Works set to begin on strengthening historic town walls

Scaffolding will be put in place this week ahead of work between St Mary's Tower and St Nicholas Road.

Great Yarmouth's town wall is a mile-long medieval wall, with eleven out of sixteen surviving towers. It took over a century to complete after starting in 1276. It is among the best preserved in England and stands comparison with those at York and Chester.

The preservation of the town walls is part of the £2.4m Great Yarmouth High Street Heritage Action Zone project, which puts heritage and the local community at the heart of revitalising the town centre.

Building on acclaimed conservation and heritage work that has already been completed in the area, further action zone projects include the repair and re-use of two prominent buildings in King Street and the Market Place, grant funding schemes supporting historic shopfront improvements and building repairs, and digital mapping of the area.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader Cllr Carl Smith said: "Great Yarmouth is blessed with a rich cultural heritage, with dozens of nationally-important buildings and monuments including our medieval town walls.

"Thanks to funding secured from Historic England, we're able to preserve the walls and ensure they continue to help tell the history of the town for generations to come."

Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director, Historic England said: "It's wonderful to see the continuation of this significant project to protect and preserve Great Yarmouth's historic town walls. They are an important part of Great Yarmouth's story and give special character to the town for locals and visitors alike. I'm delighted that this restoration project gives an opportunity for local people to learn heritage conservation skills and to get hands-on with repair work that will last for generations."

The High Street Heritage Action Zone is a four-year programme, led by the borough council in partnership with Historic England.

Historic England has supported two phases of repair works to Great Yarmouth's historic town walls, including grant funding of £189,000.