Great Yarmouth’s Waterways to re-open on Easter Sunday following major restoration work

Great Yarmouth’s Waterways to re-open on Easter Sunday following major restoration work Credit: Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Great Yarmouth’s historic Venetian Waterways is to reopen on Easter Sunday following major and ongoing restoration work, with people invited to celebrate at two fun family events.

Since June 2018, the Grade II-listed seafront park has been closed for a flagship £2.7m restoration, led by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and supported by The National Lottery.

While contractors finalise refurbishment of the Boating Lake site ahead of its official opening later this spring, major engineering and landscaping works at the Waterways site are now complete, meaning the Waterways site can re-open from Sunday, April 21. Volunteers will continue to restore the park over the coming years.

78 people have so far contributed a collective total of 1,290 volunteer hours towards the project. Credit: Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Kate Watts, Strategic Director at the Borough Council, said: “The re-opening of the Waterways site is an exciting and major milestone in the ongoing restoration. Following completion of the major structural repairs, the site can reopen and volunteers will continue the ongoing restoration over the coming years.

“While work remains underway, the attraction will only get better as the restoration continues and the Boating Lake and Island Café open, with people once again able to go out on the Boating Lake in rowing boats and pedloes.”

The restoration has been funded by a £1.7m National Lottery grant awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund Credit: Great Yarmouth Borough Council

The restoration has been funded by a £1.7m National Lottery grant awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund, plus further support from the borough council, New Anglia LEP and the Government. In addition, approximately 78 people have so far contributed a collective total of 1,290 volunteer hours towards the project.

The project aims to involve the community in enhancing and interpreting a unique community facility, tourist attraction and heritage asset, supporting the local economy, boosting civic pride and providing people with meaningful opportunities to improve skills and access further training or employment.

Doug Field, chairman of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said “Opening the Venetian Waterways will provide a welcome boost for Great Yarmouth’s visitor economy as we head into the summer season. Reviving this iconic feature will give new life to the seafront and support the creation of new jobs. This is great news for the town.”