The Covid Diaries 24: True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum

A visit to True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum. In which I extend my exploration of smaller museums to ones outside of London and head for this gem in King’s Lynn.

True’s Yard: A Great Example of a Museum By Locals, About Locals

True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum. You can tell from the name alone that it’s going to be pretty great, and it didn’t disappoint. During a recent long weekend in Norfolk I was able to spend a solid hour in the museum. This was not quite enough to take everything in but gave me a good overview. I would recommend at least 90 minutes; more if you want to stop in the tea rooms at the end or like to read every label.

Now when I say that it’s really great, I mean for those who are connoisseurs of this type of museum. By which I mean a strong community and volunteer support base, loads of donated bits and pieces in showcases, and a few displays or multi-media touches that they have probably had grants to do over the years. Just a good, honest museum doing its best to preserve the little historic niche it has carved out.

Last Remnant of a Way of Life

In the case of True’s Yard, the niche is both the preservation of the last scraps of the historic built environment in Lynn’s North End, and the social history of the fishing community that used to inhabit it. You see when walking around King’s Lynn that enclosed courtyards of mixed residential and commercial use once predominated. There are numerous examples to stick your head down and wonder what all the little buildings were used for.

It seems the North End was no different, so where there is now more modern housing, light industry and port infrastructure, there were formerly mixed housing and places of work for the fishing community, based around yards. True’s Yard was of course one of these, and happens to be the last; as slum clearances in the 20th Century removed a lot of buildings. What remains shows quite well the mixed occupation of the area. There are a couple of cottages; a blacksmith’s; a former local shop; a smokehouse; and a boat (the Activity) which is undergoing some kind of restoration although not when we visited.

Through these buildings, the social history of a community and a way of life can be accessed. The cottages are set up as they might have been in days of yore. Sound recordings add colour to the visit, and the smokehouse even has real fish hanging up inside (albeit very far past the edible stage) to show how it was used. What used to be a shop is now used as… a shop (and tearooms). The main parts of the museum are in the corner building (also part of the shop? I’m a bit hazy on that part) and the smithy.

Take Your Time Soaking Up The Atmosphere

So between all of those spaces the good folks of True’s Yard have quite a solid foundation. From here they dive into the work, leisure, traditions, crafts and eating habits of the community who lived there and in many other yards like it. There’s a bric-a-brac of (presumably) donated items, plus models, photos and audio recordings to go through. This is what takes time if you want to do it properly. There was even a bit of a temporary exhibition when we were there (on facial hair) although I didn’t think it was necessary as there was quite a lot going on just with the permanent collection.

So if you are ever in King’s Lynn, please go to the True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum. It’s a good bit of fun, and you will even be following in royal footsteps. Sandringham is just down the road so there are plenty of photographs of royal museum visits over the years. I’m sure with the long closure during lockdown they need funds to keep themselves going, so it’s a worthy cause as well as an educational and edifying experience. And it may give you a new perspective on the next bit of smoked fish you come across! The impact of Covid measures is minimal. There’s a bit of a one-way system which follows the natural flow through the space, and that’s about it. Easy.

On its own merits: 3.5/5
Implementing Covid rules: 3.5/5