Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth, also Yarmouth, borough in Norfolk, eastern England. The borough, formed in 1974, extends about 30 km (19 mi) along the North Sea. It is a popular holiday resort with excellent beaches, a racecourse, and several museums, including the Maritime Museum for East Anglia. The port of Great Yarmouth is situated at the junction of the Yare and Waveney rivers; it is a major service station for offshore petroleum-mining operations and handles petroleum imports as well as having a roll-on roll-off ferry service to the Netherlands. Manufactured goods include electronic equipment, textiles, boats, food processing, engineering, and paper pulp. The town was granted its first charter in 1208. For centuries, until the mid-20th century, it was a fishing port known for its herring catch, particularly the smoked “bloaters”. Heavy bombing during World War II destroyed much of the medieval town centre. Population 90,813 (2001).