Find out about the exciting heritage project to conserve the King’s Lynn Custom House
About the heritage project
Conservation work to sensitively restore and revive King's Lynn Custom House – considered one of England’s most perfect classical buildings and an icon of the town – is now underway as part of wider ambitions to make more of the historic riverfront.
After careful project development work, the Borough Council has appointed Norfolk-based contractor King & Company to deliver light-touch revitalisation of the Grade I-listed landmark and historic setting, for the benefit of residents and visitors.
The Custom House will come back into sustainable use as a flexible, accessible space, as a key part of the Government-funded Town Deal regeneration programme and the council’s wider vision to maximise the destination potential of the historic riverfront, while protecting, respecting and preserving its unique heritage.
When conservation is complete, the Custom House will become a flexible, welcoming and accessible space that residents and visitors alike can enjoy, bringing so many benefits for our community, as well as boosting visitor numbers and hopefully further investment along the riverfront.
Along with the exciting transformation of St George’s Guildhall into an internationally recognised cultural destination, we’re investing in the places that define our town. Together, these projects will strengthen our visitor economy, encourage further investment and help create an even more vibrant waterfront for future generations.
King & Company Norfolk Ltd is a Norfolk-based principal contractor with a well-established reputation for the conservation, restoration and sensitive refurbishment of historic and listed buildings, alongside high-quality new build and bespoke construction projects.
About the Custom House
The Custom House is probably the most famous and recognisable building in King’s Lynn, a town landmark and symbol of its rich maritime heritage and wealth as a trading port.
Built originally as the Merchants’ Exchange in 1683, it was commissioned by Sir John Turner MP, a local wine trader and three times Mayor of King’s Lynn, who lived opposite. It became the Custom House in the early 1700s and was used by Customs and Excise until 1989, later becoming a Tourist Information Centre.
It was the town’s first classical-style building, described by architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as “one of the most perfect classical buildings in provincial England” and is described by Historic England as the masterpiece of local architect Henry Bell, who was strongly influenced by architectural trends of the time in London and Holland.
What the works involve
Works started in August 2026. Over the following 12 months, the 17th century building will be carefully restored, repaired and conserved, including works to the stonework, windows, roof and iconic cupola.
Almost all the historic fabric will be retained and in the coming weeks the hoardings will be decorated with artwork telling the story of the building, King ’s Lynn ’s proud seafaring tradition and life in 17 th century King ’s Lynn when the Custom House was built.
Upgrades will include an accessible toilet, a platform lift taking visitors to the first floor so they can appreciate the beautiful Long Room, plus improved toilets and a new kitchenette on the top floor, which will allow the two office spaces to be brought back into use.
Then in spring 2027, there will be a series of complementary improvements to Purfleet Quay, upgrading lighting and bringing in electrical provision. Access to adjacent premises will be maintained throughout the works.
Keeping you up to date
We are committed to keeping people updated as the project progresses on-site. You can follow our journey through these newsletters:
We are always happy to feature community contributions related to the Custom House.
Please email us at communications@west-norfolk.gov.uk if you have:
- An old photo or picture of the Custom House to share
- A personal story, historical fact, or memory about the Custom House that we could print.
You can also follow us on Facebook for the regular video updates.