King's Lynn: Change of management at the Bank House

Anthony and Jeannette Goodrich, who own the Bank House in King's Lynn, have taken over its management after Michael Baldwin gave up his lease on the building after five years.

Mr and Mrs Goodrich, who own the Rose and Crown at Snettisham, say they plan to take on more staff and expand the menu at the eaterie, near the Custom House on King Staithe Square. 

A view across the quays from Bank House (Image: Ian Burt)

In a statement, the couple said: “ We are very excited about the prospect of taking the management of Bank House back, and, drawing on our experience of running the Rose and Crown, are looking forward to implementing new plans for the food and bar, as well as continuing the promotion of our 12 beautiful bedrooms.

“We look forward to working closely with the excellent team at Bank House and will also be creating a number of new jobs.”

Anthony and Jeannette Goodrich inside Bank House (Image: Ian Burt)

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Some of the extensive vaults beneath Bank House (Image: Ian Burt)

Bank House was built in the early 18th century for one of King’s Lynn’s richest merchants.

Beneath it, extensive vaults extend to the river where wine imported from the continent would have been stored.

In the 1780s Joseph Gurney, who would go on to co-found Barclays, set up his first bank in the building.

A plaque on the wall of the Bank House in King's Lynn (Image: Ian Burt)

A depression in the floor of what is now the bar is said to have been worn by nervous customers shuffling their feet as they waited for their withdrawals.

Arctic explorer Capt Samuel Gurney Cresswell, the arctic explorer and one of the first men to sail the North West passage, was born in Bank House in 1827.

Prior to the Goodrichs buying the building in 2008, the former banking hall was a solicitor's office, while files were stored in its vaults.