General Facts

Gorleston-on-Sea, known colloquially as Gorleston, is a town in Norfolk, England, to the south of Great Yarmouth. Situated at the mouth of the River Yare it was a port town at the time of the Domesday Book. The port then became a centre of fishing for herring along with salt pans used for the production of salt to preserve the fish. In Edwardian times the fishing industry rapidly declined and the town’s role changed to that of a seaside resort.

Gorleston History

In 1832, it became a part of Great Yarmouth for electoral purposes. Finally in 1835 it merged with the town and became part of Great Yarmouth in the county of Norfolk. Gorleston Barracks were established in 1853. There used to be two railway stations. Both were on the coastal line which joined Great Yarmouth with Lowestoft – Gorleston-on-Sea closed in 1970 whilst its neighbour, Gorleston North closed in 1942.

In the Great Storm of 1987, Gorleston-on-Sea experienced the highest wind speed recorded in the UK on that day, which was 122 mph. The town is meticulously described in the novel ‘Gorleston’ by Henry Sutton (Sceptre, 1995) and in Philip Leslie’s novels ‘The History of Us’ (Legend Press, 2009) and ‘What Remains’ (December House, 2013).

Tree Surgeon Gorleston