Thoresby College

Thoresby College is a complex of buildings in King's Lynn, originally founded as a college for 13 chantry priests attached to the Trinity Guild. The original foundation dates to around 1500 by Thomas Thoresby, with the buildings constructed between 1508 and 1511. The building has undergone various alterations and additions over time, and was restored in 1963-64 before being converted into flats and offices. The structure is primarily brick with plain tiled roofs.

The overall layout is quadrangular. The East range's facade, facing Queen Street, is two storeys and has a dormer attic arranged in 11 irregular bays. It features three Perpendicular moulded stone doorways with arched heads set within square surrounds. The central doorway retains its original timber door, decorated with tracery, and incorporates a smaller pedestrian entrance. The ground floor has eight late 18th-century sash windows with glazing bars, each with painted gauged skewback arches. The first floor has nine similar sash windows. The roof behind a low 18th-century parapet has five gables, the central one shaped, with the others being Dutch-style. The courtyard side of this range is rendered, with a central basket archway and three sash windows with glazing bars on each side. Five two-light cross casements are on the first floor, and there are five gabled dormers in the roof.

The South range, facing College Lane, is generally two storeys and has a dormer attic with gabled roofs. A unified section, built in the 20th century, extends west from the main facade, incorporating 20th-century windows on the ground floor and a square-headed carriage arch. Renewed moulded two-light casements are on the first floor, and five sloping dormers are in the roof.

The West range features three storeys in parts and has mainly 20th-century details. The courtyard side has a carriage entrance left of centre, above which and to the right is a five-light mullioned window. Scattered mullioned windows are also present. The roof has eight sloping dormers.

The West range, which acts as the hall range, has a floored hall. The interior roof is a false hammerbeam construction with arched braces dropping onto wall posts supported by corbels. Collars are supported by arched braces. Molded principals are present, along with two tiers of butt purlins.

The North range abuts adjoining buildings on its north side. The courtyard side has an 18th-century facade, rendered with an asymmetrical design, featuring a central door within a timber case under an open pediment, three sash windows with glazing bars to the left, two to the right, a round-headed sash above the door, three windows as before, and one tripartite sash to the right. The roof has four gabled dormers.