Amusement Parks: Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is an amusement park which is situated in the Norfolk seaside resort of Great Yarmouth right on the seafront. The amusement park has a famous history dating right back to 1909. Its largest and most famous ride is the Scenic Railway Roller Coaster which was introduced in 1933 and still operates today.

The amusement park can boast of being in the Top 10 free entry amusement parks in the UK and is constantly adding to its appeal. It has over 20 large rides, including Sky Drop and Disko, as well as a number of water attractions, rides for younger children, crazy golf courses and amusement arcades. There are also plenty of good catering outlets, ice cream parlours and sweet shops at the amusement park. In 2008, it became one of a small number of amusement parks in the UK to feature a large ferris wheel called ‘The Yarmouth Wheel’.

For those who like to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of the amusement park for a while, you can relax amidst the tranquil setting of the Pleasure Beach Gardens. Introduced in 1996, there’s a mini golf course, a refreshment kiosk, Sara’s Tea Rooms and the Segway Grand Prix track as well as a Junior Driving School for younger children.

This amusement park is not one for resting on its laurels however and has submitted plans to the local council to have the land at the south end of the Pleasure Beach in South Denes redeveloped in order to build a new amusement and activity centre. If approved, this will include a hotel, cinema, casino and other amusements. And, although the amusement park is currently only open between the end of March and early November, this planned facility is earmarked to be open all year round which would be a great boost to Great Yarmouth’s already well established reputation as a major tourist centre as well as the amusement park’s popularity.