The pier has been named the best in the UK (Image: Adrian Caffery)
The UK’s best pier has been named ahead of the upcoming summer months. The same seaside town is also set to benefit from a major £40 million revamp project over the next few years.
Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, is home to Britannia Pier which has been named the Pier of the Year. It topped 62 other piers around the UK in the annual National Piers Society’s (NPS) competition. Tim Wardley, NPS chairman, said: “Huge congratulations to the worthiest of winners who have shown that in challenging economic times, investment is still the way forward to success.”
READ MORE: Seaside town with ultimate pier has go-karting and arcades – not Blackpool or Br
READ MORE: Seaside town’s struggling council spends £500k making cycle lane more dangerous
Meanwhile, Joseph Abbott, the co-owner of Britannia Pier, said: “We feel this is a huge testament to us as new owners for the work, time and investment we have put in since our takeover in December 2022.” The pier recently underwent a 1.8 million refurbishment and is known for its lively atmosphere, traditional arcades and rides, bars and sweeping coastal views.
The current owners bought the pier in 2022 and are keen to make it a “must-visit attraction” for holidaymakers. While admission to the pier is free, rides and shows have their own costs.
Great Yarmouth will undergo a major £40 million hlow-up over the coming years. A number of projects will be completed, including opening the Iron Duke art deco pub and the 19th century Maritime House, which is located on the seafront.
Great Yarmouth will benefit from major funding over the coming years (Image: Getty)
The pub was shut in 2007 but will reopen later this year after a £2.4 million renovation. Meanwhile, the Maritime House, which has been abandoned for five years, will house cafes and flats.
The Grade II-listed Victorian Winter Gardens will also get an £18 million makeover. The final project will be a £20 million transformation of the North Quay, which will become an area with shops, homes and leisure venues.
The pier is known for its traditional and lively atmosphere (Image: Getty Images)
‘Cannot recommend Britannia Pier enough’
Britannia Pier in Great Yarmouth has a number of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. Many visitors have noted the range of activities available.
Kersty D said: “Went here to see an act which was a Whitney Houston tribute act. She was absolutely incredible. She was very, very good.
“She has one hell of a voice, and the staff and all of the team were very friendly and more than happy to help. There was also a bar nearby. We could grab a drink and also toilets nearby too.”
Carol Gravenell added: “Now spent a lovely afternoon sat in the sun outside Long John’s Bar at the end of the pier, excellent service and music as always, but just wanted to give an extra special shout out to Nicola and Scott who went above and beyond to find out the name of a particular track we loved playing over the audio.
“A perfect warm up to summer on a rare weekend off for, us as locals, def cannot recommend Britannia Pier enough.”
JenJenBean put: “We were helped by 3 members of staff at the arcade on the pier. All three were lovely and really helpful. There are good options for food and drink (although they are understandably more pricey than off of the pier).
“There are lots of arcade games (2p pushers, crane games, etc), a few rides which use a token system to get on, a bar, a fish and chip shop, and multiple other food vendors.”