‘Grimy’ seaside now one of UK’s best attractions after £1,800,000,000 refurb

Great Yarmouth has been described as ‘run-down’ for years (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) For years, Great Yarmouth has been called ‘run-down’, ‘tired’, ‘grimy’ and ‘nothing special’ by online reviewers. In fact, Norfolk’s kiss-me-quick-style resort was named one of the worst seaside towns in the UK by Which? just last year. The consumer watchdog surveyed almost 4,000 members of the public, who gave Yarmouth an abysmal destination score of just 51%. But perhaps it’s been a while since they visited. Great Yarmouth’s pier has just named the best in the UK, after undergoing a £1.8 billion facelift that’s seen new amusements and food stalls added. Britannia Pier, before it received the £1.8 billion facelift (Picture: Getty Images) Best of Metro Deals Get exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher Bannatyne Spa: Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off. Get deal now Mystery Escape: Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages. Get deal now Beach Retreat (Lanzarote): 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%. Get deal now A new era for Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth has just been crowned Pier of the Year by the National Piers Society, taking the crown from the 2025 winner Llandudno Pier in North Wales.Yarmouth’s Britannia Pier first opened in 1858, during the peak of Victorian seaside tourism, which opened up the sea not just to the elite, but to more ordinary people, too. The railway station, which first opened in 1844 and ferried passengers down from Norwich for donkey rides, no doubt helped. By 1846, 80,000 visitors were flocking to experience Yarmouth each year. Great Yarmouth enjoyed its heyday during the Victorian era (Picture: Getty Images) Then, after fire destroyed the original structure of the Britannia Pier, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1958. By the 1970s, though, the UK holiday boom was over. All of this complicated economic history informed the regeneration of the pier, facilitated by Triangle Amusements after it was bought in 2022. Over the past four years, work has included the introduction of a new amusement arcade, extra food stalls, and, most recently, a refreshed facade, breathing new life into the historic seaside spot. There’s still everything you might expect at a pier (the dodgems and slot machines haven’t gone anywhere), but the whole place looks a lot fresher.‘Came back from Yarmouth three weeks ago couldn’t believe how much it had changed for the better,’ wrote one recent visitor, Annette, on TikTok. Four-week warning for easyJet passengers as fuel shortages threaten holidays The ‘sensitive’ female body part that men say drives them wild The 'Venice of England' is an enchanting village capturing the South Coast's beauty ‘Cleaner, tidier the gardens and beaches, even the toilets which were free were well-attended. Took the dogs and didn’t see one lot of mess. Keep up the good work, it’s what we need in this country!’ The pier’s co-owner, Joseph Abbott, described the award as a ‘huge testament’ to the new ownership, particularly the ‘work time, and investment’ poured in since they arrived four years ago. He told the BBC: ‘This pier has a huge history behind it, and this award has just added another chapter to its ongoing story. Long may it continue.’ Is Great Yarmouth really so bad? Metro has seen Great Yarmouth’s renaissance first-hand, as last year, Deputy First-Person and Opinion Editor Ross McCafferty visited to see if it could break his unlucky streak with seaside resorts. He wrote: ‘I managed to spend the better part of a week basking in the Norfolk sunshine and soaking up the charm that Great Yarmouth has to offer. ‘My friend Ryan and I arrived and immediately decamped to the Prom Hotel, where views simply couldn’t have been better – the rustic charm of the fair looming large from one window, while from another, the golden sands of the beach and the vast expanse of the North Sea unfurled in front of you.  ‘That same North Sea vista also featured prominently at our first meal of the evening, at the Imperial Hotel, a short walk down the promenade. ‘I’ll always be wary and looking skywards whenever I venture to a coastal town, Great Yarmouth really has changed my view on seaside towns – it had more variety than I was expecting, and a sense of adaptability that nicely accentuates its old-fashioned charm. ‘I’ll certainly be back. I’ll just watch out for the pigeons.‘ Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. 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