In the centre of the Walks public park in Kings Lynn stands a surviving 15th century pilgrims chapel standing on a surviving section of the Medieval ramparts. This pilgrim’s chapel is related to the significance of the pre-Reformation ‘pilgrim trade’ to Walsingham, east-north-east of Kings Lynn (then Bishop’s Lynn). After many years of neglect it is now occasionally open to the public (see Friends of the Walks website) and comprises two chapels one on the ground floor, the other on the second floor. This second floor chapel is embellished by a very fine, ornate rib-vaulted ceiling in the high fashion of the 15th century. Thankfully this fine piece of late-medieval architecture is now much valued, much more so than a few decades ago. Yet again in eastern England it is an example of late-medieval brick making and building, hence its usual local name is ‘Red Mount’.
Government acceptance of the value of public ‘walks’, although whether they should be open to ‘all’ the public or just one section continued to divide opinion, forms the early 19th century section of the evolution of public parks. In 1833 a parliamentary committee was created to consider ‘the best means of securing Open Spaces in the Vicinity of populous Towns, as Public Walks’. A key figure in this movement was John Claudius Loudon (of whom more later). One angle on this was that an opportunity for working people, otherwise constantly in factory conditions, to get fresh air and basic exercise would improve productivity. Kings Lynn’s Walks were initially perceived as a facility for the ‘chattering classes’ rather than an open to all provision. So, as stated at the beginning of this section The Walks park at Kings Lynn is particularly significant.
(Next time the era of metropolitan ‘pleasure gardens’).