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This page shows images of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk,
including the piers, excursion vessels and more
Wellington Pier
The Great Yarmouth Wellington Pier was opened on the
31st October 1853 and the 700 feet (210m) wooden structure had cost £6,776
to build. The pier was designed by P. Ashcroft. In its first year open the
pier was a huge success and made an impressive profit for then, of £581.
Five years later a second pier was built close to the Wellington which had a
very large financial effect on the profitability of the pier. By 1899 Great
Yarmouth Corporation bailed out the failing business for the sum of £1,250
and had plans to improve the entertainment and amusement of the pier. On 13
July 1903 a new Pavilion was opened and a failed Winter gardens was bought
from Torquay and was incorporated into the design of the pier.
In 1971, the seaward end was completely renewed at a cost of £30,000. In
1975, further funds were allocated for urgent maintenance. In 1986, the
council's Commercial Management and Estates committee recommended demolition
of the loss-making pier on the grounds that a £1 million pound redevelopment
could not be justified. This led to public protests and new ideas. The
council decided to lease the pier's operations. The entertainer Jim Davidson
took over the lease between 1996 and 2002, but was unable to halt the pier's
deterioration and it was eventually taken over by the present owners, Family
amusements Ltd.
The pier eventually had to be closed for improvement and extensive
restoration works. Work commenced in 2004, partly funded by the Heritage
Lottery Fund, under the Townscape Heritage Initiative. This included the
removal of asbestos cladding and then the refurbishment of the steel and
timber substructure and decking. The pier is now open and houses an
amusement arcade, casino, a fully automatic bowling alley, ice cream parlour
and gift shop.
(ref: Wikipedia &
www.piers.org.uk)
Britannia Pier
The Great Yarmouth Britannia Pier was first proposed
in 1856 and work began in September 1857. A.W.Morant was the engineer. The
700 foot structure opened on 13th July 1858. The length of the pier was
reduced by a ship collision in 1859 and storm damage in 1868. It was
demolished in 1899.
A replacement was started on 13th December 1900 to the design of Joseph and
Arthur Mayoh. The 810 foot pier deck and temporary pavilion opened in 1901.
This pavilion was replaced with the grand first pavilion which opened on
21st June 1902. This was, however, destroyed by fire on 22nd December 1909.
The second pavilion designed by Douglass & Arnott was completed in 1910, but
was itself burnt down on 17th April 1914, allegedly by the Suffragettes, who
had been refused permission to hold a meeting there. Within three months a
third pavilion had been built, opening on 27th July.
The Floral Hall Ballroom was opened in May 1928 but was wrecked by fire on
3rd August 1932. A new Grand Ballroom opened in 1933, but this too was
destroyed by fire on 20th April 1954, along with the third pavilion. The
pier was closed and sectioned during the war. It re-opened in 1947 after
repairs. The present pavilion opened on 27th June 1958, but the Ballroom
(called the Ocean Ballroom from 1947) was never replaced.
Previously owned by First Leisure plc, the pier was sold to the present
owners, Family Amusements Ltd, in 1995. The Britannia Pier still provides
popular live theatre shows and boasts a range of food outlets, bars,
amusements and rides.
(ref: Wikipedia &
www.piers.org.uk)
Great Yarmouth Jetty
Great Yarmouth jetty was originally constructed in
1560 as a place to land fish, and import and export goods. At the time the
town was a major trading and fishing port, and the harbour was continually
silting up, forcing new outlets to the sea to be cut. The jetty, which in
the early days had a crane at the east end, provided a reliable means of
loading and unloading boats.
The jetty was rebuilt in 1701, but 100 feet of it was swept away in 1767 and
later carried away by storm in 1791. The entire structure was nearly
destroyed by a storm in 1805. It was rebuilt without a crane in 1809, and
was lengthened in 1846 and again in 1870. A glass roof was added in 1927
which was then declared unsafe and removed in 1959. In 1961, the timber
structure was entirely replaced with a metal version. None of the original
timbers of the jetty survived, with the possible exception of the timber
piles.
Nelson landed at the original jetty structure in 1800 after the Battle of
the Nile. The following year, Nelson embarked from the jetty to sail with
the fleet to the Battle of Copenhagen, and disembarked there after the
battle to visit the wounded at the nearby Naval Hospital in Yarmouth. During
the Napoleonic Wars, the fleet was frequently assembled in Yarmouth Roads
sheltered waters because ships were too large to enter the harbour, and
would be too vulnerable to attack there. Officers, men and stores were
transported to and from their ships from the jetty. In 1813 William III
landed at the jetty when attempting to raise Dutch troops to oppose Napoleon
Bonaparte.
The jetty has also been used in modern wars, and there was a small gun
emplacement - two Bren guns - at the end of the jetty during the second
world war. The structure was also partially demolished to stop it being used
by potential invaders in the second world war.
The jetty has been a favourite subject for artists including John Constable.
(ref:
www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk)
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