English Beach Culture
Today I will be exploring two unique examples of English beach culture at two locations I visited on the Norfolk coast: Cromer Beach and Great Yarmouth.
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth was a popular holiday destination of the working and middle classes of England before places further away became more accessible. It’s difficult to describe the vibe you get when arriving in Great Yarmouth. It’s a bit shabby and rundown, but there are many stores still open and a palpable sense of history. It kind of reminded me of the Jersey shore in the United States, a bit trashy in that way. Walking down the main walking road towards the beach, the shops included Candy stores where you can buy something called rock which I hadn’t heard of before. There are also many souvenir shops but I’m not sure I would necessarily want to commemorate a trip to Great Yarmouth. Now it definitely seems to be a holiday destination for the poor people in England, who can’t go to more popular destinations, but this even emphasizes the strange culture that has formed in this place. Be careful not to stay out too late though because the drunks come out as well as some even freakier characters such like one guy waving his Willy around. I enjoyed the beach, but it had a few more rocks than I expected. There are many rundown buildings that remind you of Great Yarmouth’s heyday like some 19th century hotels. There is also evidence that Great Yarmouth continues to be a family destination for some with a rundown aquarium and many arcades and places offering fried food lining the road along the beach. (Apologies for the bad internet photo, I guess I was so enthralled by Great Yarmouth when I went that I didn’t take any pictures).
Cromer
Cromer was totally different and had an even older feel to it. It was a bit easier to get to since it had its own train station, though the main town felt much quieter than the bustling main Boulevard of Great Yarmouth. I like this laid-back feel and it seemed more like a quaint, seaside village, then a touristy place. I would definitely recommend taking a walk down the beach in the direction of Overstrand, the next town over. At one point you can go up a long set of stairs onto the top of the cliff that is near the beach. It is worth noting that this is a pebble beach and not sand. The top of this cliff was really cool and offered great views of the ocean as well as the blooming shrubbery and homes at the top of this ridge. Along the trail, one can find signs discussing the native wildlife, and signs of a more posh way of life than in Great Yarmouth. Part of the trail passes through a golf course, which seemed like a really great place to play. The town of Overstrand was not all that interesting as a destination, but the journey itself was more than worth it. There was a small crab shack restaurant, but it was closed for the day.
Of course this post has not taken into account other English beach cultures throughout the country and one can imagine that in Cornwall, for example, tourism is still much more vibrant and that it would have a totally different vibe from Norfolk beaches. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend traveling to either of these locations since there are so many nicer beaches in the world, but it was definitely interesting experiencing the destinations that the English in the area have frequented for decades.
