A POPULAR seaside town known for being home to ‘the Golden Mile’ is getting a huge makeover.
Great Yarmouth in Norfolk will have several projects taking place this year that will transform the seaside town.
The first is the opening of the 19th century Maritime House and the Old Duke art deco pub.
Maritime House is located on the seafront and has been abandoned for the past five years.
Originally, it was a safe house for sailors who became shipwrecked nearby and then over the years it has also been a museum and a tourist information centre.
When it reopens – which is expected to be in the spring – it will be a cafe and a block of flats.
Read more on travel inspo
The Old Duke pub will also reopen this year, which closed back in 2007, with works expected to cost £2.4million.
Another spot getting a huge makeover is the Victorian Winter Gardens, which will undergo a £18million restoration this year and open next year.
The Grade II-listed landmark, which was originally built in Torquay in Devon in 1878, is the UK’s last surviving Victorian seaside cast iron and glass winter gardens.
The attraction will reopen as the ‘People’s Palace’ with indoor gardens, community areas, cafes and a number of different venues for leisure, entertainment and learning.
The final project is the North Quay – costing £20million and taking place over the next few years.
The area will become “a high-quality mix of commercial, residential, leisure and public realm uses”.
The 10-acre riverside area is set to include a ‘Leisure Box’ which will include an Imax-ready multi-screen cinema, around 70 shops, restaurants, cafes, housing and a 100 to 120-room hotel.
There will also be flexible workspaces and parking for up to 900 cars.
Along the waterside, there will be new walkways, play areas and public squares.
A cycle route will also connect the North Quay with the town centre.
On Instagram, Great Yarmouth Council noted: “This multi-layered development is set to create hundreds of jobs, boost local businesses, attract up to two million visitors a year, and strengthen Great Yarmouth’s position as a leading destination to live, work and visit.
“With sustainability, accessibility and community at its heart, the North Quay project is designed to unlock the town’s full potential and deliver long-lasting benefits for residents and visitors alike.”
Councillor Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “This incredibly exciting development will breathe new life into our town and is something we have been working towards for many years.
“It will bring hundreds of new jobs for local people and build on our reputation as a wonderful place to visit and spend time.
“In tandem with bold regeneration completed or underway in the Market Place, The Conge and other locations in the town, North Quay demonstrates the confidence successful businesses have in the future of our borough.”
Great Yarmouth is known for its sandy beaches, which are often referred to as ‘the Golden Mile’.
The town has a number of traditional seaside attractions too, including Wellington Pier, Britannia Pier, the Pleasure Beach and the Hippodrome Circus.
For literature lovers, the town has several links to famous authors, such as Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, in which Great Yarmouth is referred to as “the finest place in the universe”.
In other seaside town news, the UK’s sunniest beach town feels like going back in time has ‘no arcades’ and barely any rain.
Plus, our favourite UK seaside towns to visit in winter – with seal cruises, seafront pubs and secret beaches.