| Caister-On-Sea | |
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Caister-On-Sea
Caister-On-Sea shown within Norfolk |
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| Population | 8,756 2001 Census |
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| OS grid reference | TG5212 |
| District | Great Yarmouth |
| Shire county | Norfolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GREAT YARMOUTH |
| Postcode district | NR30 |
| Dialling code | 01493 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Great Yarmouth |
| List of places: UK • England • Norfolk | |
Caister-on-Sea, also known colloquially as Caister, is a settlement in Norfolk in the United Kingdom, close to the large town of Great Yarmouth. It is a seaside resort and busy holiday destination on the "Golden Mile", with its main attraction being its sandy "Georgian Beach". It is home to Great Yarmouth race course.[1] At the 2001 census it had a population of 8,756 and 3,970 households.[2] It used to be served by Great Yarmouth railway station. There was also a Great Yarmouth Camp Halt, opened in 1933 to serve the holiday camp mentioned below. However, both were closed in 1959. The wind farm at Scroby Sands has thirty 2–megawatt wind turbines, 2.5 km off shore.
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Caister's history can be traced back to Roman times when they first arrived in the 1st century. The name derives from the Latin castmouth meaning castle, as it was also the site of a Roman fort and a Saxon fort.[3] Most of the site has been built on by a modern housing estate. What little remains is managed by English Heritage and is open to the public.
There has been an offshore lifeboat in the area since 1791.[4] It was used by a beach company to salvage ships wrecked on the sand banks. Between 1856 and 1969 lifeboats were operated by the RNLI. In 1901, nine crew were lost while attempting a rescue during heavy seas. At the time it was said, "If they had to keep at it 'til now, they would have sailed about until daylight to help her. Going back is against the rules when we see distress signals like that".
This response was translated by journalists to become the famous phrase "Caister men never turn back". A monument to the men lost in the disaster bearing this inscription stands in the cemetery at Great Yarmouth and there is a pub called the "Never Turn Back" that is named after the incident. There is a memorial to George V.
There is a Haven caravan and holiday park near the coast. One of the oldest in the UK, it began as the "Great Yarmouth Social Club" in1906.[5] In the 1950s and early 1960s, it used to be on both sides of the road. Opposite the beach was a dining room, paper shop, sports facilities and tourist chalets. These facilities were sold to a property developer who turned it into housing in the 1970s. In the 1980s a brand new holiday camp was opened, under the ownership of Ladbrokes, which was later sold to Warners in the 1990s.
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