The building known as the Greenland Fishery was built in 1605, by the then Mayor of King’s Lynn, merchant John Atkin; it seems he lived in it with his family until 1660, when it was sold, probably by his grandson. It’s associated with whaling history.
The fine Jacobean construction of the building was most likely altered significantly at an early stage (end of C17th) when it was divided into two (north and south), with the southern part becoming a tavern: The Waterman’s Arms or The Fisherman’s Arms. In the advent of the whaling industry, it was renamed for the sailors – for a period, whaling was very important to the town’s economy…