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Monday, 8 June 2015

Kings Lynn

On Sunday traffic on the road into Kings Lynn flowed easily. We spent several hours exploring the dock area and the old areas of Kings Lynn. The tide was falling and there was little activity on the Ouse.
We called into the visitors' information centre in the old Customs House
and admired numerous buildings along the river.
The Guild Hall, opposite the Minster, on the Saturday Market Square,is remarkably beautiful.


The Minster is regularly flooded as the stones at the entrance testify.

I lit candles at the swinging metal globe.
I enjoyed the memorial brasses.


and admired the Italianate tiles.
There were some carved Bishops' seats and tapestry kneelers.
The Minster is dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch and has some fine stained glass.
At the moment it has a display about the 14th century visionary, Margery Kempe, who lived in Kings Lynn and worshipped here. I did a bit of work on her decades ago. It is good to renew acquaintance.
Kings Lynn played a part in the lives of a number of my Duffield Ancestors in the 18th and 19th centuries. It would have been their market town. Ann Duffield was a servant here and Horatio Shilling, husband of Mary Duffield died here. We had a lovely time exploring the old town.
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8 comments:

  1. Katherine9 June 2015 at 17:05

    Well they certainly don't make such beautiful buildings any more. We noticed in town a few months back that a gorgeous house in the old part of Echuca was torn down and a monstrosity of a modern build put on the block instead. So sad really. At least in parts of the world there is great protection in place for historic and significant sites. Lance always says they can't build them like they used to lol.

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    1. Jillian10 June 2015 at 00:20

      There is certainly no shortage here, Katherine!

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    2. Monica12 June 2015 at 08:31

      I don't think it's that the stone buildings can't be built, it's that no one wants to any more. It was slow, dangerous, back breaking work, when working class lives were not held in the same value that they are today. It is nice to preserve and appreciate them now, but it wouldn't be nice to do it again.

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  2. Carolyn9 June 2015 at 18:52

    So pleased that all your explorations of history and family are going so beautifully. It's an area of England I have never visited and it's good to be able to do so electronically through your photos and comments.

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    1. Jillian10 June 2015 at 00:21

      Thanks Carolyn. It's a great place to spend time.

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  3. Jillian Cheek10 June 2015 at 00:14

    By coincidence, today I heard a lecture in The Great Courses that talked about Margery Kempe. Fascinating.
    The brick work in the guild hall is stunning.
    Whenever I hear 'Kings Lynn" my first thought is the hymn tune. It's lovely to have the pictures to associate the name with the town.

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    1. Jillian10 June 2015 at 00:23

      I didn't know about the hymn tune. Must check it out. I'd have liked to have heard that lecture.

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  4. Monica12 June 2015 at 08:24

    What an interesting feeling of recognition you must have felt seeing that display about Margery Kempe! I wonder how familiar it all is feeling, or not.

    Beautiful work on those brasses!

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