True's Yard Fisherfolk Museum

About the museum

True's Yard Fisherfolk Museum tells the story of the North End of King's Lynn, a close-knit fishing community beside the River Great Ouse. Most of this quarter was cleared in the 1930s and again in the 1960s as slum housing was demolished, and the yard is one of the few places where its buildings survive. The museum is an independent charity, run by The North End Trust and staffed almost entirely by volunteers.

The yard takes its name from William True, who owned it from 1818 and worked there as a whitesmith in the building now called the Smithy. Of the six cottages that once stood in the yard, two remain. Cottage 5 is furnished as it would have been in the mid-nineteenth century and Cottage 6 as it was in the 1920s and 1930s, so visitors can see how large families lived in two small rooms. The site also includes the last surviving smokehouse in the North End, restored with Heritage Lottery Fund support, where herring and bloaters were smoked from at least the 1880s.

Inside the galleries, a detailed three-dimensional model of the old North End shows the streets and buildings that were lost. Displays include household objects, boat models, fishing gear and a model of Tudor King's Lynn. The museum also has a research centre with an archive for people studying local and family history.

Highlights

• Two furnished fisherfolk cottages from different periods
• The last surviving smokehouse in the North End
• Fred Hall's large model of the lost North End
• Model of Tudor King's Lynn
• Georgian tea room and a research centre

Permanent exhibitions

• Entrance Hall and Main Gallery – A model of Tudor King's Lynn, fishing gear and a detailed model of the old North End, with household objects and boat models.
• Fisherfolk Cottages – Two preserved cottages furnished for the 1850s to 1860s and the 1920s to 1930s.
• Smokehouse – The last surviving smokehouse in the North End, where herring were smoked from the 1880s.

Founded

1989

Operated by

The North End Trust

Admission & discounts

Carers and visitors to the Research Centre enter free. School groups pay per child: £3.50 for a half-day session and £5 for a full-day session.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Level access from the street; the front door is 1050mm wide and not automatic, so visitors ring the doorbell for help. The museum, shop and tea room are wheelchair accessible, and lifts serve the research room, education room and smokehouse. The surface of the yard is uneven, so visitors with mobility difficulties may want to bring a companion. Accessible toilets are on the ground and first floors. Assistance dogs are welcome and water is available on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Free children's trails and Time Explorer rucksacks are available, and children can explore the original cottages and the smokehouse. Baby changing is provided. School sessions are offered for all age groups.

Getting there & parking

On the corner of North Street and St Ann's Street. School coaches can stop in front of the museum to drop off and pick up. Cycle racks are available around King's Lynn.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Georgian Tea Room with table service, serving light lunches, cakes, tea and coffee. Food and drink may only be consumed in the tea room. Free lockers for bags, and a small outdoor seating area with a picnic table. Limited buggy storage in reception.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 35 guests.

The education room seats about 35 people and has IT equipment for conference calls; hire costs £15 per hour or £60 for 10am to 3.30pm. The reading and archive rooms can be hired by study groups. The museum can open until 11pm for evening bookings, and community groups receive discounted rates.

Plan your visit