King's Lynn

Lynn’s hinterland remained key to its success. In 1722, the travel writer Daniel Defoe noted that the Wash port had one of the most extensive inland navigation systems in England outside London, serving multiple counties with coal, wine, and provisions. Lynn became a major corn exporter, with granaries lining the river. However, it failed to develop significant manufacturing industries in the 18th century, and despite strong shipbuilding and brewing sectors, its population was only about 11,000 in 1801.

The population doubled between 1801 and 1851 as the market and port expanded, with East Anglia playing a leading role in supplying London and industrial regions. However, the arrival of the railways in the 1840s reduced Lynn’s geographical advantages as river and coastal transport declined.

Pascal Brackman