King's Lynn, Norfolk
The Custom House.
An elegant classical building designed by Henry Bell. Built in 1683 and opened as a merchants exchange in 1685.
Henry Bell’s Custom House of 1685 is a gem of a building. It uses the grammar of classical architecture perfectly with two orders of pilasters, Doric below and Ionic above and very fine carving of garlands and grotesques. There is a statue of Charles II over the entrance, a hipped roof and dormers and gallery surmounted by a tall and graceful cupola. It was built as a merchants’ exchange with all the arcading originally open except on the eastern side which were filled in 1742.
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Customs House including north bank of Purfleet Quay, Purfleet Quay, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1HP
Grade: I listed
List Entry Number: 1195414
Customs House built in 1683 to the designs of Henry Bell.
MATERIALS: ashlar limestone from Ketton quarry with stone dressings and plain clay tile roof below a lead-covered flat centre section.
PLAN: it is located on the north bank of Purfleet Quay and is almost square on plan.
EXTERIOR: the building is in the classical style, originally in the form of an open arcade, with a first floor and attic under a hipped roof with an acanthus modillion eaves cornice. The north and south elevations are of five bays, and the east and west of four, all broadly similar. The arcade bays (blocked in the C18) are separated by Roman Doric pilasters supporting a plain Doric entablature and have keystones in the form of different masks, including that of Bacchus, the god of wine, and Ceres, the goddess of agricultural fertility, representing two of King’s Lynn’s main trading goods: wine and grain. The end bays have two blind recessed panels, vertically placed, except for the upper panel on the right hand side of the south elevation which is glazed with leaded lights. The first floor is lit by mullioned and transomed cross casements with leaded lights in the middle bays, and a single-light transomed casement in the end bays. The bays are divided by Ionic pilasters with garlanded capitals.
The north elevation has a broken-forward central bay with a heavy double-leaf panelled door. The entablature above bears a cartouche with the coat of arms of John Turner, and a plaque dedicated to commercial and nautical business with the inscription: Mercaturx Reicp Nauticx Hoc posuit Johannes Turner Anno dom CDDCLXXXIII Arm. Above on the first floor is an arched niche with the statue of Charles II on a fluted semi-circular pedestal flanked by a pair of Corinthian pilasters. There is a shallow pediment over this bay. The arcades on the east elevation are filled in, as are those on the south elevation except for the central bay which has a double-leaf door with flush panels beneath a semicircular fanlight with radiating glazing bars, and HL hinges on the internal side. This provided access to the landing platform for the Customs’ cutter. On the west elevation the arcade bays are glazed with leaded lights which have radial glazing bars, possibly of C19 date.
The north and south roof slopes are lit by two pedimented dormers separated by a segmental-headed dormer. The east and west slopes have two pedimented dormers, all with two-light casements and wholly within the roof space. Resting on the flat centre section is a timber lantern of Greek cross plan composed of four arches each carrying a pediment with angle pilasters and Corinthian capitals. This is surmounted by a hexagonal lantern with an ogee cap. The flat centre section has a turned balustrade with square corner piers, the eastern two being disguised chimney flues. INTERIOR: the ground floor was originally open, as already described, with four bridging beams running north-south and one running east-west, at the junctions of which were four entactic Doric columns resting on octagonal bases, of which the two western ones survive. The room in the north-east corner, once known as the King’s Warehouse, has a wide panelled door with strap hinges and a lock case. The oak staircase and bolection moulded panelling was installed in 1718 but the lower flights were remade in the 1930s in the same style. The C18 upper flight has a closed and moulded string, dumb-bell balusters, and a heavy handrail supported on square newels with flat square caps.
On the first floor the Long Room, which occupies the western side, has large framed panelling, probably of 1741, with a dado rail and narrow horizontal panels along the top. On the cornice there is a mark indicating the former partition that was removed to create one large room. On the east wall are two fireplaces, that on the left has a pulvinated frieze, moulded overmantel and stone flagged hearth; and that on the right, now blocked up, has a simple moulded surround with a plain central panel. To the right of the fireplaces are built-in cupboards; that on the left retains HL hinges. The cupboard to the left of the right fireplace has been knocked through to create access to the Surveyor’s Room which occupies the north-east corner. This has smaller-framed fielded panelling, probably dating to 1718, with a moulded dado rail and cornice. The room also retains panelled window jambs, two-panelled doors and a fireplace composed of moulded stone jambs and entablature set directly into the panelling. The small room to the south of the staircase was used for storing wood for fires in the C18 and retains some lead pipework.
The attic has been subdivided into small rooms, most of which have modern doors. The roof structure has principal rafters with butt purlins, and the cupola is supported on four cross-braced trusses.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the quay was probably a loading point of the Purfleet from the C13, and certainly a lime and stone quay existed in 1547. The present brick structure, laid in English bond with limestone dressings, is a result of continuous repair and rebuilding, the earliest identifiable elements being of C17 date. The listed section begins at the south-east corner of the Customs House and runs 60m west along the north bank of the Purfleet, including the brick retaining wall, its stone capping and the stone steps leading down to the quay.
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1195414
King's Lynn, Norfolk
The Custom House.
An elegant classical building designed by Henry Bell. Built in 1683 and opened as a merchants exchange in 1685.
Henry Bell’s Custom House of 1685 is a gem of a building. It uses the grammar of classical architecture perfectly with two orders of pilasters, Doric below and Ionic above and very fine carving of garlands and grotesques. There is a statue of Charles II over the entrance, a hipped roof and dormers and gallery surmounted by a tall and graceful cupola. It was built as a merchants’ exchange with all the arcading originally open except on the eastern side which were filled in 1742.
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Customs House including north bank of Purfleet Quay, Purfleet Quay, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1HP
Grade: I listed
List Entry Number: 1195414
Customs House built in 1683 to the designs of Henry Bell.
MATERIALS: ashlar limestone from Ketton quarry with stone dressings and plain clay tile roof below a lead-covered flat centre section.
PLAN: it is located on the north bank of Purfleet Quay and is almost square on plan.
EXTERIOR: the building is in the classical style, originally in the form of an open arcade, with a first floor and attic under a hipped roof with an acanthus modillion eaves cornice. The north and south elevations are of five bays, and the east and west of four, all broadly similar. The arcade bays (blocked in the C18) are separated by Roman Doric pilasters supporting a plain Doric entablature and have keystones in the form of different masks, including that of Bacchus, the god of wine, and Ceres, the goddess of agricultural fertility, representing two of King’s Lynn’s main trading goods: wine and grain. The end bays have two blind recessed panels, vertically placed, except for the upper panel on the right hand side of the south elevation which is glazed with leaded lights. The first floor is lit by mullioned and transomed cross casements with leaded lights in the middle bays, and a single-light transomed casement in the end bays. The bays are divided by Ionic pilasters with garlanded capitals.
The north elevation has a broken-forward central bay with a heavy double-leaf panelled door. The entablature above bears a cartouche with the coat of arms of John Turner, and a plaque dedicated to commercial and nautical business with the inscription: Mercaturx Reicp Nauticx Hoc posuit Johannes Turner Anno dom CDDCLXXXIII Arm. Above on the first floor is an arched niche with the statue of Charles II on a fluted semi-circular pedestal flanked by a pair of Corinthian pilasters. There is a shallow pediment over this bay. The arcades on the east elevation are filled in, as are those on the south elevation except for the central bay which has a double-leaf door with flush panels beneath a semicircular fanlight with radiating glazing bars, and HL hinges on the internal side. This provided access to the landing platform for the Customs’ cutter. On the west elevation the arcade bays are glazed with leaded lights which have radial glazing bars, possibly of C19 date.
The north and south roof slopes are lit by two pedimented dormers separated by a segmental-headed dormer. The east and west slopes have two pedimented dormers, all with two-light casements and wholly within the roof space. Resting on the flat centre section is a timber lantern of Greek cross plan composed of four arches each carrying a pediment with angle pilasters and Corinthian capitals. This is surmounted by a hexagonal lantern with an ogee cap. The flat centre section has a turned balustrade with square corner piers, the eastern two being disguised chimney flues. INTERIOR: the ground floor was originally open, as already described, with four bridging beams running north-south and one running east-west, at the junctions of which were four entactic Doric columns resting on octagonal bases, of which the two western ones survive. The room in the north-east corner, once known as the King’s Warehouse, has a wide panelled door with strap hinges and a lock case. The oak staircase and bolection moulded panelling was installed in 1718 but the lower flights were remade in the 1930s in the same style. The C18 upper flight has a closed and moulded string, dumb-bell balusters, and a heavy handrail supported on square newels with flat square caps.
On the first floor the Long Room, which occupies the western side, has large framed panelling, probably of 1741, with a dado rail and narrow horizontal panels along the top. On the cornice there is a mark indicating the former partition that was removed to create one large room. On the east wall are two fireplaces, that on the left has a pulvinated frieze, moulded overmantel and stone flagged hearth; and that on the right, now blocked up, has a simple moulded surround with a plain central panel. To the right of the fireplaces are built-in cupboards; that on the left retains HL hinges. The cupboard to the left of the right fireplace has been knocked through to create access to the Surveyor’s Room which occupies the north-east corner. This has smaller-framed fielded panelling, probably dating to 1718, with a moulded dado rail and cornice. The room also retains panelled window jambs, two-panelled doors and a fireplace composed of moulded stone jambs and entablature set directly into the panelling. The small room to the south of the staircase was used for storing wood for fires in the C18 and retains some lead pipework.
The attic has been subdivided into small rooms, most of which have modern doors. The roof structure has principal rafters with butt purlins, and the cupola is supported on four cross-braced trusses.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the quay was probably a loading point of the Purfleet from the C13, and certainly a lime and stone quay existed in 1547. The present brick structure, laid in English bond with limestone dressings, is a result of continuous repair and rebuilding, the earliest identifiable elements being of C17 date. The listed section begins at the south-east corner of the Customs House and runs 60m west along the north bank of the Purfleet, including the brick retaining wall, its stone capping and the stone steps leading down to the quay.
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1195414