"At your request", wrote Herbert de Losinga, first Bishop of Norwich, to the men of Lynn in 1101, "I have begun to build a church at Lynn" and St Margaret's entered the town's history, standing in the Saturday Market Place at the heart of the oldest part of the town.

A small priory was attached to it, where four monks "seconded" from Norwich Cathedral Priory looked after the priory's West Norfolk affairs; traces of it are seen in cottages bordering the churchyard.

The Norman church survives only in the internal arches of the west towers and at the base of the southern one outside.  In the 13^th century the rest seems to have been totally rebuilt.  Again only the magnificent chancel arcades survived 15th century enlargements and alterations by wealthy merchants and members of the Trinity Guild, whose hall stands opposite the church, across the Saturday Market Place: a grander clerestory and unusual round east window, and the great west window, whose glass of 1928 includes scenes from the town's history.  The northwest tower had to be rebuilt in 1453, apparently subsidence into the soft ground had caused its predecessor to lean dangerously. 

The nave and aisles had to be rebuilt completely after a gale in 1741 blew down a spire which formerly crowned the southwest tower. The contemporary furnishings provided for Brettingham's cautiously Gothic shell were cleared away by Victorian restorers with the exception of the superbly carved pulpit and tester.

The Victorian restoration of 1874, under the direction Sir George Gilbert Scott, cleared out galleries which had been installed over the aisles and over the crossing and "opened" the church from end to end, leaving it much as it appears now.  A programme of  installing stained glass in the aisle windows, instead of the plain glass of the 18^th century, brought colour back to the nave.  The windows are not top quality but are a source of great interest to visitors: a leaflet to describe them in detail was found to be a necessary addition to our publications.  The crowning touch was the huge reredos, designed by G F Bodley and erected in 1899.

Other features: 

The Brasses:  In the SE Aisle are the two largest memorial brasses in England.  Expert opinion is divided over whether they are of Flemish or German manufacture.  Adam de Walsoken, known from his will to have owned a great number of properties in the town, died in 1349 and is shown with his wife Margaret.  Below their feet is a rural scene, famous for its depiction of a postmill.  Robert Braunche died in 1364 and is shown with his first and second wives, Letitia and Margaret.  He was a merchant and his will implies a riverside property.  Below their feet is the famous Peacock Feast scene, which some interprete as an incident in a medieval legend and some as a reference to entertainment provided by Braunche when Mayor to King Edward III.

Woodwork:  The chancel stalls date from the 14^th century and are known to have been under construction in 1375-6.  The carvings include the heads of the Black Prince and Henry Despenser, Bishop of Norwich and the arms of several notable Norfolk families.  Behind the stalls are intricately carved 14^th and 15^th century oak screens.  An Elizabethan screen, formerly at the entrance to the chancel, is now built in to the organ loft and the nave has a fine pulpit of 1745, only survivor of the furnishings by Matthew Ward of Bury for Brettingham's rebuilt nave.  The font cover of 1875 is a memorial contribution to the 1873-5 Restoration, as is the magnificent reredos by G F Bodley, erected in 1899 but planned many years before.

More details can be found in publications at the...