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A Day in Historic Great Yarmouth

• 18 May 2026 10.15am - 4.00pm
• St George’s Community Theatre, St George’s Plain, King Street, Great Yarmouth NR30 2PG
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Great Yarmouth has been an important port since before the Norman Conquest. The town was hugely wealthy and that wealth is visible in many of its surviving buildings. Defoe described Yarmouth as, “infinitely superior to Norwich”! The Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust has worked miracles to bring a number of these historic buildings back from the brink of neglect.

Our day will largely be based at St George’s Community Theatre. This fine 1714 building designed by John Price was originally a chapel. Debbie Thompson, who runs both St. George’s and Sheringham Little Theatre will welcome us to this venue in the heart of old Yarmouth. Following tea and coffee, we will have an introductory illustrated talk on the history of Yarmouth by former mayor and Yarmouth champion, Barry Coleman. Then, Darren Barker MBE will speak about the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, which he leads.

After lunch at the Theatre, we will walk along King Street and then South Quay to see some of the grand former merchants’ houses. The main streets are linked by narrow lanes, The Yarmouth Rows. Near the Market Place is the attractive Fishermen’s Hospital (1702), built to house ‘decayed fishermen’ and is still occupied as almshouses. We will stop at South Quay Gallery where Pete and Moira Huggins will tell us about their exciting new venture.

We then all drive to the impressive Royal Naval Hospital near the sea front, built in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1996, the hospital was one of Kit Martin’s first major refurbishment projects, and despite local fears, has proved an ongoing success story. Chris and Faye Stanley, who live at the RNH, will show us will show us the inner courtyard and the chapel; private spaces which are not open to visitors.

Close by, we can also see the lofty restored Britannia Monument (1817) by William Wilkins. On this Yarmouth landmark, commemorating Admiral Horatio Nelson, an inscription reads, This great man Norfolk boasts her own. It preceded Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square by some 25 years.

The day will close by 4pm. Tickets are £48 per person and include talks, lunch and refreshments. Your host for the day is Charlotte Crawley.

10.15am	Tea and Coffee on arrival at St George’s Community Theatre. Welcome from Debbie Thompson
10.45am	A Potted History of Gt. Yarmouth, Barry Coleman
11.30am	The work of Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, Darren Barker
12.15pm	Lunch
1.00pm	Guided walk with Darren Barker along King Street, South Quay & The Market
3.00pm	Arrive Royal Naval Hospital
4.00pm	Close

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