After breakfast in Norwich we travelled by train to the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth. Getting there from Norwich is very easy with a frequent service on Greater Anglia trains and journey times of 35 minutes, with off-peak return fares costing £8.30.
Arriving into Great Yarmouth, we followed signs to the seafront, the route taking us through the shopping centre and alongside the market before reaching Marine Parade on the seafront. Just across the promenade stands the Britannia Pier which first opened to the public in 1858. It was our intention to take a stroll along the pier but to our dismay we found it to be closed with its shutters down. We thought this somewhat strange for a Saturday in February but it might have been due to the blustery conditions.
The pier was originally 700ft in length but after being opened for only one year it was badly damaged by a boat resulting in it being reduced in size by 50ft. Viewing the pier from further along the seafront we could see that it contains a theatre, cafe and amusement arcade.
There was a biting wind coming from the North Sea as we continued along the promenade in a southerly direction. The sandy beach between the two piers is a popular location for a family day out at the seaside during the summer months but was deserted during our mid-winter visit.
The next landmark to come into sight was the Wellington Pier, the town’s second pier which was only the 7th to be constructed in Britain. The pier underwent considerable reconstruction in 2008 utilising much of the original steel and ironwork. From the end of the pier there were good views along the coastline but it was bitterly cold so we decided to warm up by visiting the nearby SeaLife Centre.
It seemed a long time since we last visited an aquarium so it was interesting to look around. The tropical ocean display is the central feature of SeaLife with its underwater tunnel. Here we were able to see giant sea turtles and a group of sharks.
The delicate looking seahorses were one of my favourites along with the penguins, jellyfish and coral reef displays. I would liked to have taken photos of the penguins but the outdoor viewing deck was closed due to the inclement weather and from ground level they were partially obscured.
Leaving SeaLife, we wandered a little further along the promenade to another of Great Yarmouth’s attractions, the Merrivale Model Village. It was our first visit to a model village and it was interesting to follow the trail through the landscaped gardens to view an entire village in miniature.
Thankfully, the gardens were quite sheltered and it didn’t feel quite as cold as on the seafront. Wandering through the village, we were amazed at the attention to detail. The village high street was complete with shops, hotel, town hall and post office with people going about their daily tasks.
We loved the little garden railway which runs along a 350 metre track through the garden. The model village has 28 different types of locomotive with a selection of rolling stock operating daily.
In front of many the exhibits were little buttons to press, one of which operated the funfair rides whilst another gave authentic sounding announcements at the local airport.
It was great fun visiting the model village and I would recommend it for all age groups. As well as being perfect for children, it’s also popular with model railway enthusiasts who come to see the trains passing through the beautiful little station. A round of crazy golf is also included in the ticket price but as it was so cold and we had plans for the remainder of the afternoon, we decided against having a game.
There was one more place we wanted to visit whilst in Great Yarmouth, so we studied our map and headed inland to the Time and Tide Museum on the site of the former Tower Fish Curing Works. The herring curing works were built in 1850 and operated until 1988. The building was empty for ten years and then converted into a museum in 2004. It is thought to be the best preserved herring curing works of its kind.
The museum tells the story of Great Yarmouth and its herring industry. The tour starts along a reconstructed narrow street from 1913 where we were able to wander down a Victorian Row and glance in shops and houses to visualise what life was like at that time.
The galleries describe what it was like living and working in a town that depended on the herring industry from the men out on their fishing boats to the women repairing the nets.
Parts of the building have been preserved which enabled us to see how it was once used. We explored the tall smoke sheds where fires used to be lit on the floor to cure thousands of herrings at one time. The fish used to be placed on long sticks and these would then be laid across wooden bars. Although the building has been empty for about 20 years the smell of smoked herring seemed to be hanging in the air, adding to our authentic experience.
Other sections of the museum are devoted to the development of tourism in the town from it’s early days as a Victorian resort to how it has adapted in recent times. Time & Tide is Norfolk’s third largest museum and one we found extremely interesting.
After a walk along the seafront and a visit to three of Great Yarmouth’s attractions we were in need of a little rest so we popped in to the Troll Cart pub for a cup of coffee and a sit down. A little later, we returned to Norwich by train and had dinner in the nearby Riverside development before returning to our hotel for the night.
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This post brought back a lot of memories; not just of Yarmouth but lots of British seaside resorts and childhood holidays. Very nostalgic. Fun read and great photos as always.
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Thank you Luke for your positive thoughts on my Great Yarmouth post, a true to life traditional seaside resort.
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Interesting post, as always! The model village really appealed to me. I think I visited something similar in Bourton-on-the-Water many years ago.
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Thanks Sue for making contact, it’s lovely to hear from you. I think the model village appeals to all ages, I’d definitely visit other ones too!
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The museum looks interesting. 🙂 🙂 I didn’t have time for it when I was there last because we spent most of our time with family.
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Spending time with family comes first! Time and Tide was superb if ever you are around there again.
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It must have been cold! There’s not a soul in your pictures! At least you had it to yourself!
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It certainly wasn’t beach weather Emily!
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norfolk wind can be chilly, i still prefer coast living to city living…
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I was brought up along the coast,so always feel at home there.
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In a wierd way i think there is something magical about the seasideb
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Am loving the little model village Marion; that bridge is just so lifelike.
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The Model Village was so sweet Sue, I think we are all children at heart!
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Great blog great posts…. Like great yarmouth but i would say that as i moved here… Id like to do more ofva travel blog
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Lovely to hear from you. I’m pleased you enjoyed my Great Yarmouth post.
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Lovely photos! Natural!
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Thank you!
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Another interesting glimpse into the delights of Merry England. I liked the underwater tunnel. We have an Underwater World not too far from where we live here Looks like you have tides that recede far out from the shore and come back under the jetty at high tide. Quite different here unless we have what we call a King Tide depending on the phase of the moon.
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That’s exactly how our tides are Ian. So pleased to hear from you again and glad you are still enjoying reading about Merry England!
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Absolutely love model villages. I never grow out of them. There’s a cute one called Lower Crackpot in the north of Tasmania, if anyone happens to be in Tasmania at any time.
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It’s lovely to read that you also enjoy model villages Coral. Perhaps one day I’ll make it over to Tasmania, Lower Crackpot sounds delightful!
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Thanks for the great information! Can’t wait to visit!
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It’s my pleasure, hope you enjoy your day in Great Yarmouth!
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Great post. Heard a lot about Great Yarmouth even back in my A Level days in 1978-1980. By any chance were you able to visit King’s Lynn as well?
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Lovely to hear from you! I haven’t been to King’s Lynn but hopefully I’ll get there one day.
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No worries. Small town when I was last there. Don’t know about now though. But if you do, would definitely look out for your post. Cheers then!
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Ive only once been to kingslynn.. I like hunstanton
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Heard about Hunstanton too. Made me wish I had taken the opportunity then, to visit all these places in that part of Norfolk.
King’s Lynn holds a special place in my heart as I studied for my A Levels there, before moving on to Cardiff. Maybe one day, I can make a journey back to King’s Lynn and really explore the area and its surrounding areas.
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What a lovely day at the seaside. I particularly like the model village. 🌼
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The model village was beautiful with so much attention to detail and although the weather was chilly we had a nice day at the seaside!
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Wow. The model village. i was there as a child back in the 60s
Kenneth
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How wonderful that you recalled visiting the model village so long ago! It’s good that the attraction has been able to keep going.
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Brave decision – going to Great Yarmouth in February!
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It was a bit, but we wrapped up warm and were OK. Thank you for your comments.
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Love those model villages…so cute. 🙂
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Thank you, there’s so much attention to detail in the model village and we really enjoyed our stroll around it.
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My 4th GGF was born in Great Yarmouth and baptised at St. Nicholas church. Thanks for the photos.
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It’s so nice to research family history isn’t it! Great Yarmouth was a nice seaside town to visit.
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I like the take-you -out-to-sea carts. I did not know these existed until I read Agatha Christie’s autobiography. Keeping ladies decent at all times haha (unless they had spy holes for the operator…)
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I liked these too Lana, how things were different in those days!
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It is a lovely seaside town!
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It was our first visit to Great Yarmouth and we found plenty to see and do.
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Reblogged this on Vietnam Travel & Trade Portal .
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