Great Yarmouth became
a desirable holiday location by the 1800’s and, with the rail
link between Norwich
and Great Yarmouth being
completed in 1844, it meant that the town became even more accessible,
making it the hugely popular holiday town that it is today.
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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