The parish of St Margaret, King's Lynn lies in western Norfolk and is the major parish of the port at the mouth of the river Great Ouse. King's Lynn lies roughly 44 miles west of the city of Norwich, sitting on the A47 road to the Midlands, and is the major population centre for the region. As well as being a major port it also functioned as the main market for the area. King's Lynn has ancient origins, its name is disputed as representing either the ancient British word "llyn" meaning a lake or the Saxon term "lun" meaning a tenure or farm. Regardless of the name's origins it was certainly a town in pre-Conquest times and acquired its Regis subtitle following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, he assuming the episcopal authority for the town. At the time of this transcript King's Lynn was market, fishing port and a trading port, importing and exporting to the near continent in particular. Whilst the fishing (and especially the whaling) activities have largely disappeared King's Lynn remains a port and market as well as having its own industries. St Margaret was the ancient parish of the town, there being chapelries at St Nicholas & St Edmund as well as separate parishes of South & West Lynn. The original town was packed into a relatively small area close to the river, today King's Lynn has expanded greatly swallowing up the above parishes as well as Gaywood, the Wootton and West Winch.

St Margaret's church sits on Saturday Market Place and is King's Lynn's crowning glory. An immense church, it is 235 feet long, befitting a prosperous port & market. The glowing white limestone forms a very attractive sight when seen from the western side of the Great Ouse rising above the houses and businesses of the town centre. The twin western towers are the earliest portion of the church having dates around the middle of the 12th century. The Norman church to which those towers were first attached was, however, completely rebuilt in the 13th century in the Early English Gothic style and the bulk of the chancel, the crossing and transepts date from this period. A further significant rebuild took place in the mid 18th century adding Perpendicular style features to the church, this work occasioned by the loss of a spire on the southwestern tower which fell on the nave. Further work in Victorian times lead to today's building, very much the pride of the town. The church dominates the open area of the market, mostly flush with the pavements it is protected from the market area by a low wall and railings. Very much an urban setting the close by properties do somewhat inhibit the available photographic angles.