Great Yarmouth

Mainly as a result of its herring industry, Great Yarmouth once boasted being one of the wealthiest towns in Britain. Since the 1930’s however this industry has ceased and is all but memories, with the boat ‘The Lydia Eva’, which is open to the public, remaining.

St Nicholas Church, which stands near the Market Place, is the largest parish church in England. Originally built in the 1100’s, it was then rebuilt between 1957 and 1960 after it was almost completely destroyed during the bombing in 1942. Adjacent to the church is the birthplace of Anna Sewell, author of ‘Black Beauty’.

During the 1960’s oil and gas companies began to explore the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, bringing with them all the associated businesses. This brought wealth and jobs and the town grew. This industry has since declined, and the town now relies mainly on tourism for its income.

Great Yarmouth has over fifteen miles of sandy beaches that stretch from Winterton in the north to Hopton in the south. There are many traditional beach attractions, including trampolines, crazy golf, fun fair, pony rides and bouncy castles. There are also plenty of indoor activities for all ages and an excellent variety of shops and an open-air market.

The Norfolk Broads are renowned for their beautiful flora and fauna and it is at Great Yarmouth that the Rivers Yare, Bure and Waveney converge and flow into the North Sea. The area is a haven for wildlife with many rare species like the swallowtail butterfly.
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