Kings Lynn Railway Station

Railway station, built 1871-2 for the Great Eastern Railway by builder Robert Skipper of Dereham, with additions and alterations in 1910. The station is constructed of white gault brick with some red brick and partly glazed slate roofs.

The building is a single-storey terminus station with the main building positioned across the head of the tracks, followed by a concourse with parallel roof behind this across the head of the platforms. Two main platforms have associated buildings which become islands with outer bay platforms, though only one of these outer bay platforms remains in use.

The street front features a central entrance originally with a projecting porte-cochere, now replaced with a flat timber canopy with fretted valance over paired timber double doors. This entrance is flanked by three windows on either side, comprising 1 over 1 sashes with voussoired heads and bracketed cills. The two outer windows on the left are blind. A modillion cornice runs across, with a low-pitch roof featuring ridge stacks and a central glazed area over the booking hall. This glazed section has a fretted ridge and is flanked by ball finials. The right (south) gable end has a 4-light window below with altered walling to the right, and a corbel table above with further ball finials to the gable. The left (north) gable was originally identical but is now masked by an additional bay added in 1910, which has a matching window and a flat parapet, with three more windows on the return. The sidewalls feature segmental arches opening to the main platforms.

The interior is entered through doors leading to the ticket hall with glazed roof on decorative cast iron brackets. The doors, ticket windows and panelling appear to be an Edwardian alteration, possibly contemporary with the 1910 addition. Beyond this lies the concourse with a light wrought iron roof featuring ties, a glazed ridge and diagonal boarding. Between the platform entrances stands a timber buffet with central bay window, panelled dado and more panelling above a modillion cornice, all dating to around 1910. The main platform has a range of red brick offices with windows of circa 1910, sheltered by a timber canopy on cast iron columns with paired brackets featuring diminishing circles. This canopy extends as an island at its end between the main platform and the bay, supported on paired columns with fretted valances.

This station replaced an earlier timber structure of 1846. Its construction in 1871-2 responded to increased railway traffic, partly due to the opening of the Lynn and Sutton Bridge Railway in 1864 and partly to Queen Victoria's purchase of Sandringham House. Built by the Great Eastern Railway, it was also used by the Great Northern Railway and the Midland Railway, which provided connections to east and west. These companies were amalgamated into the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893, and their offices at King's Lynn remained operational until 1936. Further improvements and additions were undertaken in 1910, reflecting the enhanced popularity of the area during the Edwardian period. The station's name was changed from Lynn to King's Lynn on 1 January 1911. Since then it has undergone few major changes beyond removal of the porte-cochere and abandonment of one main platform. It remains a well-preserved example of an unusual station design. The station now serves only electric trains running south to Ely and onward to London.