King's Lynn: Shakespeare's stage found in ancient guildhall

But are these the boards the Bard himself may once have trod..?

Oak floorboards dating back 600 years have been uncovered during restoration work at St George's Guildhall in King's Lynn.

As well as being the UK's oldest working theatre, records show the guildhall hosted performances by Shakespeare's company of actors in the late 16th century - meaning he may well have joined them on stage.

The Guildhall of St George in King's Lynn (Image: Denise Bradley)Archaeologists found the timbers hidden beneath 1960s and 1950s floors in the building.

Oak beams have been dated to between 1417 and 1430, when the complex was constructed.

Dr Jonathan Clark, the archaeologist leading the project, said: "As archaeological finds go this is extraordinarily rare, especially on this scale. 

Dr Jonathan Clark, left, and Tim FitzHigham inspect the oak boards found in the Guildhall of St George (Image: BNPS)
 "This is the largest timber 15th century floor in the country, and that's before you add the Shakespeare connection.
 
"Scientific analysis and the study of the structure confirms that it is a complete 15th century floor so this floor would have been in situ when Shakespeare performed here in 1592-3.  It’s a really fortuitous survival."

Dr Clark believes the timbers have survived because they are integral to the building, meaning they could not have been removed without damaging its fabric.

The Guildhall of St George in King's Lynn (Image: Matthew Usher)Tim FitzHigham, creative director at West Norfolk council, which leases the building on King Street from the National Trust, said the find made the guildhall internationally-important.

"I first heard the tale that Shakespeare had performed at the guildhall as a kid but when I went back as an adult it seemed people had forgotten about it," he said.

“Shakespeare is known across the globe, so to be able to make this claim is pretty magical."

An engraving of William Shakespeare, who is said to have performed at the Guildhall of St George in King's Lynn (Image: unknown)

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Dr Paul Edmondson, head of research for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: “It's a unique survival of theatre performances from a great period of English drama. This is a truly special discovery.”

St George's started out life as a religious guild meeting house, confirmed by Royal Charter in 1406, before becoming a theatre.

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Shakespeare and his company of actors visited King's Lynn on tour in 1592 - 1593, when London's theatres were closed because of an outbreak of plague.

A note in the corporation of King’s Lynn’s account book shows Shakespeare's company was paid by the corporation to perform there.

Robert Armin, one of the troupe's leading actors, was born in Lynn.

The Queen Mother attends the reopening of the Guildhall of St George in 1957 (Image: Eastern Daily Press)The Grade I Listed building was derelict and in danger of demolition by 1945 before it was bought by a local landowner and given to the National Trust.

It was restored and re-opened by the Queen Mother in 1957.

But the site became an arts centre, which closed in 2015.

It is now being restored with government funding from King's Lynn's £25m town deal.