My dad (812) and I (115) pictured in 1985 doing a Women's Fun Run. Am not on much due to death withi...
My dad (812) and I (115) pictured in 1985 doing a Women's Fun Run. Am not on much due to death within the family.
Member since:13.10.2001
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NAME OF LOCATION: Great Yarmouth, a coastal town in Norfolk that has been popular for generations with day-trippers and longer stay holidaymakers alike.
BACKGROUND: I went for a week with Gee Vee Travel (see separate article) to Great Yarmouth staying at the Swanvale LodgeHotel, 6 Standard Road, Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR30 2EZ (Tel/Fax: 01493 331442) with my parents. We had the opportunity to visit places around on a couple of the days, too but spent much of our time in Yarmouth (as it is generally known but not to be confused with the Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight). Kevin and Iain originally ran the hotel on behalf of Gee Vee Travel. Now Margaret and Paul manage the hotel, and there is a lift to all floors and ramps to the dining rooms and there was entertainment provided within our holiday price every evening.
ATTRACTIONS Land train - £1.50 (one way) for adults. This was cheaper for children and very enjoyable to watch. I spent all week trying to persuade my parents to go on and eventually my mother went on it with me (and I am 33!!) It travels along the sea front between the two piers and the Pleasure Beach theme park further down. It also went past the cinema and down to the boating lake and crown green bowls area, which was near one of the car parks just outside the town. It seemed to be that you had to hail the train and it would pull in and let you on, although it did stop outside the pier (opposite Regent's Road, which is where all the shops are) for a few minutes.
Great Yarmouth waterway/boating lake - did not appear to be open when we visited in June 2005.
Pirates Cove 18 Hole Adventure Putting course (mini Golf) was £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for children, and although very enjoyable, was exceedingly busy and you often had to wait for 2 or 3 groups in front of you to complete each hole. However, I found that there were several very welcome seats (not one at each hole unfortunately) and plenty of amusing pirate related snippets of information to read at each hole, which educated me and would keep youngsters enthralled if read out. Unlike the Arnold Palmer course (see below), there is no opportunity to win a free game, but there is an offer of a discount (if you want to play again immediately).
More information is available at Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth on Tel. 01493 331785.
Arnold Palmer 18 Hole Adventure Putting course (mini Golf) was £2.50 (all classes) and £2 (for 9 hole course), and although very enjoyable, was quite busy and you often had to wait for other groups in front of you to complete each hole. However, it was nowhere near as busy as the Pirates Cove course and quite a bit cheaper! I also found that the course was slightly easier (no water features to avoid and no hole on more than one level - but the windmill one was quite tricky. I won a free game, on the 19th hole, which is valid indefinitely! My dad went on this course with me and failed to get a free game (despite several holes in one on the course). More information is available at Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth.
Victorian Carriage rides - not tried, as I was always too busy shopping and the price was unknown.
Sea life centre - This is a seahorse breeding & conservation centre and also houses other sea life such as sharks, fish, and has various activities for the children including a touch pool where at certain times with guidance from a member of staff you can touch star fish and other selected sea life. There is also a quiz sheet with questions around the facility. On the day we visited the sharks were not available as their tank was being renovated (you normally walk underneath the tank) so £1 was knocked off the admission price, but it was still pricey. I had a free ticket (from the Daily Mirror) but it should have £8.95 for adults and my parents got in for £7.95 (£6.95 with the discount which was the Senior Citizen rate and I believe the children's' rate). It is near the Wellington Pier. (Open daily from 10am (except Christmas day), Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3AH. Tel. 01493 330631).
Market - every Wednesday near Woolworths. There are a few shops in the covered area every day, but these tend to be butchers, fast food stalls and card/wrapping paper stalls. I enjoyed the market - it was rather depleted when I returned for the New Year's Eve Holiday.
Amazonia (World of Reptiles) - a living jungle tropicalzoo (visited in the past but not on this occasion) More information is available at Marine Parade 01493 842202 and it is open all year round from 10am between Sea Life centre and MarinaLeisure centre on Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth.
When we went in December/January, on New Year's day we struggled to find a cafe open so we went into the Market pub on the Market Place, near Woolworths. We had 3 drinks (tea, coffee and hot chocolate for £2.70). Note - there are a few steps to the top bar and pool table. There is a children's section to the rear of the bar (near the toilets) which are also accessed by these steps. This was a very clean establishment with friendly staff. For the drinkers, I noticed that John Smiths was £1.70 a pint. They also served food including children's meals for £2.95 which included a sweet/pudding. Snacks such as sandwiches and jacket potatoes were on the adult menu.
Yarmouth quay - there are several museums at Yarmouth quay (all within walking distance of each other, within about 10 minutes (snails pace - because I was with my mother who has angina) including 1. Norfolk Nelson museum (Open 1 Apr to 31 Oct Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm Sat/Sun 1pm to 4pm - 2005 prices adult £2.90, Concession £2.40, Child £1.50 or Family £7). We were offered discounts on all other museums listed below (an offer which we took up and benefited from but was available from all other museums so if visiting ask if there are any discounts available - we received a small card which gave us a £1 off here or 3 for 2 offers, depending on the museum). Quite interesting and had child friendly exhibits as you were actively encouraged to try your hand at knotting or complete jigsaws or other places you could push buttons. There was an upstairs room where you saw life size models of Nelson and his men and was the "teaching room" for school groups - it had pictures drawn by child visitors and had a "find the correct eye" for the Nelson pictures, which was fun to try. (Address details 26 South Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 2RG Tel/Fax 01493 850698 www.nelson-museum.co.uk) 2. Great Yarmouth potteries (not visited so can not comment but more information from www.greatyarmouthpotteries.co.uk or 18/19 Trinity Place, Great Yarmouth NR30 3HA Tel. 01493 850585 NB opposite the Time and Tide museum); 3. Elizabethan House museum, (Open 21 Mar to 30 Oct Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm Sat/Sun 1.15pm to 5pm - 2005 prices adult £2.90, Concession £2.40, Child £1.50 or Family n/a but adults in a family group get in for £2.30, National Trust and NMAS museum pass holders get in free). Again this was a child friendly museum, with its own activity packed toy room and you can even dress in Tudor costumes in the upstairs bedrooms. Adults will enjoy the chance to read up on Tudor history on the plaques provided in each room. (Address 4 South Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 2QH Tel 01493 855746 season only) 4. Tollhouse Museum, (Open 21 Mar to 30 Oct Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm Sat/Sun 1.15pm to 5pm - 2005 prices adult £2.90, Concession £2.40, Child £1.50 or Family n/a but adults in a family group get in for £2.30, NMAS museum pass holders get in free). This has an audio tour but is not suitable for disabled visitors without prior notification as the main access is by a large set of stairs. You get to visit the town jail and compare current day jail cells with the town dungeons and experience life in a 19th century jailhouse. (Address just off South Quay behind the Central Library Tel 01493 858900) 5. Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life (Open 21 Mar to 30 Oct Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm Sat/Sun 1.15pm to 5pm - 2005 prices adult £2.90, Concession £2.40, Child £1.50 or Family n/a but adults in a family group get in for £2.30, NMAS museum pass holders get in free). This is a very child friendly museum with loads to do for adults and children alike, my favourite museum (especially as it lets you in for half price next time you go - provided you keep the receipt). Has an audio tour but was not available when we went due to volume of users - they were taking them off users to give to waiting visitors! We plan to go at the New Year (if time) and try this out. 6. Last and by no means least Great Yarmouth Row Houses. (Open 24 Mar to 30 Sept Daily 12 noon to 5pm - 2005 prices adult £3.30, Concession £2.50, Child £1.70 or English Heritage members get in free). I had a 2 for one offer, which I used at this property as my parents were with me (I am an EH member) and it ran out that day! Lucky or what! This is a row of houses just off South Quay including Row 111 and the Old Merchants House. With the former you can listen to an old wartime BBC broadcast and discover more about "herring girls". The latter has beautiful plasterwork ceilings and oak panelling. Tel 01493 857900 South Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 2RQ.
TRANSPORT I went by Coach to Great Yarmouth with my parents. We used a taxi to get to Yarmouth quay from Standard Road and this cost between £2.40 and £3 (we got one back another day from a slightly nearer location) and the hotel recommended the taxi company. There was a taxi rank near the shopping centre at the end of Regents Road (opposite end to the pier).
The Quay is ½ mile from the train station at Great Yarmouth. Train Tel. 0845 7484950
Bus timetables are available from Tel. 0870 608 2608.
PRICE See each individual area.
GOOD POINTS 1. Plenty of shops 2. Plenty of seats 3. Good weather - it was really hot. 4. Plenty to do - even if the weather is bad (see Yarmouth quay section)
BAD POINTS 1. Long way to walk between Historic Quay and promenade - need a taxi 2. Very busy in summer months 3. Lots of amusement arcades on promenade - very irritating music.
AFTERWARDS If you have more time than a day trip, then you could visit Norwich - a historic cathedral city -(need transport though) - our trip offered this as an included excursion but as we have been before we chose to try to visit as many museums as possible in Yarmouth itself. Norwich has a city sightseeing bus tour and a castle. The Inspire Discovery centre and an Aviation museum are also nearby - but I have never visited either, so cannot comment.
Other excursions provided were 1. A trip to Wroxham (morning) and Potter Heigham (afternoon - both well worth a visit). However, on this day we could not visit Wroxham, as we were booked on a Mississippi style paddle steamer, the Southern Comfort, from Horning. A 1 ½ hour trip during the daytime (night trips of 2 hours also available) Prices (day or night for 2005: Adults £5.20, OAP/Child (2-17) £4.60, Family (2 Adults/2 children) £16.80. Telephone bookings advisable, Tel. 01692 630262 - sail from the Swan Hotel in Horning off the A1062. Easy wheel chair access - please book wheelchairs and boarding commences 15 minutes prior to departure. Times - Monday to Friday 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm, Sunday 1pm and 3pm with 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays mid season only. Available on Saturdays but must phone for sailing times. 2. A garden, craft and DIY centre (which we did not visit) - again opting to visit Yarmouth's attractions including the Sea Life centre and museums 3. Gorleston Pavilion theatre Music Hall (which happened to be their 10th Anniversary show). Box Office 01493 662832. This was an exceptional show; all tickets were just £10 (3rd May to Mid October 2005) and had your own candlelit table with waitress service for drinks. There was a person from the Black and White Minstrels show and a person playing instruments who was also an accomplished comedian. I would heartily recommend visiting this show, if you get chance.
Alternatively, you could visit Lowestoft, a nearby Suffolk town which also has a country park (Fritton Lake Countryworld) nearby which has birds such as geese, swans and other nature life - good access for disabled as most walks have boardwalks and bridges onto islands. Lowestoft has a fairly good market and some quaint shops. For children, Pleasurewood Hills is nearby too but I have never been and cannot comment on it.
Our New Year holiday included a mystery drive - which went to Wroxham for a couple of hours and 2 scenic drives in the snow! Wroxham is lots of small shops, mainly owned by Roy's including a garden centre, cafe, department store and toy shop. Even the Macdonalds is inside Roy's! Even in December, there were plenty of shops open. In summer, there are boat trips and these can also be viewed from the bridge.
MORE INFORMATION FROM
Any tourist information office should be able to provide information about Great Yarmouth or provide you with a contact in Norfolk. www.norfolktouristattractions.co.uk or www.visitnorfolk.co.uk as recommended by the Norfolk Tourist Attractions Association in my leaflet which had some money off vouchers, picked up in the hotel.
Have fun, werewolf.
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Great review with very accurate information. I live in Lowestoft (down the road) and see the town of Gt Yarmouth frequently I hope you visit again.
StavrosJohnson 07.02.2006 20:07
Incredible amount of information, great stuff.
Louise90 25.09.2005 00:57
I live in Gt Yarmouth and work in the Norfolk Nelson Museum. I may well have seen you in there when you came in! There's a market on a Saturday as well. Good review! Louise.
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