HISTORY is brought to life in
an exciting and entertaining
way for all the family in Tales
Of The Old Gaol House in the
Saturday Market Place at
King's Lynn.
The exhibition uses real
cells, dating from the 18th
century and redundant since
1954, to show how the crimi-
nals of yesteryear were dealt
with.
Each visitor is equipped
with a personal stereo which
gives them a guided tour,
peppered with costumed fig-
ures, sounds and even
smells.
The tour begins at an old
police counter.
Visitors can make a copy
of their own fingerprints as a
souvenir or have a `mug
shot' taken in the style of
wanted posters.
Throughout the tour there
are various artefacts from
the Norfolk Museums Service
collection and these include
an assortment of truncheons,
a ducking stool, a whipping
post and stocks.
Taped voices vary and
often there are background
noises of crowds, creating a
real atmosphere as one
hears the Witchfinder
General and his victims in
Lynn, and the story of
Eugene Aram, a Lynn school
tutor in the 18th century who
was hanged for a murder in
Yorkshire that had taken
place several years earlier.
In fact Aram's skull is
among the exhibits at the Old
Gaol House.
Apart from giving a fasci-
nating insight into life in ear-
lier times, the exhibition also
reminds us how cruel and
humiliating some of the pun-
ishments were, often for
offences that today would be
considered quite minor.
There is a special guide for
children, also lasting 35 min-
utes, and the admission
charge includes the tape hire
and tour of the town's hand-
some civic treasures which
include royal charters, seals,
the medieval King John Cup
and silver tableware from
King Charles II's reign.
There is also a gift shop.
WHILE the historic quar-
ter of King's Lynn has
always been a big draw
with visitors, the adjoining
smart new Vancouver
Shopping Centre is also a
temptation, particularly
with the ladies.
It offers a most convenient
opportunity to combine a bit of
shopping with a visit to places such
as Tales of the Old Gaol House at
Saturday Market Place or The
Green Quay by the riverside.
Parking in the town centre has
been made much easier by the
opening of the St James multi-
storey car park, right next to the
�50million-plus shopping centre
which has transformed retailing in
the town.
Once you have had a browse
around the centre, and surrounding
streets including Norfolk Street,
Tower Street, and High Street, don't
forget that you are so close to the
historic areas of the Tuesday and
Saturday Market Places, Nelson
Street, Queen Street and King
Street, and the waterside frontage
of the River Ouse along the South
Quay.
It's all within easy walking dis-
tance, and you could perhaps start
at the distinctive Custom House, a
local landmark that has associa-
tions with the town's famous son,
Captain George Vancouver, and
houses the Tourist Information
Centre. It can be reached from High
Street via Purfleet Street, and is
also close to the junction of King
Street, Queen Street and the South
Quay -- a real focal point for start-
ing a historic wander.
Next to the Custom House is
Purfleet Quay, where you can see a
statue to Captain Vancouver, who
charted the West Coast of Canada
in the late 1700s and gave his
name to the city of Vancouver.
Tourist Information
King's Lynn Tourist Information Centre: The Custom House, Purfleet
Quay, tel 01553 763044.
Market Days: Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Early Closing: Wednesdays.
Website
For more local information see the Lynn News website at
www.lynnnews.co.uk
Justice in the bad old days
Your choice
YOUR TALES OF THE OLD GAOL HOUSE
SUMMER SAVER VOUCHER IS ON PAGE 73
The historic Tuesday Market Place.
TALES OF THE
OLD GAOL HOUSE
TALES OF THE
OLD GAOL HOUSE
Saturday Market Place, King's Lynn
Experience an atmospheric visit to the cells.
Hear tales of local witches, murderers
and highwaymen.
Try out the stocks in the old market square.
OPEN APRIL - OCTOBER
Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm
Open Nov - March Tues - Sat 10am - 4pm
Extensive Gift Shop, postcards,
books, souvenirs.
Telephone: 01553 774297
www.west-norfolk.gov.uk

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