King’s Lynn Town : Club Background
The King’s Lynn Town we see today has a history only going back to 2010. As they play at the same ground as the former King’s Lynn the fans have clung on to the prior history, though one couldn’t have much more of a conclusive situation of it not being the same club, both in footballing terms and in business terms: going bust mid-season and having one’s playing record expunged; being wound up; and a ‘phoenix’ club emerging way down the pyramid. It had been something of a slow motion car crash…
In 2007-08 King’s Lynn won the Southern League Premier Division to get automatic promotion to Conference North, where they finished 17th in 2008-09. However, the club was then expelled by the Conference for failing to get The Walks Stadium to the required ground grading level and demoted to the Northern League Premier Division. After 18 games, in November 2009 player-manager Carl Heggs announced that the whole squad apart from himself and two other players had walked away from the club, not having been paid. On 9th December the club was wound up in the High Court over an unpaid tax debt to HMRC of £77,000; and King’s Lynn was formally expelled from the Northern League and its record expunged on 21st December. It was the final act in a long history of financial insolvency events, the club having been previously wound up 1960, liquidated in 1985, placed in administration in 1994 and then into another administration in 2001.
A new club, King’s Lynn Town FC, was formed in 2010 with the local council awarding a 25 lease on The Walks Stadium to the owner of the town’s speedway team, King’s Lynn Stars, with Buster Chapman running both. It started the 2010-11 campaign at Step 5 (Level 9) of the pyramid, in the United Counties League Premier Division. Finishing second twice, on the latter occasion the club was able to take advantage of Champions Long Buckby not having suitable ground grading for promotion, so it was The Linnets who moved up to Northern League Division One South in their stead. The club won this division at the first time of asking in 2012-13 and was promoted to the Northern League Premier Division where two seasons were spent, finishing 11th and 18th.
For 2015-16 – it is often the fate of those clubs geographically situated across the middle band of England to get shifted in number balancing exercises by The F.A. – King’s Lynn Town was moved to the Southern League Premier Division. Two mid-table seasons were followed in 2017-18 by a second place finish behind Hereford. In the play-off the Linnets easily disposed of W*ymouth 3-0 but lost 1-2 to Slough Town in the Final.
Meanwhile Stephen Cleeve, previously banned from holding directorships for eight years in 2000 and with a failed attempt to take over Wrexham in 2011 behind him, had bought the club from Chapman in 2016. Given the club’s previous historical financial track record some Lynn fans could have been a bit concerned, but once he said he accepted he’d made mistakes during a string of dodgy ‘investment’ schemes flogging whisky, Champagne and land, everyone’s minds were presumably set at rest! King’s Lynn Town operates as Lynn F.C. Ltd., which is 100% owned by Blue and Gold Holdings Ltd., which in turn is 67% owned by Stephen Cleeve and 33% by Polina Cleeve. Layers of holding companies… what could possibly go wrong with that, eh YTFC fans?
The 2018-19 season, which following one of the endless reorganisations of the lower parts of the pyramid had them turn up in the Southern League Premier Division Central, saw another second place finish, this time to Kettering Town. In the play-offs victories over Stratford Town (3-1) and then Alvechurch (3-0) disposed of the Southern League rivals, but then there was (for, so far, the first and only time) a ‘Super Play-Off’ stage. They met and defeated Warrington Town of the Northern Premier League 3-2 after extra-time, so it was King’s Lynn Town which arrived in the National League North for the 2019-20 season. In a campaign ended early because of the Covid-19 pandemic The Linnets leapfrogged York City once PPG was calculated by 0.06 of a point to get promoted as Champions to the National League Premier.
In normal circumstances finishing 21st would have sent them straight back down, but with the National League North & South divisions not playing there was no relegation from the NLP in 2020-21.
This season the club has again been struggling in the relegation zone for almost the entire campaign. With Dover Athletic’s virtually inevitable relegation now confirmed it is looking like two from three of Aldershot Town, King’s Lynn Town and W*ymouth to follow them down. At the start of March, 15 points below the line, the Linnets looked dead and buried, but the Shots falling to pieces with six straight losses combined with King’s Lynn Town’s best form of the season gives them renewed hope as they go into the coming fixture versus Yeovil Town only three points adrift.
King’s Lynn : We’ve Met Before
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs King’s Lynn
| 25/10/1958 | Home | SLSE | W | 1-0 | McConnon | ||
| 28/02/1959 | Away | SLSE | W | 1-0 | Emmonds | ||
| 12/09/1959 | Home | SLP | L | 1-5 | Dennis | ||
| 23/01/1960 | Away | SLP | D | 1-1 | Paton | ||
| 29/10/1960 | Away | SLP | W | 4-1 | Paton (2), Taylor, Kelly | ||
| 18/03/1961 | Home | SLP | L | 1-2 | Taylor | ||
| 30/09/1961 | Away | SLP | W | 2-1 | Foley, Coughlin | ||
| 17/02/1962 | Home | SLP | W | 3-1 | Foley, Taylor, Coughlin | ||
| 24/10/1964 | Home | SLP | D | 2-2 | 2512 | o.g., Albury | |
| 06/03/1965 | Away | SLP | W | 2-1 | Taylor, Hall | ||
| 28/08/1965 | Home | SLP | W | 3-1 | 2562 | Harding, Randall, Hirst | |
| 05/02/1966 | Away | SLP | L | 1-2 | 1635 | Pounder | |
| 12/11/1966 | Home | SLP | W | 4-0 | 2705 | Riding, Rees, Muir, Albury | |
| 08/04/1967 | Away | SLP | L | 1-4 | 1427 | Taylor | |
| 26/08/1967 | Away | SLP | D | 1-1 | 1861 | Allen | |
| 23/12/1967 | Home | SLP | W | 1-0 | 2537 | Bramley | |
| 22/01/1969 | Home | SLP | W | 4-0 | 1926 | Thompson, Plumb, Myers, Elliott | |
| 01/02/1969 | Away | SLP | L | 2-3 | 1493 | Plumb (2) | |
| 21/02/1970 | Away | SLP | L | 0-1 | 1046 | ||
| 18/04/1970 | Home | SLP | W | 4-0 | 2376 | Myers (2), Housley, Clancy | |
| 29/08/1970 | Home | SLP | W | 1-0 | 2326 | Thompson | |
| 10/03/1971 | Away | SLP | D | 1-1 | 1333 | Weller | |
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs King’s Lynn
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 41 | 27 |
King’s Lynn Town: We’ve Met Before
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs King’s Lynn Town
| 03/10/2020 | Away | NLP | D | 2-2 | 0 | Wilkinson 46, Duffus 81 | |
| 15/05/2021 | Home | NLP | W | 3-1 | 0 | Knowles 8, 11, Sonupe 84 | |
| 28/08/2021 | Home | NLP | L | 1-2 | 2024 | Quigley 15 | |
| 09/04/2022 | Away | NLP | D | 2-2 | 970 | Gorman 6, Wakefield 90 | |
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs King’s Lynn Town
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
King’s Lynn Town : Club Statistics
RECENT RESULTS
| 01/03/2022 | Wrexham | Away | NLP | L | 0-2 | 8173 | ||
| 05/03/2022 | Solihull Moors | Away | NLP | D | 2-2 | 1522 | Linton 10, Fernandez 52 | |
| 08/03/2022 | Woking | Home | NLP | D | 0-0 | 713 | ||
| 12/03/2022 | Torquay United | Home | NLP | L | 2-3 | 870 | Hargreaves 45, McGavin 57 | |
| 19/03/2022 | Aldershot Town | Away | NLP | W | 3-0 | 1660 | Linton 20, 56, Omotayo 90 | |
| 22/03/2022 | Stockport County | Home | NLP | L | 0-3 | 914 | ||
| 26/03/2022 | FC Halifax Town | Home | NLP | W | 2-0 | 921 | Barrett 52, Omotayo 90 | |
| 02/04/2022 | Dover Athletic | Away | NLP | D | 1-1 | 511 | Barrett 66 | |
| 05/04/2022 | Bromley | Home | NLP | W | 1-0 | 857 | Widdrington 59 | |
| 09/04/2022 | Yeovil Town | Home | NLP |
LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS
Highest League Attendance: 2,683
Lowest League Attendance: 591
Average League Attendance: 1,077
CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS
| Games Without A Win: | 0 | Games Without A Home Win: | 0 | |
| Games Without An Away Win: | 1 | Games Without Defeat: | 3 | |
| Games Without A Home Defeat: | 2 | Games Without An Away Defeat: | 3 | |
| Games Without A Draw: | 1 | Games Without A Score Draw: | 1 | |
| Games Without A No-Score Draw: | 6 | Games Without Scoring: | 0 | |
| Games Without Conceding: | 1 | Home Results Sequence: | LDLLWW | |
| Away Results Sequence: | DLDWD | Overall Results Sequence: | DLLDDLWLWDW |
King’s Lynn Town : Club Information
Address: The Walks Stadium
Tennyson Road
King’s Lynn
Norfolk
PE30 5PB
(Click for map)
Telephone Number: 01553 760060
Email: office@kltown.co.uk
Chairman: Stephen Cleeve
Club Secretary: Julie Briggs
Stadium Manager: Richard Simper
Health & Safety Officer: Jamie Farr
Head of Media: Reg Clarke
Manager: Tommy Widdrington
Capacity: a notional 8,200 (though with the ground now segregated it is less than that)
Seated: 1,400 (reduced to 1,200 with a neutral zone)
Terrace: the rest (of which one side is covered and both ends are open)
Record Attendance: (as King’s Lynn) 12,937 v Exeter City, FA Cup First Round, 24th November 1951; (as King’s Lynn Town) 4,019 v York City, National League North, 18th January 2020
Nickname: The Linnets
Colours: shirts – blue with gold trim; shorts – gold; socks – blue
Programme: £3.50
Ticketing:
The Walks is not a stadium that has traditionally been segregated. However the club states that: “After due consideration and advice from the local police and security advisors, all King’s Lynn Town FC first team fixtures this season shall be segregated.” In practice this means they’ve had to bodge up some ad hoc segregation in a ground not designed for it. So the away support usually gets an area of terracing that holds up to 985, comprising (some or all) of the Tennyson Road End (which is behind one of the goals, is uncovered and is only a few steps high) and a section of the side-on North Terrace (which does have a roof). The Walks only has one seated area, The Grandstand, which runs along about 2/3rds one side of the pitch, with a current 1,200 capacity. There are 150 seats allocated for away supporters in Section A. The away standing and away seated areas are at the same end but on opposite sides of the ground – and thus have different entry points, but haven’t found any turnstile numbers mentioned (if they are numbered).
There was much mockery (through gritted teeth at the thought of having to pay) around social media when Chairman Cleeve announced the pricing policy for this season, with its delusions of grandeur in the form of Category A and Category B games, as well as the actual charges being set for viewing a team almost bound to be scrabbling round the foot of the NLP table, in a 1950’s style ground, in the back of beyond. As recall we were originally on a very lengthy A list, but protests from home fans fed up with excessive prices got that list significantly reduced. We were one of the clubs moved down to Category B – and I’ll happily take that insult 
as it saves everyone £3.00.
One needs to create an account to purchase on-line. If one prefers to avoid that pay-on-the-day at the turnstiles is an option, though in order to keep track of what’s available in the limited away seated section the club strongly pushes for travelling supporters wanting to sit to pre-book.
Ticket Prices
Adult: seated £20.00; standing (termed General Admission) £18.00
Concessions: seated £18.00; standing £16.00
Under 16: seated £5.00; standing £5.00
Disabled Info :
The Walks wheelchair user facilities are in the home section of the Tennyson Road End and they charge the relevant ticket price with a carer admitted free of charge. Disabled tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance by mailing Ticket Office Manager Zoe Sandle at zoe.sandle@kltown.co.uk.
Car parking passes can be booked (priced from £4.00, if available) by mailing Zoe Sandle at the address above ahead of any then remaining going on open sale on-line. Once a reservation has been accepted the vehicle registration number must also be e-mailed in to be added to the Stewards List for the car park entry point.
The stadium’s disability liaison officer is Jamie Farr, who is the point of contact for further information or any particular queries at safety@kltown.co.uk.
Official Away Travel
The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to King’s Lynn Town on Saturday, April 9th.
Details are as follows:
Members: Adult £34.00; Concession £32.00
Non-Members: Adult £36.00; Concession £34.00
Coach departs Huish Park: 7.00 a.m.
To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 or email him on paulhadlow@outlook.com.
If you are getting in touch by email, please make it clear which match you are booking for and that you give your full name, the names of people that are travelling and a contact telephone number.
You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.
King’s Lynn Town : Directions To The Ground
General
King’s Lynn, usually just referred to as Lynn by the locals, is an old port and market town in the north-west corner of Norfolk and now a few miles (it used to be right on the coast but there’s been centuries of silting up and land reclamation) from the south-east corner of The Wash. The present population is just over forty thousand. The region is flat, really really REALLY flat, mostly just above, and in some areas actually below, sea level. Sometimes one can be driving along and find the embanked river to left or right is higher than the road… which just feels weird. In droughts they are still waterlogged; when it’s wet, underwater.
The football ground is at the southern edge of the major green space in central King’s Lynn, St James’ Park and The Walks (hence the name of the stadium). It’s about 10 minutes walk from the railway station and about 15-20 from what passes as the town ‘centre’ (which is somewhat sprawling with no obvious focal point).
By Road
A long old haul this one, just a few miles shy of a 500 mile round trip between Huish Park and The Walks, so around four and a half hours by car each way. A303, M3, M25, M11 takes one to Great Chesterford. After which it’s the A11, which joins and becomes the A14 shortly before Newmarket. Leave the A14 at Junction 37 on the Newmarket Bypass, taking the A142 (Fordham Road) north for Ely.
Approaching Ely, at Ely Southern Bypass Roundabout take the second exit on to Stuntney Causeway. Take the first right off Stuntney Causeway on to Queen Adelaide Way which runs along the bank of the River Great Ouse. At the end of Queen Adelaide Way turn right, on to Prickwillow Road (B1382) and then almost immediately (it’s about 40 yards) turn left on to Branch Bank, which continues to follow the bank of the river until meeting the A10 at a roundabout.
Take the second exit off this roundabout and the A10 takes one all the way to the outskirts of King’s Lynn. At the Hardwick Roundabout interchange take the second exit A149 (Hardwick Road) in to the town. At the next (Southgates) roundabout take the fourth exit on to Vancouver Avenue (B1144). Keep following the B1144 as it comes Goodwins Road and then Tennyson Road, at which point you will see the stadium to you left.
Parking:
Parking at the stadium is limited and basically reserved for big cheeses and corporate types, though there is some possibility of provision for disabled supporters (see Disabled Info, above). The club recommends St James Multi-Storey Carpark (645 spaces) off Clough Lane, which it optimistically states is five minutes walk from the stadium but looks a good ten+ minutes to me. A full breakdown of pricing can be found via the link above, but for example three hours would cost £3.50 and four hours £4.00. (Find it difficult to believe in this day and age – though it is medieval Norfolk – but Parkopedia suggests payment is cash only!)
Cheaper, and perhaps (very marginally) closer to the stadium, are King’s Lynn Railway Station’s two car parks. The one run by APCOA Parking (90 spaces) is a flat rate £2.80 for the whole day on a Saturday; the other, run by Napier Parking (98 spaces), is a flat rate £2.50 for the day on a Saturday. Both have cash, card and phone payment options.
As regards on-street parking, King’s Lynn has four permit only zones, but only two are close enough to the ground to be relevant. So avoid the Portland/Waterloo Street and Highgate/Eastgate areas and you should then be OK if spotting a space.
By Rail
This is doable from Yeovil Junction and return in the day, via Waterloo and King’s Cross. Departing from the Junction at 08.29 or 09.29 gets one in to King’s Lynn at 13.31 and 14.31 respectively. The only reverse service post-match to get one back to Yeovil on the day departs King’s Lynn at 17.44 (again changing at King’s Cross and Waterloo), arriving Yeovil Junction 23.40.
For London and South-East Glovers there’s one direct service not requiring changes to King’s Lynn an hour throughout the day, departing King’s Cross at 42 minutes past the hour with Great Northern. Direct return services are also one an hour, departing at either 40 or 44 minutes past the hour. Journey time each way is 1 hour 50 minutes, give or take.
Again the club’s website optimistically claims the stadium is just five minutes walk away; give yourself ten. Exit the train station by the main doors and turn left. Turn left again at St John’s Church on to St John’s Walk and then right on to Red Mount Walk, crossing the park. One needs to get across the River Gaywood, so when Red Mount Walk meets Broad Walk turn left on to Broad Walk, which will take you over it. About 150 yards further on a path to the right will take you round to the ground.
By Bus
Being a fairly town central ground buses probably aren’t going to be very relevant, but for the record the bus stops close to the stadium are called Mount Street (just north of it) and Exton’s Road (just south) both on the B1144 (Tennyson Road/Goodwins Road) and served by No. 46. However the way this route is constructed makes it of little actual use in getting to the stadium from central King’s Lynn.
By Taxi
A selection of King’s Lynn taxi companies can be found here.
King’s Lynn Town : Web Resources
Web Sites
Blue & Gold Trust Official Website – long running independent site (active since 1997), it’s a bit clunky and old fashioned in style and very text driven (which I happen to like); and has built up an impressive collection of historical records and stats in the Archive section with, as examples, tables all the way back to 1897-98, comprehensive player stats going back over twenty seasons, and links to over a thousand match reports (which is all the sort of stuff I particularly like).
King’s Lynn Town FC – the Official Site. If so minded one can still donate to Tommy Widdrington’s match ban and fine crowdfunder (minimum donation £5.00) – something else for which Chairman Cleeve has received much mockery.
I Bought A Football Club – Podcasts by King’s Lynn Town current majority shareholder and chairman Stephen Cleeve.
King’s Lynn Town FC Official Forum – a perfect example of why a club setting up a forum under its control contradicts the purposes of a forum. There it sits. No one uses it. Pretty much no one has ever used it.
Linnets’ Fans’ Forum – independent. What it says, a forum for fans of The Linnets. (This is the one they use, see above.)
The Mighty Linnets – Facebook page of King’s Lynn Town F.C. Supporters Group.
Local Press
Eastern Daily Press – obviously much more interested in other clubs, especially The Canaries, but does have some coverage of The Linnets.
Lynn News – local enough paper that King’s Lynn Town are actually the Big Club for its readership.
West Norfolk Weekly Community Newspaper – under the ‘yourlocalpaper’ banner.
King’s Lynn Town : Food & Drink
General :
As mentioned previously, the town ‘centre’ is rather spread out and sprawling with no real obvious focus. The Stuart House Hotel is the nearest ‘pub’ to the stadium as the crow flies, in Goodwins Road, but to get to it one has to go in a loop so it’s about seven minutes walking time. However its bar that is useable by the general public rather than resident guests doesn’t open until 6.00 p.m. Next closest are a little cluster of pubs, the Live & Let Live, Lord Napier and London Porterhouse (all listed below), south-west of the ground and all around seven to eight minutes walk away. These are much frequented by the home support but little indication of issues.
There are two outlets at the railway station, The Fenman just outside and Country Line Buffet Bar actually inside (both below). The remainder of the suggestions below are around the more central areas of the town, with the Spoons and two others (Crown & Mitre and Nip & Growler Craft Ale House*) in a tight cluster almost exactly a mile (so 20 minutes walk) from the stadium; and Wenns Chop & Ale House and the White Hart, which are south of those and under three-quarters of a mile (so c. 15 minutes walk), due west of the ground.
Football fans are a cynical lot (used to being ripped off) and a discussion earlier in the season on the Linnets’ Fans’ Forum (see above) saw home fans reaching the conclusion one was better off – in quality, quantity and price – popping in to The Crossings Fish & Chip Shop or even the Subway branch, which are next door to one another on Tennyson Road a couple of hundred yards from the stadium (map), than risking what Mr Cleeve was offering in the stadium.
(* With the best beer range in King’s Lynn by a country mile the Nip & Growler would have been a guaranteed entrant to the guide. Unfortunately it is closed 04/04 to 12/04 as the owners go on holiday.)
Club Bar :
What’s on offer at the ground is hard to ascertain as their first season at NLP level with fans has seen an evolving situation. After the opening fixture at The Walks saw around 1,500 Southend United fans turn up (outnumbering the home crowd) there was some panic, and in reaction it was after this full segregation for all games was decided upon. Since then the segregation systems and structures in place have been altered and tweaked on a number of occasions. It appears that, as it stood recently, the club bar (which is situated in The Grandstand) may be available to away fans who have chosen seated tickets but isn’t for those who have chosen to stand on the terrace.
Local Pubs :
Country Line Buffet Bar: Situated between the entrances to the platforms, a café with alcohol licence. Range of refreshments for those arriving/departing by train. Alcohol appears to be restricted to bottles and cans, mostly mainstream brands. Opening hours 5.00 a.m. (alcohol licence from 6.00 a.m. for any in need at that hour) – 5.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 6.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Sunday. Exactly half a mile (c. 10 minutes walk) from the ground.
Country Line Buffet Bar, Kings Lynn Railway Station, Blackfriars Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1NX. Tel: 01553 764055. Map: Country Line Buffet Bar.
Crown & Mitre: Given the Great Ouse flows through King’s Lynn surprisingly few pubs are right on the river, but this is one that is. A hundred yards from the Spoons (below) and so also one mile from the stadium. Has five or six beers on handpump, sourced from smaller breweries both local and further afield (had several beers from Somerset’s Parkway Brewing in March ’22). Does traditional British pub food lunchtimes and evenings. The pub and its garden have views across the river. Opening hours are noon – 2.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m.
Crown & Mitre, Ferry Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1LJ. Tel: 01553 774669. Map: Crown & Mitre.
Fenman: The beer selection – it’s a Greene King pub with a couple of cask beers and their multinational tie-ins on keg – wouldn’t usually get a pub like this in the guide; but it is convenient, right outside the railway station and exactly half a mile (10 minutes walk) from the away end. Single room hostelry with pool table, Sky Sports TV and a beer garden. Opening hours: 3.00 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 3.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Friday; noon – 11.00 p.m. Saturday; noon – 10.00 p.m. Sunday.
The Fenman, Blackfriars Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1NT. Tel: 01553 764899. Map: The Fenman.
Globe Hotel: King’s Lynn’s Wetherspoon; and this one actually is a hotel where people can stay. Three Spoons regulars on cask, Greene King IPA and Abbot and Carlsberg Marston’s Doom Bar, plus five changing. Disabled friendly with step free access. Outdoor area. No mentioned hours restrictions on children. Food all day. Opens from 7.00 a.m. and closes midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Exactly one mile (so c. 20 minutes walk) from the ground.
The Globe Hotel, Tuesday Market Place, King Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1EZ. Tel: 01553 668000. Map: Globe Hotel.
Live & Let Live: Back-street corner two bar wet-led local. Five real ales mostly sourced from around Norfolk and Lincolnshire, with something always on from Grainstore Brewery. Has been Cider Pub of the Year in the area for the last two years and always has a number of options, usually including something from local cidery Whin Hill. BT Sports and a jukebox. Small outside beer courtyard to rear. Opening hours are from 11.00 a.m. every day, closing 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday and Saturday and 10.30 p.m. Sunday. A third of a mile (six to seven minutes walk) from the ground.
Live & Let Live, 18 Windsor Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5PL. Tel: 01553 764990. Map: Live & Let Live.
London Porterhouse: Although on a main road (A148, London Road) it’s a small one bar wet-led pub very much in the ‘back-street-local-boozer’ style. Sold by Greene King a decade ago it is now a Free House. Has three handpumps, usually serving national beers but occasionally something local turns up. Walled garden and covered smoking area to the rear. Hours: 4.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 2.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Friday; noon – 11.00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A couple of minutes walk further from the ground than the Live & Let Live (above) and the Lord Napier (below).
The London Porterhouse, 78 London Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5EU. Tel: 01553 766307. Map: London Porterhouse.
Lord Napier: Third of the three back-street wet-led locals south-west of the ground (see Live & Let Live and London Porterhouse above). Probably the most home fan orientated of the three – there’s 50p a pint off all beers and lagers before and after games for Blue & Gold members on matchdays. (Occasionally this is extended to all customers – if so there will be big notices around the pub saying so.) Has four hand pumps mostly serving beers from the multinationals; and the likes of Carling, Peroni, Staropramen and Guinness on the keg taps. Significantly refurnished in 2018, there’s Sports TV, with two screens inside and one outside in the courtyard. A third of a mile (six to seven minutes walk) from the ground. Opening hours (both last updated 11 months ago) are given as 10.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. on its Facebook page but as 11.30 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. by WhatPub, every day.
Lord Napier, 1 Guanock Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5QT. Tel: 01553 760049. Map: Lord Napier.
Nip & Growler Craft Ale House: CLOSED 04/04/2022 – 12/04/2022, owners on holiday.
Nip & Growler Craft Ale House, 68 High Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1AY. Tel: 01553 760924. Map: Nip & Growler.
Wenns Chop & Ale House: Extensively renovated in 2020, despite the name the food on offer is modern pub cuisine. Food is served everyday from noon – 9.00 p.m. (8.00 p.m. Sunday), with additionally breakfasts from 10.00 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday. The changing cask beer selection is a bit random (what serious beer drinker wants Courage Directors or Jennings Cumberland, two recent offerings, both now churned out from industrial plant by the Carlsberg Marston’s conglomerate); but on the plus side Three Blind Mice Brewery beers regularly appear. Disabled access, family friendly. Opening hours are 10.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m. every day. 0.7 of a mile (so c. 15 minutes walk) from the ground.
The Wenns Chop & Ale House, 8 Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5DQ. Tel: 01553 772077. Map: The Wenns.
White Hart: Oldest continuously licenced pub in King’s Lynn apparently, though it doesn’t particularly look it either inside or out. Just 75 yards from Wenns Chop & Ale House (above), and 0.6 of a mile (so c.14 minutes walk) from the ground. Has two hand pumps that serve Barsham Brewery beers. Keg offerings are from the multinationals. Opening is from noon – 11.30 p.m. every day except Sunday when it closes at 10.30 p.m.
The White Hart, 1 St James Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5DA. Tel: 01553 760034. Map: White Hart.
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :
Well as fellow rustic smock wearing tractor driving yokels we should get on swimmingly. But it doesn’t always work like that: just consider our relationship with Hereford The BullSh***ers. Get orf moi laaaand!
Top-Tip :
<– Should you see this man possibly best not to buy anything he’s selling.
Other Points Of Interest : Apparently the Queen is fond of King’s Lynn (one tends to assume that’s the town itself rather than the football or speedway teams, but who knows) – it’s only seven and a half miles from the royal residence of Sandringham. Over the centuries many people have tried to find King John’s crown jewels, supposedly lost along with his baggage train in The Wash in 1216. No crown jewels have ever been recovered but some have drowned trying, so maybe don’t bother.
[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]