Great Yarmouth Market
Experience the friendly face of shopping at one of England's oldest markets. Great Yarmouth has one of the largest market places in England, with around 5400m of pedestrianised space, part cobbled, part paved and surrounded by historical buildings and shops, many with ornate architecture dating from Edwardian and Victorian times.
Given it's history and location, it is likely that Great Yarmouth has been a market town since people started to settle in the area in larger numbers in around 1008 AD, with agricultural produce and fish to trade, well before the King John Charter was granted in 1208.
Part of the market place was paved and the first market cross erected in 1384, and it's this section of the market place which is home to Great Yarmouth's permanent covered central market, open six days a week from Monday to Saturday. Great Yarmouth central market has a range of takeaway food and fresh grocery stalls as well as stalls selling useful household goods.
Market day takes place twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday all year round, with more stalls springing up on the cobbled area of the market place and traders arriving in town from the local area to ply their goods. An extra Friday market takes place in the summer months from May through to October, when the seaside resort is even busier.
Regeneration in Great Yarmouth
Food stalls on Great Yarmouth's Central 6 Day Market
Other stalls on Great Yarmouth's Central 6 Day Market
Market Day stalls - Wednesdays & Saturdays
Park for free after 4pm every day in most council operated car parks, but don't forget that the Market Place car park closes at 5pm on Tuesdays and Fridays (and Thursdays from May to October) so that the market can be set up.
Parking is also FREE after 12noon on Wednesdays in 3 borough-council operated car parks, to make getting to the market even easier on market day. Buses stop just the other side of Market Gates Shopping Centre and the railway station is just a short walk down The Conge.
Great Yarmouth Market Place is surrounded by shops on all sides. Small shops line the Rows leading onto the market place. The Rows were built in as straight a line as possible from the quayside to the market place and to King Street, so that goods could get from trader to trader as quickly as possible.
Large high-street chain stores line the west side of the Market Place, with little to show of the 16th century butchers' and fishmongers' shambles, although some lovely architecture of later times does remain if you look up above the shop signage. Market Gates Shopping Centre is also to the west, leading off from the Market Square. King Street and the Victoria Arcade are to the south.
Great Yarmouth Market is one of 16 partners from areas across Southern England and Northern France taking part in a project called Go Trade which aims to increase visitors and enhancing their experience of traditional markets.
Go Trade help to fund Market Place events
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