King's Lynn: A Potted History

From 1100 to 1750, Lynn's prominence as an English port town was due to its extensive hinterland and location on England's east coast. However, the absence of an expanding industrial hinterland led to relative decline after 1750. The coming of the railways in the 1840s robbed the town of its geographical advantages, but the construction of two enclosed docks linked to the national railway network sparked an industrial revolution led by engineering factories. The town's population was growing by 1900, but its late Victorian economic growth was not sustained into the 1920s and 1930s. In 1962, the council sealed an overspill agreement with the Greater London Council, which heralded a second industrial revolution. Suburban industrial and housing estates were built, but parts of the historic town were also redeveloped. Lynn retains an exceptional historic built environment that connects us with what was for centuries a premier English maritime community.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2025
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

From 1100, Lynns prominence as an English port town depended on an extensive hinterland embraced by the Great Ouse river system. This privileged geographical position was reinforced by its location on Englands east coast, facing Europe across the North Sea. The Wash haven experienced relative decline after 1750 due to the absence of an expanding industrial hinterland; however, Lynns international and coastal trades (grain, coal, timber, and wine) remained considerable into the nineteenth century. The coming of the railways in the 1840s robbed the Norfolk town of its geographical advantages. It was rescued by the construction of two enclosed docks linked to the national railway network, which sparked an industrial revolution led by engineering factories. The towns population was growing by 1900, but Lynns late Victorian economic growth was not sustained into the 1920s and 1930s. The council sealed an overspill agreement with the Greater London Council in 1962, which heralded a second industrial revolution. Suburban industrial and housing estates were built, though parts of the historic town were also redeveloped. Yet Lynn retains an exceptional historic built environment which connects us with what was for centuries a premier English maritime community. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Kings Lynn has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors, and all those with links to the town.

Weight: 304g
Dimension: 233 x 165 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781398119130