King’s Lynn: Connecting Communities

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.

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.