Greenland Music at Greenland Fishery House, King's Lynn, West Norfolk PE30
Update on Historic England Heritage at Risk Capital Funded work on Greenland Fishery House, King's Lynn, West Norfolk
The newest venture (2024) for Stevie Wishart is the purchase of a Grade II* listed building in King's Lynn in the UK - the much-loved 17th century Greenland Fishery on Bridge Street near Boal Quay.
In July 2025, Stevie was awarded £96,000 from the Historic England HAR Capital Fund. This was subsequently increased when it was found that the large north chimney was unstable and needed more work than predicted. Other works have included repair of an internal staircase, brickwork in the cellar and a doorway opening on the first floor which will give much better access to a set of 17th century wall paintings that have been preserved in two of the rooms on the residential side. Future work is planned to replace the roof, add ground floor doorways for accessibility and light, insulation, a shower room and sustainable heating. Overall, there will spaces for small concerts, workshops and teaching as well as a small amount of accommodation which will be available for musicians and artists. Income from accommodation will help to support the costs of running the building - an asset to the cultural life of King's Lynn. The building contractor is R&J Hogg from Bury St Edmunds who won the contract through a competitive process, and the conservation architect and project lead is Hannah Wooller of Matter of Place Architects based in Norwich. Both are well known and respected in the county. The Quantity Surveyor is Ben Moore of GC Baxter Associates, a King's Lynn based practice. Along with Marion Catlin of Culture Shift Norwich who links everyone together and makes sure deadlines are met and bills are paid, this is the core team working alongside a project team at Historic England Heritage at Risk Capital Fund Programme which aims to get buildings off the Heritage at Risk Register. Some history
The Fishery was built in 1605 by John Atkin, a merchant and the mayor of the day and was a grand merchant's trading hall. It has had many lives since and the latest vision is for it to be a centre for musicians and composers to be able to come and stay and to develop their music, inspired by the building and the nature that surrounds it. Greenland Fishery Music is a project which will welcome musicians and composers to undertake residencies and worshops. Once the renovation work it is set up and from there will organise events and projects including hireable spaces and performances. As well as a large music room, the Fishery has some lovely 17th century wall paintings which are rarely seen. The intention is to make the whole building more accessible to the public. As it is privately owned, fund-raising and a volunteer team will be a vital part of the building's future as significant public funding will be difficult. If you would like to help in any, please contact [email protected] See the document below to find out more about the plans so far... 
Events at Greenland Fishery Occasionally Greenland Fishery Music organises small events and performances in the first floor Music Room.For details of upcoming events at Greenland Fishery, and to buy tickets, please check out www.ticketsource.co.uk/greenland-fishery |
Work on the North Chimney of Greenland Fishery House
Stevie Wishart playing hurdy gurdy in the Music Room
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