NHER 6207 (Building record) - 29 Queen Street

1951. Listed Grade II*.
Early 17th century on the existing L-shaped site, re-fronted mid 18th century, District Council offices 1950-1982 when split into 2 properties. Extensive warehouse range ran west towards quay from north end, returning into a 3-storey warehouse range dated 1650, thus forming a narrow rear courtyard. In 1982 the north warehouse range was demolished leaving the 1650 west warehouse free-standing. Red brick and tile roof. Present plan follows medieval form, and is one of the last Lynn houses to use it: a street front which would have been shops with a chamber over, made entirely domestic in early 17th century (probably for the merchant William Hoo). Courtyard entered through the central passage with the hall range on the south side at right-angles to the street range. To west of this a kitchen with a solar above. Facade to Queen Street. Two storeys with dormer attic in five bays. Mid 18th century. Red brick still laid in English bond. Panelled central door in doorcase with panelled reveals under open pediment and with a fanlight is a late 18th century replacement of the time when the sashes were replaced. Sashes have glazing bars and gauged skewback arches set into early 18th century flush frames. Early 19th century tripartite sash window over door with glazing bars. Gabled roof with 2 gabled dormers. 17th century internal gable-end stacks. Rear of property reached via central passage from door, the rear doors set in an early 19th century gault brick porch extension. Ovolo jambs with barred tongue stops remain to 17th century doorway, now within. Rear elevations colourwashed, the main accents are the 4-light transomed timber hall window on north side of cross wing and a pair of 18th century sashes above and to the right lighting original solar. They have glazing bars.
INTERIOR. Hall entered direct from rear of passage. Dais window has wave-moulded jambs and mullions. High in south wall is a blocked 4-light mullioned window. Sandstone chimneypiece in west wall: depressed basket arch and chamfered and tongue-stopped jambs. Closed well staircase rises from east end to principal front room. Closed string, moulded splat balusters, moulded handrail and square newels with ball finials. A similar, straight, flight rises to right of west fireplace to former solar, but now ends in a cupboard following subdivision of property in 1982. Plaster ceiling in form of 2 bulbous egg-shaped bosses within moulded oval fields. Ground floor front room has early 18th century panelling and an early 17th century ovolo and hollow-moulded bridging beam. Entire front range at first floor was a single room when constructed with the staircase opening directly into it at south-west corner. Later partitioning to form corridor along west side. Early 17th century small-framed masons' mitre panelling throughout, relocated when necessary on partitioning. North overmantel enriched with 2 fielded panels with geometric patterning separated by three fluted pilaster strips.
Information from (S1).
S. Spooner (NLA), 16 August 2006.

November 1975. Site visit.
Georgian façade with door, but interior curving wooden staircase is more 17th century in style. Interior doorway with slightly pointed arch; blocked wooden-mullioned window, exposed beams and 18th century plaster ceiling. Pump in courtyard dated 1779.
E. Rose (NAU), 12 November 1975.

1982. RCHME building survey.
(S2) suggests that the early 17th century staircase from hall to the first floor of the street range has been rebuilt, as suggested by an incorrectly positioned newel. The three-storey brick building at the west end of yard has a datestone of 1630 set in its east wall, but the building looks for the most part later than this and appears to have been heightened. It was probably built as a warehouse, as suggested by the absence of original internal partitions and the large closely spaced beams supporting the first floor.
See RCHME survey report (S2) for further information.
E. Rose (NAU), 10 August 1984, amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 6 December 2018.

1982. Property sold.
Photos of interior taken by NARG show that the staircase which protrudes through a wall in a dog-leg fashion is indeed Jacobean style. The mullions of the blocked window are of late 16th century type. There is another staircase and large mullioned and transomed window with modern glass. The total suggests a house of around 1600, refaced in the 18th century.
E. Rose (NAU), 18 August 1982.

October 1983. Found on windowsill of 29a by workman.
Grimston-ware jug with top missing.
Slides and drawing at KLM.
E.M. James (KLM), May 1984.

(S3) describes this as newly built throughout the first half of the 17th century when it was probably home to the gentleman-merchant William Hoo. The dwelling house occupied the full width of the street front and the range at right angles on the south side of the plot which contained the hall. The hall was two storeys high and lit by a large eight-light mullioned and transomed window in the north wall. Two staircases descended into the hall, one from the first floor parlour at the west end of the hall and another from the upper floor of street block which was a kind of long gallery with panelled decoration with a fireplace at either end, one of which survives. The ground floor rooms on the street front were entered from the court and had no access to the street, so were not shops. Attics above street range. (S3) implies but does not specifically say, that the parallel range north of rear court was a warehouse.
E. Rose (NAU), 10 August 1984, amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 6 December 2018.