last timber framed house to be built in Lynn. The house has a single range to the street, with a jettied first floor and many exposed timbers with brick infill. The present door was once an open passage leading to two cross ranges at the rear of the building. Inside the first floor was originally a large open hall running the full length of the building, and some early 17th century wall paintings survive on the south wall. The house was restored by the historian E.M. Beloe in the early 20th century and housed the town museum until the house was damaged by a bomb in World War Two. After the war it was restored and became a house and offices.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TF 6188 1961
Map Sheet:	TF61NW
Parish:	KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1605 by T. Atkin, Mayor. Restored by E.M. Beloe early 20th century (1912).
See (S1), (S2) and (S3).
E. Rose (NAU).

Has frescoes imitating panelling, and gothic lettering.
Lynn steelyard of 1690 at rear removed from Blue Lion, Norfolk Street.
E. Rose (NAU).

Copy of schedule (S4) in file.
Descheduled 1993.

For wallpaintings and details of World War Two damage, see (S5). This desribes the wall paintings which were found in a large room on the first floor. They were cleaned and preserved in 1952 by the author of (S4). These appear to date from the period 1605-1612.
E. Rose (NAU, amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 11 February 2020.

Copies of references in file, also several other articles and drawings, plans etc. and historical outlines.
Main recent reference is (S6).

1951. Listed Grade II*.
Listed building description states that this is the last dated timber framed building to be erected in Lynn. The NHER marking includes Nos 30 and 31 Bridge Street which are separately listed Grade II. The listing states that though of 16th century origin these have little original work left.
See (S7) for further information.
E. Rose (NLA), 16 February 1999.

According to (S7) this building was a public house by 1736, and was known as The Waterman's Arms between 1736 and 1745. It appears as The Greenland Fishery public house by 1761, serving those working in the whaling industry, and was still known by that name in 1899. According to (S8) in 1898 it was reported as being unfit for human habitation, and in 1911 the Borough Surveyor served a notice to demolish or restore the building. (S8) describes the period of its renovation by Beloe in more detail. Beloe's property apparently included a cottage on the corner and a bakehouse to the rear. The museum collection was apparently housed on the first floor, with the ground floor home to a baker's shop. When Beloe died, his widow left the building and its contents to the Norfolk Archaeological Trust and the Borough, who ran it as a museum. In June 1941 a bomb fell between the building and the river, the cottage on the corner was destroyed, the west wing and the back wall of the main house and the buildings to the rear collapsed leaving the whole property open to the rear. Most of the museum collection was removed by the council for safe keeping. At the end of the war the building was restored, the southern part as a house and the northern as an office. In 1997 the entire property was transferred from the Norwich Archaeological Trust to the King’s Lynn Preservation Trust.
See (S8) for further information.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 12 February 2020.

For details of other buildings previously recorded under this number see records for 30 Bridge Street (NHER 63561) and 31 Bridge Street (NHER 63562).
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 11 February 2020.

Monument Types

HOUSE (17th Century to 21st Century - 1605 AD to 2100 AD)
JETTIED HOUSE (17th Century to 21st Century - 1605 AD to 2100 AD)
MERCHANTS HOUSE (17th Century - 1605 AD to 1660 AD)
TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (17th Century to 21st Century - 1605 AD to 2100 AD)
WALL PAINTING (17th Century - 1605 AD to 1612 AD)
PUBLIC HOUSE (17th Century to Early 20th Century - 1660 AD to 1912 AD?)
MUSEUM (Early 20th Century to World War Two - 1912 AD to 1941 AD)
HOUSE (Mid 20th Century to 21st Century - 1951 AD to 2050 AD)
OFFICE (Mid 20th Century to 21st Century - 1951 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---	Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1997. Greenland Fishery changes hands. 12 December.
---	Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1995. Trust awaits survey on historic gem. 13 June.
---	Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 61 NW 32; TF 61 NW 33 [2].
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Unpublished Document: Green, B.. 1992. Greenland Fishery, Birdge Street, King's Lynn.
---	Unpublished Document: Proudlove, C.. 1992. Condition Report: Greenland Fisheries Building, Bridge Street, King's Lynn.
---	Monograph: Stannard, J.. 1965. The Greenland Fishery.. East Anglian Magazine. October.
---	Article in Serial: Tuck, W.. 1976. Lynn's Greenland Fishery.. Norfolk Fair. January. pp 18-21.
---	Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1991. £10,000 needed for historic inn. 5 February.
---	Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1998. After 393 years - a new life. 2 January.
---	Monograph: Parker, V.. 1971. The Making of King's Lynn: secular buildings from the 11th to the 17th century.. pp 95-97.
---	Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 492.
---	Article in Serial: Tuck, W. 1989. Short Records relating to Certain Relics and Treasures of King's Lynn. CBA Group VI Bulletin. No 34 pp 22-31. p 22.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
---	Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Post-Medieval. King's Lynn.
---	Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1930. [Letters to the editor about the Greenland Fishery]. 4 March.
---	Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. Time stands still….
---	Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF519.
<S1>	Monograph: Hillen, H. J. 1907. History of the Borough of King's Lynn.
<S2>	Article in Serial: [unknown]. Building World. Vol XLI, p 266. p 266.
<S3>	Monograph: Hodgson, D.. 1842. Antiquarian remains principally confined to Norfolk and Norwich..
<(S4)>	Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF519.
<S5>	Article in Serial: Bardswell, M. 1955. King's Lynn - Greenland Fisheries Building. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXI Pt I pp 198-199.
<S6>	Article in Monograph: Metters, C.. 1995. Some Aspects of Greenland Fishery and its Builder.. East Anglian Studies. Longcroft, A. (ed.). p.181. p 181.
<S7>	Website: Norfolk Pubs. Norfolk Public Houses: Greenland Fishery, King's Lynn. http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/kingslynn/gkingslynn/klgrf.htm. 1 May 2019.
<S7>	Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry.
<S8>	Website: The Greenland Fishery Project. The Greenland Fishery: Heritage, House and Home to The Greenland Fishery Project. https://greenland-fishery.org.uk/. 1 February 2020.

Related records - none

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Parish Summary: King's Lynn (Parish Summary)