NHER 40068 (Monument record) - Site of Fisher Bridge, John Kennedy Way

June 1963. Excavation to a depth of 5.2m (17 feet).
Roadworks revealed buried remains of bridge crossing former Fisher Fleet, drained in 19th century when the Bentinck Dock was constructed, around 1880. Brick built chambers filled with rubble acted as abutments each side of flat bridge. Adjacent banks were formerly piled below herring curing houses and the adjacent Tilden Smith (or Blockero) public house is known to stand on piles. Area is still known as On The Bridge in the 1960s. The bridge would have been in front of the Doucehill or St Anne's Gate in the defences.
Details from drawings in King's Lynn Museum records signed only SCCW, identity unknown (S1).
Copy in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 November 2003.

This is the site of the Fisher Bridge which spanned the Fisher Fleet and connected the town with what was then known as the North End. In 1801 the Corporation, who were responsible for maintaining this bridge, ordered that it be taken down and rebuilt. However, it was not until almost 50 years later that the Norfolk Estuary Company sought permission from the Corporation to alter this bridge to improve the northern entrance into the town. In June 1853 the company was granted permission to completely rebuild the bridge. See (S2) for further information and a watercolour depicting the demolition of the earlier bridge in 1853.
It is unclear whether the bridge revealed by the excavation was this earlier bridge, or that which replaced it, but both seem to have stood at this location. By 1881 the Fisher Fleet had been infilled ahead of the construction of the Bentinck dock, so at this time presumably the later bridge became obsolete.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 9 May 2019.