Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is a long-established English seaside town in the county of Norfolk, at the mouth of the River Yare. Around 5 million people visit Great Yarmouth every year, making it Britain's third most popular seaside resort.

Understand

Great Yarmouth is about 120 miles (172 km) to the north east of London, about 20 miles (32 km) from Norwich, the nearest city, and close to the Norfolk Broads — a popular network of inland lakes and rivers.

Great Yarmouth used to be the home of one of the most lucrative fishing industry and famous for herrings. Now it is a bustling and very popular seaside resort. Undoubtedly, one of the most popular attractions is Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, a free-entry theme park, which boasts 28 rides (including the 'Scenic Railway roller coaster', built in 1932) and draws annually 1.5 million visitors. The two piers, Britannia Pier and Wellington Pier, both contain family-orientated entertainment including a Bowling alley (Wellington) and a theatre (Britannia).

As well as the usual thrills and spills one would expect on a classic British seafront, Great Yarmouth also has a quieter side, with a fascinating heritage quarter to explore. Not many people know that Great Yarmouth has the most complete city walls after York, with heritage walks to help you discover this medieval attraction along with several museums and houses dating back many centuries. If ghost walks are more your cup of tea, Eerie Tales and Yarmouth Yarns is the tour for you, (+44 1493 846346).

Great Yarmouth is also a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry and increasingly for offshore wind power. The new outer harbour is a huge development taking place which will see cruise liners and larger ships coming to the town. The Maritime Festival in September each year celebrates Great Yarmouth's maritime heritage.

Yarmouth has seen significant regeneration spending to improve and modernise the popular seafront area and to ensure it is linked to the town centre. Regent Road has a stunning ceiling of light which is illuminated in the evenings and is now a lovely pedestrianed link street leading from town centre to the seafront area.

Illuminations along Marine Parade are also worth an evening stroll, some have been designed by children from local primary schools. Fireworks celebrations run for 6 weeks every Wednesday evening for the six weeks of the school summer holidays when a carnival atmosphere can been enjoyed.

Get in

By car

The A47 is a direct route from Norwich or King's Lynn. The road South towards Lowestoft and Ipswich has now been renumbered, was A12, now A47

🌍 Great Yarmouth Station, Acle New Rd, Great Yarmouth, NR30 1SD. Has a regular service to Norwich via Acle, Blofield and Brundall on The Wherry Line and occasionally trains run to London Liverpool Street. At Norwich you'll find local interconnecting services from Lowestoft, Sheringham and Cromer via Wroxham and intercity services to London Liverpool Street. There are also services from the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland, via Peterborough, Cambridge and Ely. A cross-country service from Liverpool, through Manchester, Nottingham and Peterborough also arrives in Norwich where connecting trains to Great Yarmouth are available. (updated Apr 2017)

By plane
  • Norwich International airport, with connecting flights from Amsterdam, is about 45 minutes' drive away.

By bicycle

Regional Cycle Route 30 runs northwards from to town to Sea Palling, Cromer and beyond. National Cycle Route 517 runs southwards from the town to Beccles where it connects with National Cycle route 1 and Regional Cycle Route 31.

On foot

Get around

Great Yarmouth has lots of car parking, all clearly signed. It is a common misconception that parking is difficult to find, but this is not actually the case, with many car parks to be found up and down Marine Parade on the sea front and in the town centre, catering for nearly 2000 cars. Prices start from £1.00 per hour in summer. If you do try to park on a side street to avoid paying, make sure you watch out for residents parking areas where a pass is required.

A refurbished and improved Marine Parade includes extra wide pavements and a special slow lane for bicycles and the landau. A widened road with clearly marked crossing areas for pedestrians and several new roundabouts mean that it is now much easier to cruise up and down when finding somewhere to park.

Regular bus and train services are also available.

See

Yarmouth offers the traditional seaside attractions - crazy golf, amusement arcades, funfairs, etc. There is also a racecourse, greyhound and stock car racing. The beach itself is clean and good for families.

A few miles north of the town, are quieter seaside villages like Winterton, Sea Palling and Waxham. 20 miles (32 km) or so to the south is Southwold, an upmarket resort.

Do

The Greater Yarmouth area has a variety of interesting and entertaining attractions to enjoy, whether you're on holiday, day-tripping or live in or around Norfolk. Indoor and outdoor activities are available - so, even if it's raining (though East Anglia does enjoy the least rainfall of anywhere in the UK) there's still plenty to keep the visitor occupied.

The borough of Greater Yarmouth has up to 17 miles (25 km) of sandy beach to enjoy. Deck chairs and wind breaks can be hired on the beach in summer. Dog walkers are welcome at North Beach.

Marine Parade hosts a large range of activities, from Joyland to the more sedate Model Village, from the aforementioned Pleasure Beach to Yesterday's World, with something for all age groups.

Yarmouth Hollywood Cinema is well worth a visit. It's the cheapest cinema around and although it only has 5 screens (3 of which are smallish) and isn't exactly the most modern experience; it has character that is often lacking from 'multiplex' cinema chains

  • 🌍 Town wall, from Rampart Road to Mariners Road. 24×7. For a more cultured diversion, take a 1-hour self-guided walking tour along supposedly the best preserved medieval town wall after York's, with 11 surviving towers along a 1.3-mile route passing through residential, ecclesiastical, commercial and industrial areas from the North West Tower by the river at the end of Rampart Road to the Blackfriars Tower on Mariners Road. The most impressive section with the five-storey South East Tower is along Blackfriars Road between the latter and St Spyridon church. Free. (updated Aug 2020)
  • 🌍 Cycling, around Great Yarmouth. 24×7. The Great Yarmouth Cycle Map has several routes of between 7 and 16 miles to neighbouring villages covering various subjects. 4 miles from the town hall is Burgh Castle, a 3rd-century Roman fort with a good view. Lowestoft is 10 miles away along the coast and an off-road trail, passing quaint Gorleston, atmospheric St Margaret's ruined church and Ness Point, the easternmost point of Britain. Bring a bike (free with a train ticket but spaces are limited) or rent one. (updated Aug 2020)
  • Wheels Festival shows off classic and contemporary cars in July.
  • GY Arts Festival is usually in July.
  • Out There Festival is held in mid-September, multiple locations.

Buy

Many places of genuine interest on Regent Road (including Docwra Rock Shop - see below).

Great Yarmouth puts the fun back into shopping, whether in the high street chain stores, some of the quirky local shops or the more traditional seaside shops. Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays all year and on Fridays as well during the summer months.

For general shopping, Yarmouth is served by Asda next to the train station; Tesco between town centre and the industrial estate and Sainsbury's near Market Gates.

  • 🌍 Asda (Superstore/supermarket), Acle New Road, Runham Vauxhall, NR30 1SF, ☏ +44 1493 330272. M 7:30AM-midnight, Tu-F 24 hr, Sa midnight-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Petrol station, pharmacy, ATMs. (updated Apr 2017)
  • 🌍 Co-op (Foodstore), 26 Beresford Road, New Town, NR304AB, ☏ +44 1493 842104. Daily 7AM-10PM. (updated Apr 2017)
  • 🌍 Docwra Rock Shop (Candy store), 13 Regent Rd, NR30 2AF, ☏ +44 1493 844676. The largest rock (the sugary type you can eat) factory in the world. They also make and sell many other types of confectionery, including many types of fudge, chocolate-coated strawberries and even diabetic products. (updated Apr 2017)
  • 🌍 Sainsbury's (Superstore/supermarket), St. Nicholas Road, NR30 1NN, ☏ +44 1493 330313. M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Cafe (different hours), ATMs. (updated Apr 2017)

Eat

Yarmouth has a long history of chip stalls on the market place near town centre and Market Gates. Several have been there for many many decades offering a delicacy not available anywhere else.

Drink

When the sun goes down, Great Yarmouth becomes a wonderland of colour as you find your way to a night out on the town to enjoy our theatres, nightclubs, cinemas and casinos.

The Britannia Pier theatre has a varied programme of performance to enjoy.

For fine dining try the Anna Sewell restaurant or Café Cru at The Imperial Hotel. Alternatively, Pub on the Prom is a great place to start with a wide menu and a great atmosphere.

Popular clubs in Yarmouth include Caesars, Roseys, Kings Wine Bar, Arena, Fantasia, Peggotys, the Gari/Tabu/Gaping-Hole-In-The-Ground (after several incarnations this one has turned in to a fun place to be on a Saturday night), The Long Bar, Angels Strip Club and the Ocean Rooms.

Sleep

There's such a range of holiday accommodation in Great Yarmouth you'll be spoilt for choice.

Stay healthy

Connect

As of June 2022, Great Yarmouth has 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2.

Go next
  • Lowestoft — a quiet coastal town in neighbouring Suffolk.
  • Norwich — a two-cathedral city, Norwich is the capital city of Norfolk.
Routes through Great Yarmouth
Norwich ← Acle ←  W  S  → Lowestoft


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