The course of the river has changed significantly. Several of its tributaries are navigable, including the There are two more proposed schemes to improve connections from the river to the Midlands waterway network (in addition to the Gt Ouse – As the water quality has improved, otters have returned to the river in numbers such that fishing lakes now require fencing to protect stocks. Research by the University of East Anglia confirms as probable the oral history of Kings Lynn that William Shakespeare performed in the Guildhall in 1593. It runs 720 metres long, running from Morston Drift to Millfleet, with buses travelling in both directions and features a separate path for pedestrians and bicycles, which coincides with the bus route when crossing the Nar sluice. The Hanseatic town of King’s Lynn was one of England’s most important ports from as early as the 12th century and this maritime past is still very much in evidence today.
Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) opened the venue in July 1951 and launched the King's Lynn Festival. A. Oddy, "Richards, William (1749–1818)", ODNB: Francis Greenacre, "Rippingille, Edward Villiers (c. 1790–1859)" ODNB: Andrew C. F. David, "Vancouver, George (1757–1798)" Lynn was no longer a major international port, but iron and timber were imported. In 1766 Guildhall shows were so popular that a new interior was built inside the present structure, probably on the earlier footprint. There are a number of chemical factories and the town retains a role as an import centre. In several sequences, the lower reaches of the river silted, and in times of inland flood, the waters would breach neighbouring watersheds and new courses would develop – generally in a progressively eastwards fashion. Similar work was to have taken place at the Norfolk Street–Littleport Street junction, so that buses would not get caught in the town-centre gyratory system.Southgates Roundabout has been redeveloped. The Guildhall is managed by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk and is run as a venue for hire, supporting a year-round programme of theatre, dance, music, lectures and film.

Average earnings were well below regional and national levels, and many jobs in tourism, leisure and hotels were subject to seasonal fluctuations and likewise poorly paid. This was the key to securing the future of Pinguin Foods in King's Lynn.At 8 am on 15 January 2012, the landmark Campbell's Tower was demolished – a competition winner, Sarah Griffiths pulled the switch, whose father, Mick Locke, had died aged 52 after being scalded by steam at the factory in 1995.

King's Lynn is the northernmost settlement on the River Great Ouse, lying 97 miles (156 km) north of London and 44 miles (71 km) west of Norwich. The first cinema, the In 1962, King's Lynn was designated an overflow town for London and its population increased.
The South Level Drainage and Navigation Act of 1827 created Commissioners who dredged the river from Hermitage Lock to Littleport bridge, and also dredged several of its tributaries. It dubbed King's Lynn's workforce as "low-value" with a "low skills base" and the town as having a "poor lifestyle offer".

It was bought by Alexander Penrose, who gave it to the National Trust in 1951. In several sequences, the lower reaches of the river silted, and in times of inland flood, the waters would breach neighbouring watersheds and new courses would develop – generally in a progressively eastwards fashion.

Various groups are involved with the use of the building including Shakespeare's Guildhall Trust, King's Lynn Festival, King's Lynn Community Cinema Club This section includes 17 locks which are maintained by the Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in 1236, as a result of flooding. Large amounts of coal arrived from the north-east of England. King's Lynn was the fastest growing port in Great Britain in 2008. Over 2000 boats were recorded using Bedford Lock in a three-month period soon afterwards. It then became the property of Lynn Corporation and known as the Common Town Hall. In 2008, the German Palm Group began to erect one of the world's largest paper machines. The new industries that arrived included light engineering, clothing and chemicals and fishing remained important.To the south of town, residential housing appeared on a large area of In 2006, King's Lynn became the United Kingdom's first member of The Hanse (The Borough Council commissioned and accepted a 2008 report by DTZ.

The festival is primarily known for its classical music programme, but also hosts jazz, choral, folk, opera, dance, films, talks and exhibitions, with dozens of fringe events each year. They constructed a new cut near Ely to bypass a long meander near Padnall Fen and A large interchange dock was built at Ely, to facilitate the distribution of agricultural produce from the local region to wider markets. As he could not charge these boats for use of the locks, the situation was resolved for a time in 1906 by the formation of the River Ouse Locks Committee, who rented the locks between Great Barford and Bedford.

This makes it the UK's oldest working theatre. A museum opened in 1904, and a public library in 1905. As part of the development, the Millfleet–St James' Road junction is being developed.A contraflow lane for bicycles was proposed, but not built along Norfolk Street from Albert Street to Blackfriars Road.