Renovation work to breathe new life into St George’s Guildhall is moving ahead, with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk appointing its main contractor to undertake this internationally-significant cultural heritage project in the heart of King’s Lynn.
The Guildhall and Creative Hub project will see the medieval venue, empty buildings and courtyards revived as inspiring, welcoming spaces for everyone, creating a heritage destination, new food and drink offer, home for creative industries and year-round programme of performances, events and education programmes.
As the flagship scheme of the King’s Lynn Town Deal programme and a priority of the Pride in Place Programme, St George’s will be sensitively preserved and enhanced as a local, regional and international centre for arts, creativity and theatre for everyone to enjoy, promoting King’s Lynn’s heritage and the theatre’s tantalising links to Shakespeare.
Main contractor, Messenger BCR Group, which has a pedigree of working on conservation projects in East Anglia, will start the main works on-site from 24 November and work through to site reopening in 2028. Over the first few months, scaffolding will be erected around the building with a temporary roof to make it weather-tight and to allow critical repairs to then start on the historic roof.
Led by the Borough Council, the project is in partnership with King’s Lynn Neighbourhood Board, Historic England and Norfolk Museum Service, in collaboration with the National Trust who own the freehold of part of the Guildhall site.
Cllr Simon Ring, the Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet member for Business, said: “This is the big announcement we have been working hard towards with our partners, and I can’t wait to see the scaffolding rise up around the building, heralding the start of the main hands-on renovation.
“Our exciting vision for this beloved and unique venue is a year-round local, regional and international destination for heritage, arts, creativity and theatre, which will bring profound opportunities to all our residents, young people, visitors, economy and the creative scene.
“During this main works phase alone, it will create 55 jobs, opportunities for West Norfolk sub-contractors, new apprenticeships, skills days for college students, heritage skills workshops, work experience, training for ex-service personnel, and opportunities for local school children to be part of the story. Our Learning and Engagement programme will also continue to involve visitors and local young people in the project through special events, exhibitions and tours.”
Zach Stanford, project champion on King’s Lynn Neighbourhood Board, which is investing more than £10m of Government Town Deal funding in St George’s, said: “Preserving the past and creating an exciting future, the Guildhall and Creative Hub will deliver some really unique opportunities for our community. It will bring new jobs, improved facilities, training and education activities, enhancement to green space, new office and workspaces for creative industries and substantial uplifts in visitor footfall to the town and wider region.
“It’s really exciting to see the main contractor starting on site. I would like to thank everyone who has got us to this milestone and look forward to receiving updates as the work gets underway.”
Historic England has generously given support with a Heritage at Risk Capital Fund grant of over £720,000 towards the roof restoration and a linked project funded by them to date the historic timbers on the site.
Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director, Historic England, said: “It’s wonderful to see work beginning on the restoration of St George’s Guildhall, a place of exceptional cultural and historic importance.
“This project will do more than safeguard the fabric of a much-loved landmark: it will help to unlock new opportunities for King’s Lynn, strengthening local pride, creativity and economic growth. By investing in heritage at the heart of our towns, we’re helping to create distinctive, thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.”
The National Trust have been providing specialist advice and expertise.
The National Trust’s General Manager, Donna Baldwin, said: “We are pleased that the Council has appointed Messenger BCR as the main contractor for the works to St George’s Guildhall. We know they have the experience needed, as we recently worked with them at Oxburgh Hall to secure the future of another Norfolk landmark.
“St George’s Guildhall is one of the oldest working theatres in the UK and this announcement marks another milestone in the project to regenerate this medieval complex. Due to the historical significance of these buildings, it’s important that this work is carried out sensitively, and we will continue to work with the Council offering advice and specialist support as the project progresses.”
A charity has been founded to run the site in the long term and the Chair of the Charity is Baroness Evans of Bowes Park. She welcomed the appointment of the contractor:
“This is a critical step forward in the regeneration of the site to make it a must visit venue benefitting King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. We are excited to be part of the team which will deliver a vibrant future for St George’s Guildhall and creative hub.”
Paul Gibbons, Group Managing Director of Messenger BCR, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as main contractor for the regeneration of St George’s Guildhall, a project of exceptional cultural and historical significance.
“Messenger BCR Group has a long-established track record in the sensitive restoration of heritage buildings, and it is a privilege to play a part in safeguarding this unique landmark for future generations. We look forward to working closely with the Borough Council and project partners to bring new life and purpose to this extraordinary venue at the heart of King’s Lynn.”
Potential local contractors and suppliers for the project are invited to meet Messenger BCR Group at a free “Meet the Buyer” event on Thursday, 4 December 2025, at King’s Lynn Town Hall. Register via this link.
