Find out about the history of the Tower Gardens in King's Lynn
Tower Gardens general information
Tower Gardens is closed at dusk, and open from 8 am each morning, There is no charge for admission.
Location
It's located on Saint James Road
Parking
There is not dedicated parking. The nearest car park is the St James Multi Storey
Disabled access
Most areas of the park are accessible with a wheelchair.
RNIB react unit is located at the entrance nearest the police station.
Facilities and features
The Tower Gardens has the following features and facilities:
- War Memorial
- Greyfriars Tower
- temporary Lynn Lumiere installation
The history of the Tower Gardens
Of the 60 Franciscan friaries that existed in England prior to the suppression in 1538, significant remains of only 16 exist. Greyfriars Tower is one of only three remaining in the country, and is the most attractive and complete.
The tower is a key landmark in King's Lynn. It owes its survival to this as, for centuries, it proved useful as a seamark for traders and sailors navigating the difficult waters of the Wash.
Grade I listed/Scheduled Ancient Monument status, the tower is located in the attractive Tower Gardens on land formerly within the boundary of the friary. The gardens were laid out in 1911 to mark the coronation of King George V. They also contain the public library completed in 1905, and the King's Lynn War Memorial, designed in 1921.
The Tower Gardens have been remodelled utilising hard landscaping. This is to indicate the location and extent of the nave, north aisle, chancel, cloister walks and chapter house, enhancing interpretation and awareness of the complex. With the benefit of Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage funding, restoration and enhancement of the leaning tower and gardens was completed in 2006.
Awards
To date Greyfriars Tower has received the following awards:
- The Mayor's Award for Design in the Environment 2006 - Category; Restoration
- Civic Pride and Monuments Green Apple Silver Award presented by the Green Organisation in 2007
- The RIBA East Spirit of Ingenuity Heritage Award 2007
- The RIBA East Spirit of Ingenuity Public Sector Award 2007
- Campaign to Protect Rural England Norfolk Environmental and Architectural Award
- Greyfriars Tower was a finalist in the first series of the BBC2 programme Restoration