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Wednesday, 12 October 2016
9.30am
New Conduit Street, just outside Kenneth Bush Solicitors

Life-size bronze statue of King John will be unveiled by the Mayor Cllr David Whitby. Gareth Calway will perform his rap poem Bad Ass King John.

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One of history's notorious bad guys will be celebrated in King's Lynn with the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of King John in the town centre on Wednesday, 12 October 2016.

The mayor of the borough, Cllr David Whitby, will be unveiling the statue at 9.30am, while local historical author, Gareth Calway performs his poem Bad Ass King John - a favourable portrayal of the much-maligned monarch who changed the fortunes of our town.

The date has been chosen because legend has it that it was on this day in 1216 that King John's treasure, comprising the crown jewels, gold and money, was lost in the boggy marshes of the fens between King's Lynn and Lincoln, when he was returning to Newark, where he passed away a few days later.

It may seem strange that King John should be celebrated in this way when he was so deeply unpopular during his reign. But in King's Lynn he had support, not least because he granted the town a special charter in 1204 giving the guilds the ability to govern themselves.

The King John Charter, which is held in the borough archive, established Lynn as a free borough. This gave the town the power to rule itself locally, free it from paying taxes to the crown and enabled it to create a merchants' guild, which helped the town to prosper and become one of the largest and busiest ports in the country.

King John's legacy can also be seen in the King John Cup and King John Sword, part of the town's collections based in the town's newest attraction Stories of Lynn. Neither object can be dated to King John's reign but the very fact they bear his name demonstrates the esteem with which the town held him for centuries after his death.

The £22,000 statue has been created by artist Alan Herriot, based on a variety of sketches, images and theatrical portrayals of this notable character. It has been funded by the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk as part of the Stories of Lynn Heritage Lottery fund scheme.

The King John statue will take pride of place in New Conduit Street with the tree and the Vancouver Arch behind it. It is hoped that the statue will spark interest in the town's rich heritage and encourage visitors to explore the town and visit local attractions including the newly-opened Stories of Lynn.

Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, Borough Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage and Art, said: "Public art is naturally a talking point so we hope this statue will encourage people to think about the heritage of the town and to visit the many attractions that celebrate it. We hope it will become as photographed as the statue of Captain George Vancouver by the Custom House."

To celebrate the unveiling and the important role King John played in the history of the town, a special King John Day will take place at Stories of Lynn in King's Lynn on Wednesday 26 October 2016.
Visitors will be able to see the magnificent King John cup and learn about The King John Charter.

There will be opportunities to mint a King John Penny, and design a King John Cup to take home.

A special trail will mean visitors can help King John find his long lost treasure. Complete all of the clues to be entered into a prize draw to win a treasure chest full of goodies fit for a king!

Activities will run from 11am – 3pm on 26 October and are free with museum admission.