Heritage Open Day 11: 25 King Street

This was my last port of call of the day. King Street runs from the Tuesday Market Place to the Purfleet, after which it becomes Queen Street until it reaches the Saturday Market Place. My flat is between the Purfleet and the Saturday Market Place, which makes King Street a thoroughly logical end point.

Number 25, a solicitor’s practice, features many points of interest, not least various parts of a reproduction Bayeux Tapestry. One more post will conclude this series, and in the meantime enjoy these pictures…

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Would this wood burner generate enough heat for the space? You betcha!
Would this wood burner generate enough heat for the space? You betcha!

Plan ?????????? Tapestry 2 ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? Tapestry 3 Tapestry 4

Heritage Open Day 10: 11 King Street

Back in town centre having completed my circuit,a couple of properties on King Street that were open for viewing took my fancy, and this one was the first of them. One of its incarnations has been as an accountancy practice, hence the boardroom you will see.

My next post will feature 25 King Street, a solicitor’s practice with more than a few points of interest, but for now enjoy these photos…

Boardroom ??????????

The patterning of this window intrigued me to the extent that I photographed it and took individual pics of each style of pane.
The patterning of this window intrigued me to the extent that I photographed it and took individual pics of each style of pane.

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Heritage Open Day 10: 11 King Street

Back in town centre having completed my circuit,a couple of properties on King Street that were open for viewing took my fancy, and this one was the first of them. One of its incarnations has been as an accountancy practice, hence the boardroom you will see.

My next post will feature 25 King Street, a solicitor’s practice with more than a few points of interest, but for now enjoy these photos…

Boardroom ??????????

The patterning of this window intrigued me to the extent that I photographed it and took individual pics of each style of pane.
The patterning of this window intrigued me to the extent that I photographed it and took individual pics of each style of pane.

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Heritage Open Day 9: The Red Mount Chapel

From the South Gate (see previous post) I headed into the parkland area by the route that got me more park and less road than any other and made way way to the Chapel of Our Lady of The Mount, also known as the Red Mount Chapel. Unlike the South Gate I had been in this building before, but it was still breathtaking. One starts at the bottom and works ones way up (a minor casualty of the popularity of the day – less freedom to do things in ones own way). To show what the windows might have looked liked before the stained glass was broken, one window has been remade in stained glass and looks remarkably good.

King’s Lynn is home to many religious buildings and was once home to more (indeed the town was called Bishop’s Lynn until Henry VIII “suggested” that a name change was in order), but even in the context of a town that is overstocked with this type of building this place is special. If you ever get the opportunity to see the inside take it.

My next post will feature 11 King Street, and in the meantime enjoy these…

The chapel from the outside

The park as viewed from the chapel
The park as viewed from the chapel

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Who says graffiti is anything new?!
Who says graffiti is anything new?!

Butterflies in the window Window Altar ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

A side room on a mezzanine level
A side room on a mezzanine level

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? Window The entrance - at the bottom of the building story board

Heritage Open Day 8: The South Gate – a Medieval TARDIS

After thoroughly enjoying myself learning about fisheries research I headed along the Great Ouse as far as Hardings Pits, through Hardings Pits to ultimately join the main road just beyond the South Gate – not the quickest, but the most scenic route, and well within the compass of Shanks’ Pony.

Obviously, living where I do, I have seen this building from the outside some thousands of times, but I had never previously been inside it. I was amazed at just how much is contained within the building – perhaps liking it to the TARDIS in this regard is excessive but not unduly so.

The ground and first floors merely contained artefacts relating to the building and some display boards, but the top floor, which spanned the width of entire building also had scale models, a very old painting, and some brass rubbing plates (I could not get a shot of these latter as they were in use throughout).

This building opens between 12 and 3PM Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays in the summer months and I recommend if you in west Norfolk in summertime that you pay it a call.

Look out for my next post, about the Red Mount Chapel and enjoy these photos from the medieval TARDIS….

The Southgate approaching the town
This external view reveals a handsome old gateway but gives no clue as to how much there is inside (hence the title of this post)

Farewell to the South Gate ??????????

This lantern was in a niche.
This lantern was in a niche.

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Iron roof supports joining together in the middle
Iron roof supports joining together in the middle
I thought this brickwork pattern deserved close attention.
I thought this brickwork pattern deserved close attention.

Chest Niches ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? Old iron Fireplace Old painting Second Floor info board ?????????? ?????????? Renovation Scale Model 2 Scale Model

See what I mean about the top floor?!
See what I mean about the top floor?!
An interesting round window.
An interesting round window.

Table The first floor Fireplace Description board The ground floor from the entrance

Heritage Open Day 7: Fisheries Research

The Great Ouse, the western boundary of King’s Lynn (on the other bank is West Lynn), is a commercial river, and the area has a long history of fishing. It was therefore both appropriate and very welcome that there was some exceedingly interesting and educational stuff provided by fisheries research people.

Not only did they lay on a full tour of their research vessel, in addition they had an exhibit featuring marine wildlife. Some of the younger folk were allowed to handle these creatures in carefully controlled circumstances. The featured image was also available to be taken away – a copy now adorns my outside table (and has survived a night’s rain).

One of the things that fisheries research does is monitor, and where necessary take preventive action, the proportion of juveniles that are being caught. Obviously, creatures caught while still juvenile are denied the opportunity to breed, whereas if they are only caught once they have already had the opportunity to breed future generations are protected.

What are the possible consequences of neglect? Well, when John Cabot first set eyes on the Grand Bank he had never seen such a preponderance of fish in a single location. Yet in 1997, 500 years (in natural history terms not even an eyeblink) after this, the Grand Banks Fishery closed for good – there were no fish left.

This was one of the most interesting and beyond a shadow of a doubt THE most important element of the day. My next post will feature another boundary marker, the Southgates, meantime enjoy a selection of photographs…

Info screen 2 Info screen More maps Sideways view Lobster close up Red Crab Giant crab

Lobster
Lobster

Lobster 1 ?????????? Good map

The guideline again.
The guideline again.

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miniature submarine
This is a miniature remote controlled submarine, used in fisheries research.

Observation computer Map

Metal Pyramid
This pyramid (25cm each side at base – meaning that a cool 175,616,000 of these would make a pyramid to match Khufu’s! at Giza!) is used to take sea floor samples and check them for population density

A net

Heritage Open Day 7: Fisheries Research

The Great Ouse, the western boundary of King’s Lynn (on the other bank is West Lynn), is a commercial river, and the area has a long history of fishing. It was therefore both appropriate and very welcome that there was some exceedingly interesting and educational stuff provided by fisheries research people.

Not only did they lay on a full tour of their research vessel, in addition they had an exhibit featuring marine wildlife. Some of the younger folk were allowed to handle these creatures in carefully controlled circumstances. The featured image was also available to be taken away – a copy now adorns my outside table (and has survived a night’s rain).

One of the things that fisheries research does is monitor, and where necessary take preventive action, the proportion of juveniles that are being caught. Obviously, creatures caught while still juvenile are denied the opportunity to breed, whereas if they are only caught once they have already had the opportunity to breed future generations are protected.

What are the possible consequences of neglect? Well, when John Cabot first set eyes on the Grand Bank he had never seen such a preponderance of fish in a single location. Yet in 1997, 500 years (in natural history terms not even an eyeblink) after this, the Grand Banks Fishery closed for good – there were no fish left.

This was one of the most interesting and beyond a shadow of a doubt THE most important element of the day. My next post will feature another boundary marker, the Southgates, meantime enjoy a selection of photographs…

Info screen 2 Info screen More maps Sideways view Lobster close up Red Crab Giant crab

Lobster
Lobster

Lobster 1 ?????????? Good map

The guideline again.
The guideline again.

?????????? ??????????

miniature submarine
This is a miniature remote controlled submarine, used in fisheries research.

Observation computer Map

Metal Pyramid
This pyramid (25cm each side at base – meaning that a cool 175,616,000 of these would make a pyramid to match Khufu’s! at Giza!) is used to take sea floor samples and check them for population density

A net

Heritage Open Day 6: The Bank Hotel

The Bank Hotel is a very plush establishment, but it is not the place itself, but what lies beneath that is of true interest – a perfectly preserved and very spacious cellar area.

It is appropriate that this should be my smallest post, because it will be followed by my largest, relating to fisheries research. Meanwhile enjoy a photographic tour (none of it using flash) of the cellars of the Bank Hotel…

The Hotel itself Well showing water not far down Well Tools and Detritus

Pipe
This pipe took a lot of effort to picture
This is the longest straight section of cellar.
This is the longest straight section of cellar.

Well Exhibition cellar

Heritage Open Day 5: Out and about in Lynn on the big day

The combination of the fact that King’s Lynn is not huge and that I live plumb in the centre of it meant that for me at least my sole method of locomotion would be Shanks’ Pony. Some of the things that I saw while walking between official sites could have been seen on any day, others only this day but the picture of the day (pardon the pun) would be incomplete without reference to the in-between bits as the whole town was decked out for the day – and the weather gods lent their support by providing a lovely warm day for the occasion.

In terms of distances of greater than a few yards my itinerary was planned (with scenic routes taking priority at every turn) as follows: Flat – Tuesday Market Place – Great Ouse – Southgates via Hardings Pits – Red Mount Chapel via parkland – Flat and with the addition at the end of a couple of places on King Street which looked interesting that is the route I followed. Not many others opted for scenic routes – I was all but alone for the walk to Southgates.

My next post takes you underground once more, to the cellars of the Bank Hotel, before resurfacing for the rest of the journey – meantime enjoy an eclectic collection of pictures…

No - I did not drink from this barrel!
No – I did not drink from this barrel!
This longboat was an inventive idea.
This longboat was an inventive idea.
This plaque is on a stretch of road I do not usually walk down
This plaque is on a stretch of road I do not usually walk down

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These birds are not among the kinds I usually see here at the Nar Outflow
These birds are not among the kinds I usually see here at the Nar Outflow

Sea Scouts building

Bus
I travel in so many buses that not even a free ride tempted me to actually board this one!
Ferry
To adapt a Sherlock Holmes line seeing the Lynn Ferry travel in this direction is like seeing a tram on a country lane!
The statue atop the Bank Hotel
The statue atop the Bank Hotel

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Boats of this sort are not common on the Great Ouse
Boats of this sort are not common on the Great Ouse

Heritage Open Day 4: Ferry Lane

The house on Ferry Lane that was opened for the occasion featured a wonderful garden and many interesting features inside. It was well worth making a tiny diversion from my route down to the Great Ouse to take in this fine old building (Ferry Lane does precisely what its name suggests that it should – leads to a ferry pick up point – hence as stands it to reason it is pretty close to the river)

The rest of the story of this part of my day is I believe well told by photographs, while my next post will not be about a specific site, but being out and about in King’s Lynn on the day.

Garden - 1st look The house viewed from outside

Garden viewed from near the house
Garden viewed from near the house

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A very impressive document.
A very impressive document.

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? Fireplace ?????????? Gallery

Getting a straight on shot of this was impossible due to lack of space
Getting a straight on shot of this was impossible due to lack of space

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Flower head
Anyone familiar with this blog will know that I like to get close ups of interesting flower heads