Hanse House is the only surviving Hanseatic building in England. Acquired by the German Hanse in 1475, for nearly four centuries it was known as the 'Steelyard' (a kind of business house, from the medieval German Stalhof). From the mid sixteenth century onwards, it was leased by the Hanse to local merchants. One of these, Edward Everard, bought it in 1751 and rebuilt the part which faces St Margaret's church. In 1971, Norfolk County Council acquired the building and named it 'St Margaret's House'. In 2009 it was renamed 'Hanse House' in recognition of its historic significance and of King's Lynn membership of the 'new' Hanse, a network of European towns and cities inspired by our shared Hanseatic heritage.