Hemsby & Newport
Only a few miles north of Great Yarmouth you'll find Hemsby and Newport which together form a lively village seaside resort and an ideal touring base for Great Yarmouth, the Norfolk Broads and surrounding area.
Hemsby is divided into two main areas: the village and the beach. The village has a number of shops and attractive buildings, including the 12th century church, St. Mary the Virgin. Beach Road plays host to a range of eateries and amusements including a fun fair and bingo, crazy golf and several clubs providing family entertainment including dancing and nightly discos.
Visitors love the beautiful sandy beach at Hembsy and Newport, sheltered by sand dunes. Scroby Sands is easily visible from the wide sloping beach which also features some World War II relics, a scattering of anti-tank blocks are a more unusual feature left over from coastal defences back in the 1940's.
Hemsby is featured 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."
Nowadays, regulars flock to Hemsby for the Rock 'n' Roll weekender when the village beats to the sounds of the 1950's and to the Longshore 'Herring Festival' celebrating the village's important fishing traditions.
Hemsby is also 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. Hemsby Lifeboat Day, an annual fund-raiser, is held on the beach with a variety of stalls and booths.
The popular beach café serves food throughout the season. There is a wide selection of holiday caravan and chalet parks with direct access to the beach to choose from, amusement arcades, bars, discos, cabaret venues, bingo, children's play areas, gift shops, food outlets and the funfair will spoil you for choice in Hemsby and ensures that regulars return year after year!
