Blakeney Guildhall, Blakeney, Norfolk
The picturesque village of Blakeney was the third most important port in Norfolk when the Guildhall was built in the 15th century. It may originally have been a merchant’s house. It was home to Blakeney’s guild of fish merchants by 1516 when they were granted a charter by Henry VIII. The building subsequently had a surprising variety of uses. It is shown on a map of 1682 with a castellated upper storey, that was perhaps used as an inn. This later fell into disrepair. In the mid-19th century the undercroft was used for storing coal, which was traded along the coast between Newcastle and London. In the First World War it was used as a temporary mortuary for shipwrecked sailors. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011).
