Hanse House

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 26/09/2012


TF6119NE
610-1/9/243
01/12/51


KING'S LYNN
ST MARGARET'S PLACE
(West side)
Hanse House


(Formerly Listed as ST MARGARET'S LANE Hanseatic Warehouse on North Side)


(Formerly Listed as ST MARGARET'S PLACE St Margaret's House)


(Formerly Listed as ST MARGARET'S LANE No.1)


GV
I


Quadrangular warehouse and domestic range built as the
Hanseatic Steelyard c1475 (licence to build granted 1474), the
east domestic range to St Margaret's Place rebuilt mid C18,
possibly when ownership by Hanseatic League ceased in 1751.
Restored 1970-71 and converted to offices of the Norfolk
County Council.

Complex consists of 2 long parallel warehouses connected at
the east end by a domestic wing and a shorter warehouse wing
to the west. At the west end both long ranges were later
extended, leaving the original west return set back.
Timber-framed and brick. Plaintile roofs.

St Margaret's House faces St Margaret's Plain. Of original C15
house there are no remains. Mid C18. Stuccoed brick.
2 storeys and dormer attic in 9 bays. Plinth course. Corners
and broken-forward centre bay with rusticated quoins. Central
panelled door below 7-vaned fanlight set within timber
doorcase consisting of Doric pilasters supporting open
pediment. Pediment with guttae. A pediment also over the
centre bay. String course between the storeys. Rebated mid C18
sash windows with glazing bars. Wide timber eaves cornice
below hipped roof carrying 2 gabled dormers to east and west
slopes and one to shorter south slope. C19 stacks to rear
slope and north slope.
Single-bay returns, and, extending down St Margaret's Lane is
a 2-bay extension with sashes and a plain door with overlight
and simple doorcase. Gabled roof with gabled dormer.
Rear elevation effectively reduced to 3 bays by warehouse
ranges: central French doors under 3-vaned fanlight flanked by
one sash each side; central tripartite sash to first floor.
INTERIOR. To north is a cantilevered geometrical staircase
with a thin handrail and wrought-iron stick balusters. Roof of
principals, butt purlins and collars, but is boarded at collar
level. All courtyard elevations are rendered and colourwashed
except for most of north range and a ground-floor patch at the
east end of the south range.

2-storey range to St Margaret's Lane is timber-framed with a
deep jetty at first floor underbuilt in brick in C18, much of
which was renewed in 1970. Brick nogging, mostly herringbone,
to upper floor.
Courtyard (north) side is wholly brick, a common arrangement
in C15 King's Lynn. South side with 3 renewed 3-light cross
casements to east end of ground floor and 5 two-light
mullioned windows spread along the remainder, all C20. First
floor has 2 blocked original window openings and ten C20
casements. Gabled roof with a single hipped dormer. West end
has thrown brick corbel closing the jetty.
Courtyard elevation has the ground floor punctuated by late
C20 doors and casements. First floor has 3 renewed 3 and
4-light mullioned casements towards west end and two 3-light
C18 metal casements at west end.
INTERIOR. Almost all late C20 in character. Roof structure not
accessible but reported to retain one section of original
crown-post trusses with arched braces from the crown post to
the tie beam.

North range also c1475. Entirely brick, breaking here and
there into conventional English bond. 2-3 storeys and
basement. Courtyard elevation retains an arched pedestrian
doorway towards east end with stone dressings. 3 metres east
is remains of a second door jamb. Several original, nearly
square, window openings. Fenestration of mixed casements and
sashes, some of which cling to pretentions of C18 and C19
antiquity. Gabled roof. North elevation was blank when built.
Scars of opened and closed windows. One large partly external
stack had 3 set-offs above eaves line prior to restoration.
INTERIOR. Almost entirely late C20 in character. First floor
bridging beams remain, as do tie beams. Roof not now
accessible but reported to have been of crown-post type, with
the relevant mortices visible in the ties.

West wing faces South Quay. Datable by roof structure to early
C16. 2 storeys. Brick. Flanking later wings extending west
reduce visible elevation to 3 bays. 1970 glazed poch to right,
a 2-light casement to left. First floor with 2 similar
casements. 3-bay courtyard elevation has a central glazed 1970
door and casements as before. Gabled roof.
INTERIOR. Ground floor room has 2 large plain bridging beams
and joists. In north wall are 3 lights of a 6-light mullioned
external window now looking into the north-west extension with
straight-chamfered, probably early C16, mullions rising to a
4-centred head. First floor room (now the registrar's wedding
room) is open to the roof; 4 tie beams, principal rafters,
lower butt purlins, clasped purlins and collars above and
curved windbracing. South wall retains timber studs.

Late C18 brick extension abuts west end of main south range on
St Margaret's Lane: 2 storeys, gabled roof, some re-used
brick, 1970 two-light casements, saw-toothed eaves cornice and
tumbling.

Gabled C17 and C18 brick extensions abut west end of original
north range in 2 builds. North side blind, with C20 rebuilt
upper parts. Basement used for offices and entered from south
where these extensions form their own 3-sided courtyard. Four
2-light casements of 1970 to first floor in west part with 2
gabled dormers. East part has garage door inserted in south
elevation and one 2-light casement in west gable end.

No.1 St Margaret's Lane was listed 7.6.72.


Listing NGR: TF6172719766

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

384296

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.