Name: Fishing on the Northumberland Coast, Holy Island and Beyond by As. Prof. David Petts
Start: 2025-11-19T18:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-11-19T20:30:00+00:00
Location: Kings Lynn Town Hall

Fishing on the Northumberland Coast, Holy Island and Beyond by As. Prof. David Petts

Join us for a captivating talk with Associate Professor David Petts as he delves into the world of fishing on the North Northumberland Coast. Discover the rich history and traditions of this coastal activity at King's Lynn's beautiful Town Hall, The Holy Trintiy Guildhall. Get ready for an engaging evening filled with fascinating insights and an informative analysis of the long history of the local fishing culture, including his latest archaeological discoveries. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn from an expert in the field!
The evening will also include songs by the King's Lynn Shanty Singers in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Scottish fishing fleet Disaster off the Norfolk coast and involving King's Lynn fishermen.
Proceeds will go to True's Yard Fisherfolk Museum and St Monans Memorial Space Project.
David Petts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University and the author of several publications featuring archaeology, early Christendom and the North East of England. He is a specialist in the archaeology of early medieval Britain, with a particular interest in the early church. As part of this research he is been running a long-term excavation project on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. It was working on the Island that he was first exposed to the remains of the all-important fishing industries of the 19th and 20th centuries. He is currently working with the local fishing community to preserve memories of this industry and to record the vanishing traces of the industry that still survive (just) on the Island.
Fishing has been part of daily life on Holy Island for at least 1500 years. Excavations on the early monastic site has revealed a diet rich in fish and other marine life. In the later middle ages, fishing was at the heart of life on the Island. However, it is only in the 19th century that a better understanding of fishing on the island comes into view. This lecture will explore the Island's fishing industry as it became most extensive in the 19th century, as the herring and salmon fisheries flourished, leaving a distinct imprint on the landscape of the village and its shorelines. It explores how the industry shifted and declined over the 20th century and looks at some of the threats to the fishing heritage of the Island in the 21st century.
The lecture is being held on the 150th anniversary of the Scottish Fishing Fleet Disaster and the King's Lynn Shanty Singers will also be performing songs on the evening to raise monies for the St. Monans Memorial Space Project.
Refreshments provided.
Trinity Guildhall (Town Hall), Saturday Market Place, King's Lynn. PE30 5DQ. 6pm-8.30pm.