King’s Lynn and North Norfolk Weekend, 2017

This weekend is still being planned and if you haven’t already signed up please contact the trip organisers as soon as possible: they need numbers in order to finalise the details and costs.

Also, please note that the programme below is provisional at this stage and may change.  We hope to firm things up by the end of May 2017, and will be contacting those members who signed up in April/May.

 

We shall convene on the evening of Friday 13th at the Dukes Head Hotel in the Tuesday Market Place, for informal bar meals and exchange of news, as usual.

The main Meeting and the Biennial General Meeting on Saturday morning will be held at Marriott’s Warehouse on the Quay, with a programme of lectures, followed by lunch. We are very fortunate to have secured a lecture from Dr Paul Richards, notable local historian and he has agreed to be our guide on a walk round Kings Lynne in the afternoon. The Society's Dinner will be at the Dukes Head Hotel in the evening.

On Sunday 15 October we are organising a coach trip along the north Norfolk coast, visiting places that give a flavour of those that Borrow would have seen on his walk from Yarmouth to Kings Lynne in 1856. There will be a Sunday Lunch at somewhere special in Overstrand – the Sea Marge Hotel, a bit later than our period but a fine example of design by Lutyens.

Borrow’s father began his militia career with the West Norfolk Militia at King’s Lynn and Borrow himself left a diary of tramps in North Norfolk covering various dates in 1856 just after the end of the Crimean War, and also in 1857. There are various scattered references elsewhere, especially in Wild Wales with reference to Coke of Norfolk and Holkham Hall. We hope to provide a transcript of the diary as well as some background notes bringing these references together.

The Hanseatic town of King’s Lynn was one of England’s most important ports from as early as the 12th century and its rich maritime and trading history is reflected in two magnificent market places, merchant’s houses, cobbled lanes and elegant Custom House overlooking the harbour.

All together, well worth a visit.