You’ve probably not heard of it but the Hanseatic League was a group of powerful trading towns and cities around the Baltic and North seas. Cities involved in the Hanseatic League included some in Belgium, such as Antwerp, Dinant and Bruges, but Hanse merchants also traded in the English town of King’s Lynn and their imprint on the town is visible to this day.
1. A historic town
Over time, King’s Lynn’s trading links with Europe developed, evolved and continue to do so. As Phil Eke, senior tourism officer at Visit West Norfolk, says, the Hanse League connection between King’s Lynn and mainland Europe remains strong. King’s Lynn, in fact, makes for a great “gateway” to Norfolk, undoubtedly one of the most pleasant parts of England.
During the 14th century, King’s Lynn ranked as the third most important port in England. The town is famed for its rich maritime heritage and still celebrates its links with the Hanseatic League at the annual Hanse Festival.
An entertaining and fact-packed two-hour historic walking tour with King’s Lynn Town Guides is a nice way to get acquainted with the town which has over 400 national historic listed buildings – there’s one street with a listed building every 8.5 metres.
You meet volunteer guides like the very informative and pleasant Kim Leonard at the Saturday Market Place, the oldest-recorded instance of a market, dating back to 1104. History is everywhere in King’s Lynn, with a tale or two round almost every corner of this historic town, as is lovingly explained by the likes of London-born Kim.
You can finish off the trip down Memory Lane with a visit to Stories of Lynn Museum which tells the stories of the seafarers, explorers, merchants, mayors, magistrates and miscreants who have shaped King’s Lynn, or maybe the theatre, in St George’s Guidhall, where Shakespeare no less once appeared on a tour of the country.
2. A fantasy dining experience
After expanding all that energy, a great local place to sate any hunger is the quaintly-named and quite wonderfully quirky Tipsy Teapot, on the High Street, which will appeal to most tastes, whether you seek a light lunch, snack, afternoon tea, Sunday brunch or full-on party-style night out.
Set against a backdrop of, yes, a very quirky design, old fashioned service and imaginative décor, the menu continues the fantasy theme with a “Through the Looking Glass” eating out experience.
This lovely, ground floor informal resto serves everything from burgers and juicy steaks to hanging skewers and try also not to miss the special live magic show on selected evenings by resident magician Josh Maddocks. Try also not to leave without sampling its “puffle’ – Tipsy Teapot’s unique signature drink with the aromatic bubble.
It opened just after the pandemic ended, not the easiest of times for the hospitality industry, but Lisa, its go-ahead owner has come up with several innovative ideas to boost business, including Josh’s magic show.
3. A bike ride and an alpaca meet and greet
Any visit to this great bit of the country is not complete without venturing a few short kilometres to the beautiful coast where you’ll find a bit of everything, from e-bike rides at the historic Holkham Hall to walking with the very lovely alpacas – plus more fantastic places to eat.
Holkham Hall, a sprawling Palladian style mansion, was built by Thomas Coke, the first Earl of Leicester, between 1734 and 1764, and has since paved the way in agriculture to become a thriving estate under the eighth Earl.
The undulating Norfolk landscape, winding country lanes and windswept coastal paths make for great pedalling pursuits. There are many way-marked routes to choose from in Holkham Park itself. You can hire bicycles for, say, three hours and also get a complimentary ticket to the estate’s famous Walled Garden. That gives you time to explore Holkham Park by bike, stopping off at the six-acre Garden where you can enjoy a stroll between the flowers and visit the Samuel Wyatt Vinery.
If you like to choose how hard you pedal, then give an e-bike a go, simple to use and allowing you all the benefits of an electric cycle around Holkham, and nearby Wells-next-the-Sea, without feeling exhausted afterwards.
At Wells, over 15 years ago Ian Curtis, who used to keep bees and horses, launched the first place in the country to do alpaca trekking. Walking alongside these lovely animals, originally from the Andes and each individually named, along the bridleways and coastal paths is a truly entertaining and unforgettable experience. With stunning views across the salt marshes to the sea, your guide for the day (Ian or one of his staff) tells you the history of the area and all about these very friendly creatures.
Try not to forget some little treats such as sliced apples and bread and wear sensible footwear. In the event of extreme weather (sun, snow, rain or high winds) it is best to check first that the trek will take place. It takes about 1.5 hour altogether which allows for a short talk and feeding.
4. A maritime hotel
A very short distance away from this, one of Norfolk’s “great little tourist attractions”, a 4-minute walk brings you to another “must visit” place if you find yourself in this delightful area, The Globe Inn, where you can very nicely satisfy your hunger after foot slogging it with the alpacas with a terrific meal.
Overlooking a pretty, leafy Georgian square in the bustling seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea, this fantastic place is newly refurbished, including the resto, and inspired by the town’s maritime heritage. An eclectic mix of travel ephemera adorn the walls and the brick work and beams are complimented with walnut timbers and brass and antique lighting.
The resto also boasts a brand-new menu and its talented chefs take great delight in producing locally sourced meals that embrace the nautical heritage. The lovingly prepared and presented dishes “explore regional British fare from land and sea, all with a global touch.”
The relatively simple but tasty dishes range from alfresco crab salads to hearty mackerel and chips. Mains may also include baked camembert and a coastal fish platter and an equally mouth-watering sea trout and Colne Valley lamb rump. Considering the top-notch quality the prices are very reasonable too.
5. A great fish and chips
Of course, any trip to the UK is not quite complete without sampling that other great British tradition: fish and chips. And there’s no better place to do that than Eric’s at Thornham, a pleasant 20-minute drive just further along the coastline.
Known as the best fish and chip restaurant in Norfolk, as accredited by the National Federation of Fish Friers 2024 (the only one from Norfolk in the finals), it has a great offering, as all products are hand-prepared by chefs and cooked to “an Eric’s recipe.”
Nicely located on the grounds of an apple orchard, it’s well known for its deep fried jam sandwich, something famous British cook Delia Smith has raved about and was recently featured in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
It boasts several small plates/dishes, a niche offer, which mean you can eat tapas style or the kids can try new flavours without forking out for a big meal. Favourites are spinach and feta arancini, halloumi fries, mushy pea fritters plus many more. Worth noting that the special salts (for fishcake and king prawn) are all hand-made and quite delicious too.
This terrific “European take” on the classic and much-loved British chippy also has some funky desserts, including deep fried cookie dough, mars bar and, yes, that famous jam sandwich. You won’t be disappointed.
So, there you have it, history, boundless activities, a great coastline and excellent cuisine: a bit of everything to appeal to all tastes. This part of the UK does make for a really great break, be it a short late summer vacation or in the autumn, in what is a quite marvellous part of the country.
