NHER 5527 (Building record) - Duke's Head Hotel, Tuesday Market Place

Duke's Head Hotel.

December 1951. Listed, Grade II,

November 1977. Field Observation.
Visited by E. Rose (NAU).
Constructed 1683-1689 as inn for those visiting the Exchange (Customs House). Nine bays, three storeys. Central bay projects, with pilastered and pedimented first floor window, voluted and aproned window above, topped by a broken pediment with smaller pediment in the breach. Much of the detail is from a 19th century restoration. Excellent condition.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU), 2 November 1977. Information from record card (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2023.

1966. Stray Find.
Found during alterations to building:
Medieval pottery sherds. Now in King's Lynn Museum.
This discovery was reported in (S2).
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU). Information from record card (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2023.

Copy of photograph in file.

1993 amended listing (S3) notes that the building has been attributed to local architect Henry Bell, but they consider this dubious. It was originally built around a central courtyard with timber-framed galleries providing access to rooms. Fine closed-string staircase to left of entrance hall in north-west corner of 1683-4.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 March 1999. Amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 10 July 2019.

January 2011. Planning Application.
Planning permission has been sought to replace existing windows and external remodelling of the ballroom.
See (S4).
Z. Dack (HES), 24 February 2011.

According to (S5) the Duke's Head Hotel stood on the site of an earlier inn, The Griffin, which is recorded in documentary sources from 1576-1683. (S5) also suggests that this is where the first Freemasons' Lodge in King's Lynn formed, on 1 October 1729. The htoel appears to have hosted Freemasons until 2016 when the last lodge moved out (S6). The striking canopy, supported by four pillars, which frames the entrance to the Masonic temple, along with the staging and elaborately painted ceiling, will remain.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 10 July 2019.

Listing Description excerpt:
"Inn. Newly built in 1683 for Sir John Turner, attributed to Henry Bell, but this is dubious. Brick, rendered and colourwashed to façade. Slate roofs. Originally built round a central courtyard with timber-framed galleries providing access to rooms. Greatly rebuilt and altered since. Three storeys and dormer attic in nine bays, the centre three broken forward under a broken segmental pediment. Rising from this is a pediment above an oval attic light. Quoins to all main corners. Centre ground floor with two segmental arches on brick pilaster strips, the left one used as 20th-century entrance...Acanthus modillion eaves cornice. Hipped roof with two small hipped dormers. Cut-down ridge stack; further stacks to north and south roof slopes. North return wall in Market Lane of indeterminate brick bonding...INTERIOR. Former courtyard reduced to a rump by later building. At first floor are two round columns embedded in wall to north side of former court and are only remains of outer edge of the timber gallery. Fine closed-string staircase to left of entrance hall in north-west corner of 1683-1684. Rises through two floors. Turned bulbous balusters with wide unmoulded handrail and square panelled newels. Contemporary large-frame fielded dado panelling. Principal first-floor room to west (Nelson Room) fitted with large-frame bolection-moulded panelling. Two pine chimney pieces also with bolection mouldings. All this 1683-1684…"
Information from (S3).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S3) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 July 2023.