King's Lynn, also known as Lynn, is a sea port and market town standing on the river Ouse in the county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated 97 miles (156 km) north of London and 44 miles (71 km) west of Norwich.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the town's main export was grain. The town was no longer a major international port, although some iron and timber were still imported. Like other East Coast ports, King's Lynn suffered from the discovery of the Americas, which benefited ports on the West Coast of England. It was also affected by the growth of London which attracted the town's trade.
The port of Kings Lynn continued to thrive in the 19th century. Alexandra Dock was built in 1869. Bentinck Dock was built in 1883.
Lowry refers to the port in his novel Ultramarine; "The quartermaster had one green eye, and one brown one and Hilliot knew he came from King's Lynn, the decaying port in the wilds of Norfolk." (Pg. 38)
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