Home > Norfolk > Kings Lynn > Valiant Sailor Valiant Sailor
Date of photo: 2014	Picture source: Admin
The Valiant Sailor was situated at 2 Nelson Street. This 15th century building became an inn in the late 17th century. It lost its licence in 1925. The famous artist, Edward Dexter, lived here until his death in 1958.
A grade-II* listed house, previously The Valiant Sailor public house, standing on the site of Priory buildings that where cleared in the Reformation 1540-50. Nelson Street was previously known as Lath(e) Street. The Valiant Sailor reportedly takes its name from the actions of Jack Crawford during the Battle of Camperdown against the Dutch in 1797 but I find no evidence of another name prior to this. Possibly an inn from the late 1600s the first recorded licensee is William Wood from at least 1735 to 1764 but the inn appears in the 1728 Sessions Minutes. The building was offered for sale by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners from about 1869. Leased by Richard Bagge 1848-1885 it was purchased by Thomas Edward Bagge in 1885. It was referred for Compensation 04.02.1924 and the licence was extinct 21.01.1925. The Council plaque informs us that 'Walter Dexter Artist lived here 1953-1958'.
Steve Turner (November 2021)
Listed building details:
Formerly known as: Nos.2 and 4 The Valiant Sailor (2) (Public House) Nelson Street. Shop and house, formerly a public house, now wholly domestic Constructed on the site of buildings relating to St Margaret's Priory, cleared at the Reformation. 1540-50. Timber-framed with brick. Rendered and colourwashed. Plain tiled roof to south, slate to north, the division marking a change in roof heights. 2 storeys and dormer attic on a curved site. Panelled door to right with an overlight leads into No 4. Two further doors to west elevation and sashes with glazing bars at intervals. Deep coved jetty is plastered. At north-west corner is an exposed moulded dragon post, with, behind it, a C16 timber panel with carved figures, possibly representing the Annunciation. Jetty continues into north return above the former public house facade: 5 pilaster strips containing a sealed doorway and casements. First-floor fenestration of sashes with glazing bars and, towards north end, one 4-light diamond-mullioned timber window with a King mullion. Gabled roof to south, hipped to north. 2 gabled dormers in south roof. Ridge stack at division of roofs. C20 stack on line of east (rear) wall at north end. The rear with whitewashed brick to ground floor, heavy scantling timber studs to first floor. Arched braces and brick nogging. Various casements and sashes. Interior. Ground floor main room (to north and west) with 2 massive plain bridging beams running north-south, obliquely scarf-jointed. Square dragon beam to north-west corner. West wall retains 3 blocked openings to shop arcade formed by inserting knuckle braces between principal studs and middle rail. Above middle rail secondary studs define additional panels. Arcade openings with jambs rebated for shutters. Over outer 2 arcade openings the upper panels are also rebated for shutters. To right of arcade 2 hinge posts survive for a former door. This arcade said to have extended to south end of facade, as is likely. The first floor is rich with widely-spaced studs. Roof over north part of house as far south as the ridge stack is all replaced. Roof to south end rebuilt on an outer and higher line, explaining the differing heights seen from the exterior. Some principal rafters of original structure survive, but rebuilding and re-use of extraneous timbers prevent a coherent identification of roof-type.
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Date of photo: 2014	Picture source: Admin