A woman in mid-century costume smokes a cigarette outside a brick townhouse while a film camera crew and microphone operator stand by.
© Kathy Hipperson
© Kathy Hipperson

King’s Lynn: Connecting Communities

At the heart of the Heritage Action Zone programme is the drive to make a positive impact for people across England, and that was certainly the case in King’s Lynn.

Thanks to three research projects, Historic England and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk have discovered more about the history of the town and found creative ways to share this with the community and champion the area.

During the HAZ, around 10,000 young people engaged with their local heritage through hands-on arts and cultural activities. At St Martha’s Catholic Primary School children learned about the town’s history by recreating some of its buildings using recycled materials.

Students from the College of West Anglia co-produced Building on the Past, a short film telling the story of King’s Lynn’s Chapel Street. They were chosen to be part of the film crew, as part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Kick the Dust’ work experience group. They led the project, interviewing former local residents, briefing actors, choosing images and making the final edits, gaining a range of new professional skills in the process. Watch the Chapel Street film.

A new heritage trail has been created by King’s Lynn Civic Society focusing on the theme of pilgrimage to guide locals and tourists around medieval Kings Lynn. The trail takes in three fine medieval churches, the unique Red Mount Chapel, the Greyfriars Tower and other remnants and sites of monastic buildings. It is a great addition for the town.

Gallery

Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

Square on view of a four-storey rectangular warehouse building under a dark blue sky at night, lit up by purple, read and yellow lighting. Lettering on the front of the building reads: "SOMMERFIELD & THOMAS". Rear view of a cinema audience watching a screen Four people stood smiling at camera, with three of them holding up certificates Children learning about a town’s history through recreating some of its buildings using recycled materials. Five schoolchildren stood up holding an unfolded scroll showing black drawings on white paper. Their teacher is kneeling on the floor underneath gesturing to the scroll. A close-up view of a decorative stone building and two stone figures above a doorway sign that reads "LLOYDS BANK" A street view in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Buildings and parked cars flank a road that disappears in the distance.
King’s Lynn has a rich history and this project has highlighted new and exciting examples of our heritage. By promoting our past to local residents and visitors more people have enjoyed what historic Lynn has to offer. With the Town Deal, we can build on this success and welcome many more people to West Norfolk.
James Wild, MP for North West Norfolk

At Historic England, our vision is to have ‘a heritage that is valued, celebrated and shared by everyone. A historic environment that people connect with and learn from and that we are proud to pass on to future generations.’ The work in King’s Lynn is a great example of working towards this goal.

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