Museum Of Social History

KING'S LYNN

TF6120SE KING STREET 610-1/7/92 (West side) 01/12/51 No.27 Museum of Social History (Formerly Listed as: KING STREET (West side) No.27) (Formerly Listed as: KING STREET (West side) Link building between No 27 and St George's Hall)

GV II*

House, now museum. Owned in 1580 by the merchant John Dynnesdale when it was timber-framed. Purchased in late 1660s by the Rotterdam merchant Hubert Vinckesteyn who rebuilt the rear range probably c1695 in brick. Street front remodelled and given its coursed limestone skin probably after 1715 when the house was in the posession of Hubert van Vlierden. Rear staircase hall added early C19 and other alterations made. In 1814 the existing separate house over the carriage entrance was demolished and the present structure constructed, integral with No.27. By 1750 the house was used as a bank, with the bank hall in the space occupied by the present carriage entrance. Facade of 3 storeys in 5 bays. Rusticated quoins. Central fielded and panelled door with diamond-glazed fanlight. Door surround of engaged Corinthian columns supporting a segmental pediment over a plain architrave. Sash windows with glazing bars are mid C18 replacements. Window surrounds all have ears, ground-floor surrounds have keystones and block or cavetto brackets below sills. Similar brackets to first-floor surrounds. Outer pair are under segmental pediments, centre window with straight pediment and a carved frieze. Modillion eaves cornice under low parapet which conceals the roof. One stone stack to right and left. Carriageway to right is fitted with C20 double timber doors and a pedestrian doorway. The first floor has a Venetian window fitted with sashes with glazing bars with a series of roundels below the embracing arch. This window is repeated to rear. Rear (west) wing to main block in dark red brick with light red quoins, to corners and window reveals, and window heads, probably c1695. Six sash windows to ground floor and seven to first floor, with glazing bars, flush frames and gauged skewback arches. Four of the first-floor windows have wave mouldings under the skewbacks. Main wall to front with moulded red brick cornice, which runs into rear wing. INTERIOR. Facade door leads to passage to rear staircase hall via a panelled door with a 4-vaned fanlight. 8 fluted Corinthian columns are linked by architraves. In the north-west segment is an oval skylight. Octagon and dot floor. Staircase with stick balusters and a ramped and wreathed handrail rises to first floor. Ground-floor south room has large-frame panelling and an ovolo modillion cornice. The room immediately above has 2 tuscan columns supporting a coffered cornice. The room to the north of this also with large-frame panelling, a feature repeated in the first-floor rooms to the west wing. The rooms below in this wing have C17 small-frame panelling, and one connecting door is surmounted by a pediment.

Listing NGR: TF6163020208