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The Town Hall and Trinity Guildhall

The town hall of King's Lynn has existed since the early fifteenth century, between 1422 and 1428, when the Guildhall of the Holy Trinity was built. It is the most prominent feature of the town hall today with its steep arched roof, large window and chequered patterned exterior. The building was enlarged in 1624, when an extension with the same chequered style was added which now forms the main entrance to the town hall. The guildhall is a Grade I listed building.

The arms of Elizabeth I can be seen above the main window on this building. They were removed from St James' Church on 7 August 1624. The arms of Charles II are above them – they were added 40 years later.

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The Town Hall and Trinity Guildhall

The building was commissioned to replace an earlier guildhall which had been destroyed in a fire on 23 January 1421. The new building, known as the "Stone Hall", which was designed with a steep arched roof, a large window and chequered patterned exterior, was built between 1422 and 1428. It was established as a meeting place for the Guild of the Holy Trinity, a religious group of merchants in the town. Following the dissolution of the guild, the eastern part of the undercroft was converted into a prison in 1571 and the western part was converted into a house of correction in 1618.

An extension with a porch on the ground floor, which was designed with the same chequered patterned exterior, was built to the west of the original structure in 1624. The arms of Elizabeth I, which had been removed from St James' Church, were mounted above the main window over the porch in 1624, and the arms of Charles II were erected on the gable in 1664. The building was extended further to the west along Queen Street, on the site of a former public house, to create municipal offices in 1895.

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The Old Town Hall and Guildhall.

A striking group of buildings. This complex comprises the Trinity Guildhall, the 1624 porch and Victorian council chamber. The guildhall was built in 1423 after a fire had destroyed its predecessor. Behind it is a fine Assembly Room of 1767 with distringuished portraits, fine mirrors and the original chandeliers. The whole has a handsome chequer work front of flint and stone.

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The Town Hall.

The magnificent Trinity Guildhall dates back to the 1420s and is the centrepiece of the Town Hall complex. View it's impressive windows and distinctive flint chequer board patterned front. You can also view adjacent Jacobean porch and Victorian council chamber.

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Guildhall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn

Grade: I

List Entry Number: 1211953

Details

KING'S LYNN

TF6119NE SATURDAY MARKET PLACE 610-1/9/199 (North side) 01/12/51 Guildhall

GV I

Guildhall (of the Holy and Undivided Trinity), now part of civic accommodation. 1422-28; porch and interior alterations of 1624. Brick with ashlar and flint dressings. Plain tiled roofs. Narrow site, set gable-end to street. Two elements. To right (east) is the gabled guildhall proper, with the Stone Hall forming the upper 2 floors and lit through a 7-light Perpendicular arched window with panel tracery. Moulded jambs. Stone string course divides this from ground floor. Ground floor is a brick undercroft used, when built, to store the guilds goods. Originally entered through 2 timber doorways, these removed and replaced with two 2-light, round-arched Y-tracery windows. One small 2-light window flanks right and left. Polygonal corner turrets close elevation and rise to gabled roof. Whole of facade decorated with knapped flint squares alternating with stone squares to produce chequered flushwork. Original entrance to Stone Hall was via a dog-leg staircase against west wall. In 1624 present porch built to protect new staircase; this forms left (west) element in overall design. Of same materials and with same chequered flushwork. 3 storeys and gabled roof. Diminishing polygonal corner shafts and string courses at each floor. Central round-headed doorway with pair of engaged Doric columns. Guttae under flat hood. Small subsidiary doors either side under lunettes. First floor lit through 6-light transomed casement. Top floor with a large re-used coat of arms relating to reign of Elizabeth, and inscribed Edward Hargae, Mayor, 1624. This flanked by a small light each side and another in each of returns. When noticed that coat of arms to Elizabeth was re-used, a new achievement relating to Charles II was erected on parapet at Restoration and inscribed William Wharton, Mayor, 1664.

INTERIOR. Porch doorway leads to timber staircase. Fluted Ionic timber columns on high bases right and left. Balustrade with fat turned balusters and moulded handrail. Dog-legs to right to approach entrance to Stone Hall: moulded stone jambs and arch, with double plank and muntin doors. Stone Hall in 4 bays (originally 6). Chamfered wall arches. Wainscoting from 1895. Roof of crenellated tie beams supported on arched braces with pierced tracery spandrels. Roof above is scissor-braced, but boarded. Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Listing NGR: TF6171619861

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1211953

Taken on: May 23, 2011

Tags:

King's Lynn

Norfolk

Sets appears in: • Guildhalls, City Halls and Town Halls • King's Lynn, Norfolk

Groups appears in: • IMAGE`S OF BUILDINGS - OLD AND NEW

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Camera:	Panasonic DMC-TZ5
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