History of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea

History of Local Transport - The Trams

Although the bus is now the preferred method of public transport in the area this was not always so. From 1871, when the East Anglian Tramway Order was approved until 14th December 1933, trams were the way to get around the locality.

Originally, trams were to run from Southtown to Southwold, taking in Gorleston and Lowestoft. However, it seems that all such plans are destined to go awry. In the end trams ran from Gorleston Railway station (see section on railways) into and around Great Yarmouth and then on to Caister. Lowestoft had its own system running in the town. The system that developed was never fully joined up as the trams never crossed Haven Bridge. A new bridge would need to be built for this and the cost was prohibitive.

Tram Depot Gorleston 1882

Above is a picture of the Gorleston tram depot which was located on the site of the present library, just off Feathers Plain. This depot provided parking for the trams as well as stabling for the horses that pulled them. In 1905 the horse drawn trams on the Gorleston section were replaced by the new electric trams that were all the rage. The Great Yarmouth section being electrified in 1902. The old tram depot was also replaced in 1905 by a new depot (see below right) that incorporated a library which still occupies the same location today, but not the same building.

Tram on Southdown Road 1905

In the early years of 20th century the Borough Council took over the tram system and it was during this period, in 1907, that the last extension to the system took place. The tramway was extended to Caister which made the system just under 10 miles in length. Despite a number of planned extensions the only other major change to the system before World War 1 was the doubling up of the track in Yarmouth Market Place.

Gorleston High Street

By the end of the war in 1918 both the track and the rolling stock were in serious need of upgrading. In 1923 it was decided by the Borough to renew the track and purchase new tramcars. However, around this time buses were being introduced to replace parts of the tram system. This had the positive effect of releasing some of the tramcars to serve on the remaining tram network but the writing for the trams was surely on the wall. Of course it did not stop the Borough spending public money on, what must have seemed to many, to be a redundant transport system. If proof were needed then the propopsed construction of the new Haven Bridge in 1927, again without tram tracks, was surely a give away. In 1929 the tram service to Vauxhall Station stopped, followed in 1929 by the closure of the Southtown - Gorleston route. The remainder of the routes in Great Yarmouth carried on until 1933 when the inevitable occurred and the last tram ran on Dec 14th 1933. The trams were no more.

Gorleston Tram Depot 1905

History of Local Transport - The Trains

Yarmouth Beach Station

This station had the longest platform on the Midland and Great Northern line at 330 yards and with good reason. It was neded to accommodate the large numbers that came to the resort of Great Yarmouth during the summer months. There was a goods yard and loco sheds on the site with a normal contingent of 10 locos which was increased in the summer months. The site was closed in 1962 and is now occupied by the beach coach station

Station Hotel Gorleston

Great Yarmouth Railway

Station Hotel Gorleston

Apart from the odd bridge there is little that remains of the railway and its associated buildings. However, in Elmhurst Close the Station Hotel building still stands. No longer a hotel but a private residence. During recent improvements to the building the owners had the good sense to leave the hotel sign on the side of the house and trade descriptions on the garages. A visual delight and a glimpse of a bygone age. Well done!

Breydon Viaduct

The railway viaduct was situated close to where the present road bridge crosses the River Yare at the entrance to Breydon Water. The viaduct was single track on an otherwise double track line and there were signal boxes at each end. The river traffic was given priority over the trains. The second span on the Cobholm side pivotted on its axis to allow large ships through, as seen below.

Breydon Railway Viaduct

In strong winds it could take up to 10 minutes for the operation of the bridge. The five span viaduct had a working life of 50 years and was demolished to make way for the road bridge which has an operating time of 90 seconds!

What Happened to the Railway

The route the railway took is still followed today - it is the Gorleston bypass. The route of the A12 from the Great Yarmouth end of the Acle straight, over the Breydon Road bridge, straight on at the next two roundabouts and up to the third roundabout is the route the railway took between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. The A12 turns right at the third roundabout, the railway carried straight on at this point, through what is now a park. Then, on under the bridge at the end of the park proceeding through what is now the Cliff Park housing estate and emerging from Cliff Park near to the junction of the Links Road with Warren Road, and then on to Lowestoft.