Hemsby

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Hemsby's Beach Road

Hemsby is a village, civil parish and seaside resort in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 12 km north of the town of Great Yarmouth.^[1] The civil parish has an area of 7.14 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,973 in 1,221 households. Hemsby borders the villages of Winterton-on-Sea and Scratby. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Great Yarmouth.^[2]

A Norfolk county map dated around 1610 shows a headland, called Winterton Ness, extending into the sea north-east of Hemsby. This headland has now almost entirely disappeared through coastal erosion.

1 History
2 The Village
3 Transport
4 Institutions
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

Hemsby along with much of the Norfolk coast was targeted by the Vikings, who initially raided the area in search of precious materials and slaves. The village was founded at some point during this time. The settlement grew steadily and is listed in the Domesday Book under the name of Haimesbei with a description of "a hamlet covering 43 meadow acres with 50 households, 3 slaves, 2 salt pans and 160 sheep."

[edit] The Village

[edit] Beaches

The beach at Hemsby

Seacroft Holiday Park, Beach Road

A postcard of the village showing its status as a tourist area

The front of the Mirage amusement arcade

The wind farm visible from Hemsby's beach

The beaches are one of the major tourist draws in the village, with miles of sandy coastline. Large sand dunes form a natural barrier between the beach and the village behind it. One of the more unusual features of the beach is a scattering of anti-tank blocks across the beach, left over from the World War II coastline defences. Erosion is a major problem in the surrounding villages of Winterton-on-Sea and Caister where sandy cliffs are being vastly destroyed by the forces of the sea. Hemsby's dunes are also being eroded but the wide beach means the effects are less noticed.

[edit] Hemsby Village

Hemsby is split into two parts: Hemsby Village and Hemsby Beach. Hemsby Village is mainly the residential area located about a mile inland. Kingway is an area of the village which includes a SPAR shop, hairdressers and Chinese restaurant. This is also the main location for buses into Great Yarmouth and Martham. St Mary the Virgin Church was built in the 12th century and is a landmark in the village.^[1] The Scroby Sands wind farm was built in 2003 and is clearly visible from the village and the beach. The Blood Hill wind farm is also near the village in Winterton.^[2]

[edit] Hemsby Beach

The tourist-based part of the village lies along Beach Road and is commonly known as Hemsby Beach. This area comprises a number of tourism industries and reaches from the centre of the village to the beach and dunes.

The upper end of the road is populated by houses and accommodation parks, consisting mainly of chalets and caravans. The largest of the accommodation parks is a branch of Pontins.

At the beach end of the road are a number of cafes, shops and amusement arcades. A growing number of facilities are owned by the company Bevans of Hemsby Limited. There is a fantastic indoor play area at the end of Beach Road called MB's Playarea, which also serves food and beer.

Hemsby is well-known for its amusement arcades. The major arcades include the Sands, Palace Casino and The Mirage. A wide variety of games and services is on offer including ten-pin bowling, bingo, a play area and many different machines.

A variety of seaside-style cafes and restaurants are available, offering sit-down meals, take-away fish and chips and Chinese food.

Fun fairs, crazy golf courses and children's rides also feature on a number of sites along the street.

[edit] Transport

Hemsby was once served by Hemsby railway station which was located on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway between Great Yarmouth (Beach) and Melton Constable. It closed in 1959 ^[3]. Currently Hemsby is served by two First Eastern Counties bus services, the 1 and 3. The 3 serves Hemsby Beach and the 1 serves the village. Both stop at the Kingsway bus stop.

[edit] Institutions

[edit] Charities

Hemsby is home to the Hemsby Inshore Rescue Service (better known as Hemsby Lifeboat), an independent and voluntary lifeboat service that operates within the nearby coastal areas and the broads. The institution is independent of the RNLI, relying entirely upon public donations in order to operate.

Each year a fund-raising day, Hemsby Lifeboat Day, is held on the beach, with a variety of stalls and booths to attract visitors.

[edit] Churches

St Mary the Virgin dates from the early 14th century.

[edit] Schools

Hemsby's only school is Hemsby First School, a mixed-sex school serving in the region of 100 pupils aged 4 to 8. The school buildings date back to 1904. Due to the nature of Hemsby and the seasonal work that is offered, the turnover of pupils from the school is relatively high as families move into or out of the area.