Greyfriars, King's Lynn

Greyfriars Tower stands in King’s Lynn, a historic port on the east coast of England. The surviving tower once belonged to a Franciscan friary built in the 13th century. It is one of only three such Franciscan towers left in the country and is widely regarded as the finest example. The tower leans noticeably to the west, earning it the nickname ‘the leaning tower of Lynn’. At its steepest the lean measured just over one degree, far less than Pisa’s famous tower. After Henry VIII closed the monasteries in the 16th century, most of the friary was lost. The tower survived because sailors used it as a seamark to guide them into the harbour. It remains clearly visible on the town’s skyline today. The tower was repaired in the early 21st century to stop the lean worsening. In 2003 it reached the national final of the BBC’s Restoration programme, though the prize went elsewhere. Visitors find a sturdy brick tower rising above the surrounding rooftops. The ground around it was opened to the public after the restoration work finished. The Mayor of King’s Lynn attended the opening ceremony in October 2006. The tower’s modest lean gives it a distinctive shape against the sky. From the base, the skyline of the old port town stretches out in every direction.