Lowestoft
Encyclopedia
Lowestoft is a town in the English
county
of Suffolk
. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point
of the United Kingdom. It is 110 miles (177 km) north-east of London
, 38 miles (61 km) north-east of Ipswich
and 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Norwich
. It is situated on the edge of the Broads
system and is the major settlement within the district of Waveney
with a population of 64,358 at the 2001 census.
Some of the earliest evidence of settlement in Britain have been found in Lowestoft and the town has a long history. It is a port town
which developed due to the fishing industry
and a traditional seaside resort
. It has wide, sandy beaches, two piers and a number of other tourist attractions. Whilst its fisheries have declined, the development of oil and gas exploitation
in the southern North Sea
in the 1960s led to the development of the town, along with nearby Great Yarmouth
, as a base for the industry. This role has since declined and the town has begun to develop as a centre of the renewable energy
industry within the East of England.
in south Lowestoft in 2005, the human habitation of the Lowestoft area can be traced back 700,000 years. This establishes Lowestoft as one of the earliest known sites for human habitation in Britain.
The area was settled during the Neolithic
, Bronze
and Iron Age
s and during the Roman
and Saxon
periods, with a Saxon cemetery producing a number of finds at Bloodmoor Hill in south Lowestoft. The settlement's name is derived from the Viking
personal name Hlothver, and toft, a Viking word for 'homestead'. The town's name has been spelled variously: Lothnwistoft, Lestoffe, Laistoe, Loystoft and Laystoft.
At the Domesday survey
the village was known as Lothuwistoft and was relatively small with a population of around 16 households. The manor formed part of the King's holding within the Hundred of Lothingland
and was worth about four geld in tax income. Roger Bigot
was the tenant in chief of the village. The village of Akethorpe
may have been located close to Lowestoft.
In the Middle Ages
Lowestoft became an increasingly important fishing town. The industry grew quickly and the town grew to challenge its neighbour Great Yarmouth
. The trade, particularly fishing for herring
, continued to act as the town's main identity until the 20th century.
In June 1665 the Battle of Lowestoft
, the first battle of the Second Anglo-Dutch War
, took place 40 miles (64.4 km) off the coast of the town. The battle resulted in a significant victory for the English fleet over the Dutch.
In the 19th century, the arrival of Sir Samuel Morton Peto
brought about a change in Lowestoft's fortunes. Railway contractor Peto was contracted by the Lowestoft Railway & Harbour Company to build a railway line between Lowestoft and Reedham. This stimulated the further development of the fishing industry and the Port of Lowestoft
in general. The development of the port boosted trade with the continent. Peto's railway not only enabled the fishing industry to get its product to market, but assisted the development of other industries such as engineering and helped to establish Lowestoft as a flourishing seaside holiday resort
.
During World War I
, Lowestoft was bombarded
by the German Navy on 24 April 1916. The port was a significant naval base during the war, including for armed trawlers such as Ethel & Millie
and Nelson
which were used to combat German
U-boat
actions in the North Sea such as the action of 15th August 1917
. In World War II
, the town was heavily targeted for bombing by the Luftwaffe
due to its engineering industry and role as a naval base. It is sometimes claimed that it became one of the most heavily bombed towns per head of population in the UK. The Royal Naval Patrol Service
, formed primarily from trawlermen and fishermen from the Royal Naval Reserve
, was mobilised at Lowestoft in August 1939. The service had its central depot HMS Europa, also known as Sparrow's Nest, in the town. Many Lowestoft fishermen served in the patrol service.
ware. Items still exist, and there are collections at the museum in Nicholas Everett Park, Oulton Broad
, and at the Castle Museum, Norwich
. The factory produced experimental wares in about 1756 and first advertised their porcelain in 1760, operating until about 1801. The factory was in production for longer than any English soft-paste porcelain producer other than Royal Worcester
and Royal Crown Derby
.
Lowestoft collectors divide the factory's products into three distinct periods, Early Lowestoft circa 1756 to 1761, Middle-Period circa 1761 to 1768 and Late-Period circa 1768 to the closure of the factory in about 1801. During the early period wares decorated with Chinese-inspired
scenes in underglaze blue were produced. This type of decoration continued throughout the life of the factory but scenes were gradually simplified. Overglaze colours in enamel were used from about 1768.
The factory, which was built on the site of an existing pottery or brick kiln, was later used as a brewery and malt kiln. Most of the remaining buildings were demolished in 1955.
. It is a former municipal borough
, having lost this status in 1974, although it retains a ceremonial mayor. The mayor of Lowestoft is elected by councillors on an annual basis. Suffolk County Council
is the local authority.
The town is part of the Waveney parliamentary constituency
and currently represented at Westminster by Conservative
Peter Aldous
. Former M.P.s include Bob Blizzard
, David Porter
and Jim Prior
, a cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
in the Thatcher
governments, who also represented the former constituency of Lowestoft
. For European Union elections Lowestoft forms part of the East of England
constituency.
For district election purposes, Lowestoft is divided into ten electoral wards, with Carlton Colville
treated as a separate electoral area. Harbour, Kirkley, Normanston, Pakefield, St Margarets and Whitton wards elect three councillors each, with Carlton, Gunton and Corton, Oulton and Oulton Broad wards electing two district councillors. Of the 48 council seats in the district, 26 represent wards within Lowestoft, with three more representing Carlton Colville. In 2010 the council changed to a Whole Council election process, with all seats on the council elected at one set of elections every four years. The most recent district council elections were on 5th May 2011
at which the Labour party
won 19 of the Lowestoft seats, a gain of four seats, concentrated in the central areas of the town. The Conservative party won six seats with one Independent candidate retaining their seat in Oulton ward.
At Suffolk County Council, Lowestoft and its immediate surrounding area are represented by eight councillors, split equally between four electoral divisions–Gunton, Lowestoft South, Oulton and Pakefield. For county council elections Pakefield division includes Carlton Colville. Elections take place every four years, with the most recent elections in June 2009. Seven of Lowestoft's county councillors represent the Conservative party, with South Lowestoft electing a UK Independence Party councillor in 2009.
. It lies on the North Sea
coast and is located 110 miles (177 km) north-east of London, 38 miles (61 km) north-east of Ipswich
and 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Norwich
. The town is divided in two by Lake Lothing
which forms Lowestoft Harbour
and provides access via Oulton Broad
and Oulton Dyke
to the River Waveney
and the Broads
.
Lowestoft is mainly low lying, although with areas of steep hills in the north of the town where the highest points are 20–30 metres above sea level. The underlying rock is crag-sand with overlying sand and glacial till deposits with gravel, with the crag being exposed at coastal cliffs such as at Pakefield
. Areas around Lake Lothing feature alluvium silt and some marshland remains west of Oulton Broad. The beaches to the south of the harbour are sandy and have Blue Flag
status. Towards the north of the harbour is an area of old sand dunes known locally as the Denes as well as more beaches and Ness Point
, the easternmost point of the U.K.
Lowestoft has been subject to periodic flooding, most notably in January 1953
when a North Sea swell driven by low pressure and a high tide swept away many of the older sea defences and deluged most of the southern town. Heavy rain caused flash flooding in the town in September 2006.
Lowestoft is in one of the driest areas of the United Kingdom and receives less than 600 mm of rainfall a year on average. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Summer temperatures will tend to reach 21°C in August, when the town averages over 200 hours of sunshine, whilst in winter minimum temperatures average 2°C. Significant snowfall is rare, although has occurred in recent years. Sea fog and cool onshore breezes can affect the town.
Lowestoft is Suffolk's second largest town (second to Ipswich) with a population of 64,358 at the 2001 census. The town contains a variety of business and residential areas, with the main shopping centre lying just to the north of Lake Lothing. The wider Lowestoft urban area includes the suburbs of Carlton Colville
, Gunton
, Pakefield, Oulton and Oulton Broad as well as the district of Kirkley
. Outlying villages associated with Lowestoft include Blundeston
, Corton
, Gisleham
, Kessingland
and Somerleyton
.
At the 2001 census there were 27,777 households with an average household size of 2.40. In total 8,430 households (30%) were classified as one person households while 26% included children aged 15 or under. The proportion of households without a car was 29% whilst 22% had two or more cars. In terms of housing tenure, 72% of households were owner occupied.
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Until the mid 1960s, fishing was perceived as Lowestoft's main industry, although from the 1930s the percentage of those employed directly and in trades associated with fishing was actually only around 10% of the working population . Fleets of drifter
s and trawlers caught fish such as herring
, cod
and plaice
. Catches have diminished since the 1960s and, although by the 1980s 100 boats remained, there are now only a few small boats operating out of Lowestoft, with no trawlers remaining. By 2011 just three traders remained at the towns fish market which is under threat of closure due to the redevelopment of the port
. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
(CEFAS), a large fisheries research centre, which is a part of Defra
is still located in Lowestoft.
Other major traditional employers included the Eastern Coach Works
and a variety of engineering and ship building companies clustered around the harbour
. These included Brooke Marine
and Richards shipbuilding companies, who together employed over a thousand men but went out of business in the 1990s, and Norwich based engineering company Boulton and Paul
. Some ship building and repair still goes on in the harbour.
frozen foods which employs 700 workers. The company has been located in the town for over 60 years. Food processing company Wessex Foods closed its Lowestoft plant in 2010 after a major fire destroyed the factory and the company was unable to find alternative premises.
A number of other local employers have had to make redundancies in recent years. The Sanyo
plant in the town closed down in 2009 with the loss of 60 jobs. The plant once employed 800 people. Timber company Jeld-Wen
closed their factory in the town in 2010.
From the mid 1960s to the late 1990s, the oil and gas industry
provided significant employment in the Lowestoft area. For many years the Shell
Southern Operations base on the north shore of Lowestoft Harbour
was one of the town's largest employers. A decision to close the Shell base was finally made in 2003. The oil and gas industry is still a significant industry within the town.
The town has attempted to develop itself as a centre for the development of renewable energy
in the east of England. The non-profit Orbis Energy centre has been set up to attract business in the green energy sector to the town and features solar thermal heating
. In April 2009, Associated British Ports announced that the harbour is to become the operations centre for the 500 megawatt Greater Gabbard offshore windfarm which, when completed, will be the world’s largest offshore windfarm
. The turbines will be located 15 miles (24 km) off the Suffolk coast, and Lowestoft’s Outer Harbour is to be used to house the necessary operational support facilities. Other developments in the renewable energy sector include a prototype tidal energy
generator being produced by local company 4NRG and wave power
systems developed by Trident Energy.
Lowestoft is also bidding for to be the operational base for the proposed 5,000 megawatt 'Zone 5' wind farm, planned for construction off-shore.
and British Home Stores have stores in the town. Chadds independent department store was founded in 1907 and after nearly 100 years trading on the high street and was taken over in 2004 by the Great Yarmouth
based Palmers group. Specialist shopping areas, branded as The Historic High Street and the Triangle Market Place, have been developed on the northern edge of the centre, while a number of retail parks have been developed in the town.
, first developing as a bathing site in the 1760s. The coast has been branded the "Sunrise Coast
". The town's main beaches are to the south of the harbour and have Blue Flag
status. Two pier
s, the Claremont
and South piers, provide tourist facilities and the East Point Pavilion is the site of the tourist information service. Lifeguard facilities are provided during the summer and watersports take place along the coast.
Pleasurewood Hills
Theme Park is situated on the northern edge of the town. In the west at Oulton Broad
boat trips and watersports on the Broads
and River Waveney
are attractions, with companies such as Hoseasons operating hire boats from Oulton Broad. To the south Africa Alive
at Kessingland
is a major attraction whilst Pontins operates a holiday park at Pakefield
where 160 jobs were created in 2010.
A major attraction in recent years has been Lowestoft Airshow, founded in 1996. The two day event, which takes place in August, features a wide range of aircraft including, in the past, the Red Arrows
, a Lancaster bomber
, Spitfire
s and an Avro Vulcan
. In 2002, a Royal Air Force
Harrier
plane crashed into the sea during the festival. An RAF board of inquiry later established that the pilot, Flight Lieutenant
Cann, had accidentally operated the controls for throttle and nozzle direction lever at the same time, causing it to drop sharply.
The event, which has been run by Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, a not for profit company, since 2004, has had financial difficulties in the past and made a £40,000 loss in 2010. Waveney District Council has helped support the event, which has significant economic benefits to the town, but it has lacked a main sponsor since 2007 when Birds Eye withdrew its sponsorship of the £250,000 cost of staging the show. The event raises money through collections for local charities which, in turn, provide stewarding. In 2010, despite the operating loss, £27,000 was donated to groups. It has been estimated that the show generates 180 jobs and benefits the local economy by more than £13 million a year.
the most deprived ward in the county ranking 173rd most deprived in England (out of 32,486). The area has attracted European Union
redevelopment funding. The Waveney Sunrise Scheme invested £14.7 million in the town, including the transport improvements and the development of tourist facilities such as fountains on Royal Plain, in an attempt to stimulate the local economy. Regeneration company 1st East, which focussed on the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
areas, closed in 2011.
The town was announced as a location for an enterprise zone in August 2011. The plan, developed by New Anglia local enterprise partnership, will be based around six redevelopment sites across Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
and aim to create 13,500 jobs by 2036. The bid, which involved the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance, will focus on developing the energy sector initially using a variety of tax incentives, simplified planning regulations and the provision of improved broadband internet services.
The harbour is the focus for redevelopment proposals for Lowestoft in the form of the Lake Lothing and Outer Harbour Area Action Plan
submitted in February 2011. The plan focusses on the redevelopment of brownfield site
s in and around the harbour area to create jobs, particularly in the renewable energy and retailing sectors.
is the largest theatre in the town. The Seagull theatre in Pakefield is smaller. The Beach
radio station broadcasts to Lowestoft and the surrounding area as does BBC Radio Suffolk
. The local weekly paper is the Lowestoft Journal which is part of the Archant
group.
Lowestoft Museum, which holds a collection of Lowestoft Porcelain as well as artifacts describing the town's history, is in Nicholas Everett Park in Oulton Broad
. Lowestoft's other museums include the Maritime Museum and Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum, both located in Sparrow's Nest park in the north of the town, and the Heritage Workshop Centre. The Mincarlo
is the last surviving sidewinder trawler of the Lowestoft fishing fleet
and can be visited at Lowestoft Harbour. The East Anglia Transport Museum
, which holds a collection of buses, trams and trolleybuses is located in Carlton Colville
.
Lowestoft retains a number of narrow lanes with steps running steeply towards the sea, known locally as "scores". These were used by fishermen and smugglers in the past and are now the site of an annual race which raises money for charity. The borough church is dedicated to St Margaret
and is a Grade I listed building
.
Lowestoft library, located in the centre of the town, contains a local history section and a branch of the Suffolk Record Office. Lowestoft Hospital
provides community care for the elderly as well as a variety of other services.
The town is currently twinned with the French
town of Plaisir in the Yvelines
department in the Île-de-France
to the west of Paris
. It was formerly twinned with Dutch
town of Katwijk
which is due east from Lowestoft on the North Sea
coast.
, the most easterly location in the United Kingdom
, is located in the town close to a 126 metre high wind turbine
known locally as Gulliver. At the time it was completed the turbine was the tallest in the United Kingdom. At the most easterly point is a large compass rose, the Euroscope, set in the ground which gives the direction and distance to various cities in Europe
.
Belle Vue Park is the site of the Royal Naval Patrol Service
memorial. The central depot for the service was in Lowestoft when it was mobilised in August 1939 on a site known as Sparrow's Nest adjacent to the memorial. The memorial has the names of the 2,385 members of the service who died in World War II.
Lowestoft High Lighthouse
, located to the north of the town centre, was built at its present location on the cliffs above the Denes in 1676, although two candlelit lights were first established in the town in 1609. The present structure was built in 1874 and stands 16 metres tall, 37 metres above sea level. The light, which has a range of 23 nautical miles (42.6 km), was electrified in 1936 and automated in 1975.
, originally known as Lowestoft Central station, is centrally placed within the town, within walking distance of the beach and the town centre. It provides services to Ipswich
on the East Suffolk Line
and to Norwich
along the Wherry Line. Both lines were originally part of the Great Eastern Railway
and are currently operated by National Express East Anglia. The suburb of Oulton Broad has two stations: Oulton Broad North station
lies on the line to Norwich, while Oulton Broad South
is on the line to Ipswich.
Lowestoft North railway station
, which was originally operated by the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
, closed in 1970 when the Yarmouth to Lowestoft line closed. The site is now occupied by Beeching Drive, a residential area.
Buses in Lowestoft
are operated by First Eastern Counties and Anglian Bus
with Lowestoft bus station as the hub for routes. Buses link the town with Norwich and Great Yarmouth and provide public transport within the town and to surrounding villages. The X1 service operates a direct link to Peterborough
and National Express Coaches stop in Lowestoft on the route from London to Great Yarmouth.
The main A12 road from London to Great Yarmouth passes through the centre of Lowestoft, crossing the harbour in the centre of the town on the Bascule Bridge
. The A146
links Lowestoft with Beccles and Norwich, providing a second road crossing of Lake Lothing. Both bridges can be raised if vessels need to pass through the harbour and Lake Lothing and this can cause congestion in the town and routes can become gridlocked. A third crossing of Lowestoft Harbour is proposed but has yet to receive planning or funding, although a southern relief road diverts traffic away from the seafront to help reduce congestion.
, The Denes High School
and East Point Academy
(formerly Kirkley Community High School). Lowestoft College
provides a range of academic and vocational courses.
Pakefield High School
is due to open in September 2011. At this time all high schools in Lowestoft will become 11–16 schools with post-16 provision at Lowestoft College or a newly built Lowestoft Sixth Form College
. This will involve the closure of all eight middle schools in the town.
Lowestoft College provides a small range of higher education courses through an affiliation to University Campus Suffolk
. Degrees are validated by the University of East Anglia
and the University of Essex
. The college also runs courses in boatbuilding and a variety of courses designed to support the offshore and maritime industries which are important employers in the town. Other adult education courses are run by the County council from a base at the town library.
play at Crown Meadow and Kirkley & Pakefield Football Club play at Walmer Road. Lowestoft Cricket Club play at the Denes Oval sports ground. Other sports clubs include Waveney Gymnastics club and Rookery Park golf club.
The towns main leisure centre is the Waterlane leisure centre which was redeveloped at a cost of £6.5 million in 2010–11. Facilities include a gym and climbing wall and will feature a 25 metre swimming pool with a movable floor once refurbishment is complete. Lowestoft has a number of parks and recreation grounds.
The Broads
national park extends to Lowestoft at Oulton Broad. Water activities and boat tours can be taken here. Powerboat racing
also occurs every Thursday throughout the summer, hosting local boats and occasionally a round of a national or international championship throughout classes of powerboat.
was born in Lowestoft in 1913. He has been described as "without a doubt the greatest English classical composer of the last century" and "the only person of real celebrity to have emerged from darkest Lowestoft". The Benjamin Britten High School
and a small shopping centre in the town are named after the composer.
Sir Samuel Morton Peto
, bought Somerleyton Hall
in 1843, and has one of the town's main roads named after him. He was influential in developing the town's railway links and its harbour. Sir Christopher Cockerell
, inventor of the hovercraft
, lived in Oulton Broad, and tested craft in Somerleyton
.
Admiral Sir John Ashby, who commanded HMS Victory
at the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue in 1692, grew up in Suffolk and is buried in Lowestoft. A memorial to him is sited in St Margaret's church in the town. Vice Admiral James Dacres fought in wars against America in the 19th Century and was born in the town. Captain Thomas Crisp
V.C.
, Royal Navy officer, was born in the town – one of the town's main roads is named after him.
The Elizabethan pamphleteer Thomas Nashe
, one of the fathers of modern journalism and a primary source for the literary milieux of William Shakespeare, was born in Lowestoft in 1567. Robert Potter
, poet and translator of Greek drama, was vicar of Lowestoft until 1804. The 19th century writer and traveller George Borrow
lived in Oulton Broad
for many years and wrote most of his books there.
The children's author and illustrator Michael Foreman
was born in 1938, and spent his childhood years in Pakefield
where his mother kept the grocers shop. He went to Pakefield Primary School, and played on Hilly Green – stories of which are recorded in his book War Boy. Photographer George Davison
was also born in Lowestoft.
The comedian and actor Karl Theobald
was born in Lowestoft as was BBC Radio 4 newsreader and television presenter Zeb Soanes and Tim Westwood
, DJ and BBC radio presenter. Three of the founder members of the rock band The Darkness were educated in Kirkley
and some of their songs feature landmarks or stories from the local area. Lil Chris featured in Channel4s, Rock School
programme filmed at Kirkley High School and went on to have a musical career.
Sportspeople associated with Lowestoft include former England football captain Terry Butcher
who was educated in Lowestoft. Others born in the town include former Ipswich Town goalkeeper Laurie Sivell
, Norwich City defenders Paul Haylock
and Daryl Sutch
, New York Mets
pitcher Les Rohr
and middleweight boxer Anthony Ogogo
. Professional darts player Peter Wright
lives in the town.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point
Extreme points of the United Kingdom
This is a list of the extreme points of the United Kingdom: the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. Traditionally the extent of the island of Great Britain has stretched "from Land's End to John o' Groats" .This article does not include references to the...
of the United Kingdom. It is 110 miles (177 km) north-east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 38 miles (61 km) north-east of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
and 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. It is situated on the edge of the Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
system and is the major settlement within the district of Waveney
Waveney
Waveney is a local government district in Suffolk, England, named after the River Waveney that forms its north-west border. The district council is based in Lowestoft, the major settlement in Waveney, which is the only unparished area in the district...
with a population of 64,358 at the 2001 census.
Some of the earliest evidence of settlement in Britain have been found in Lowestoft and the town has a long history. It is a port town
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
which developed due to the fishing industry
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
and a traditional seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
. It has wide, sandy beaches, two piers and a number of other tourist attractions. Whilst its fisheries have declined, the development of oil and gas exploitation
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
in the southern North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
in the 1960s led to the development of the town, along with nearby Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, as a base for the industry. This role has since declined and the town has begun to develop as a centre of the renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
industry within the East of England.
History
Following the discovery of flint tools in the cliffs at PakefieldPakefield
Pakefield is a suburb of the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Pakefield is located around 2 miles south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms a suburb of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was until 1934 a village and parish in its own right....
in south Lowestoft in 2005, the human habitation of the Lowestoft area can be traced back 700,000 years. This establishes Lowestoft as one of the earliest known sites for human habitation in Britain.
The area was settled during the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
s and during the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
and Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
periods, with a Saxon cemetery producing a number of finds at Bloodmoor Hill in south Lowestoft. The settlement's name is derived from the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
personal name Hlothver, and toft, a Viking word for 'homestead'. The town's name has been spelled variously: Lothnwistoft, Lestoffe, Laistoe, Loystoft and Laystoft.
At the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
the village was known as Lothuwistoft and was relatively small with a population of around 16 households. The manor formed part of the King's holding within the Hundred of Lothingland
Mutford and Lothingland (hundred)
Mutford and Lothingland was a hundred of Suffolk, with an area of . Lowestoft Ness, the most easterly point of Great Britain fell within its bounds.Мutford and Lothingland Hundred formed the north-eastern corner of Suffolk...
and was worth about four geld in tax income. Roger Bigot
Roger Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk
Roger Bigod was a Norman knight who came to England in the Norman Conquest. He held great power in East Anglia, and five of his descendants were Earl of Norfolk. He was also known as Roger Bigot, appearing as such as a witness to the Charter of Liberties of Henry I of England.-Biography:Roger came...
was the tenant in chief of the village. The village of Akethorpe
Akethorpe
Akethorpe was an English village thought to have been located in the area now part of the Suffolk town of Lowestoft. The small village was described in the Domesday book of being a collection of houses home to 4 households....
may have been located close to Lowestoft.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Lowestoft became an increasingly important fishing town. The industry grew quickly and the town grew to challenge its neighbour Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. The trade, particularly fishing for herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, continued to act as the town's main identity until the 20th century.
In June 1665 the Battle of Lowestoft
Battle of Lowestoft
The naval Battle of Lowestoft took place on 13 June 1665 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.A fleet of more than a hundred ships of the United Provinces commanded by Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam attacked an English fleet of equal size commanded by James Stuart, Duke of York forty...
, the first battle of the Second Anglo-Dutch War
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
, took place 40 miles (64.4 km) off the coast of the town. The battle resulted in a significant victory for the English fleet over the Dutch.
In the 19th century, the arrival of Sir Samuel Morton Peto
Samuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
brought about a change in Lowestoft's fortunes. Railway contractor Peto was contracted by the Lowestoft Railway & Harbour Company to build a railway line between Lowestoft and Reedham. This stimulated the further development of the fishing industry and the Port of Lowestoft
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
in general. The development of the port boosted trade with the continent. Peto's railway not only enabled the fishing industry to get its product to market, but assisted the development of other industries such as engineering and helped to establish Lowestoft as a flourishing seaside holiday resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Lowestoft was bombarded
Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft
The Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft was a naval battle fought during the First World War between the German Empire and the British Empire in the North Sea....
by the German Navy on 24 April 1916. The port was a significant naval base during the war, including for armed trawlers such as Ethel & Millie
Armed trawler "Ethel & Millie"
The Armed trawler Ethel & Millie was a British auxiliary warship which served during World War I.She was built in 1908 as the fishing smack Ethel & Millie, operating from Lowestoft and registered as LT 200....
and Nelson
Armed trawler Nelson
Armed trawler Nelson was a British auxiliary warship which served during World War I.She was built in 1905 as the fishing smack G&E, operating from Lowestoft and registered as LT 649....
which were used to combat German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
actions in the North Sea such as the action of 15th August 1917
Action of 15 August 1917
The Action of 15 August 1917 was a naval engagement which occurred during the First World War. The action was fought between a German U-boat and two armed trawlers in the North Sea.-Background:...
. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town was heavily targeted for bombing by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
due to its engineering industry and role as a naval base. It is sometimes claimed that it became one of the most heavily bombed towns per head of population in the UK. The Royal Naval Patrol Service
Royal Naval Patrol Service
The Royal Naval Patrol Service was a branch of the Royal Navy active during the Second World War. The RNPS operated many small auxiliary vessels such as naval trawlers for anti-submarine and minesweeping operations to protect coastal Britain and convoys during WWII.-History:The Royal Naval Patrol...
, formed primarily from trawlermen and fishermen from the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
, was mobilised at Lowestoft in August 1939. The service had its central depot HMS Europa, also known as Sparrow's Nest, in the town. Many Lowestoft fishermen served in the patrol service.
Lowestoft porcelain
During the second half of the 18th century a factory in Crown Street produced soft-paste porcelainSoft-paste porcelain
Soft-paste porcelain is a type of a ceramic material, sometimes referred to simply as "soft paste". The term is used to describe soft porcelains such as bone china, Seger porcelain, vitreous porcelain, new Sèvres porcelain, Parian porcelain and soft feldspathic porcelain, and is also used more...
ware. Items still exist, and there are collections at the museum in Nicholas Everett Park, Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
, and at the Castle Museum, Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. The factory produced experimental wares in about 1756 and first advertised their porcelain in 1760, operating until about 1801. The factory was in production for longer than any English soft-paste porcelain producer other than Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester is believed to be the oldest remaining English pottery brand still in existence today.-Overview:Royal Worcester is a British brand known for its history, provenance and classically English collections of porcelain...
and Royal Crown Derby
Royal Crown Derby
The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company is a porcelain manufacturer, based in Derby, England. The company, particularly known for its high-quality bone china, has produced tableware and ornamental items since approximately 1750...
.
Lowestoft collectors divide the factory's products into three distinct periods, Early Lowestoft circa 1756 to 1761, Middle-Period circa 1761 to 1768 and Late-Period circa 1768 to the closure of the factory in about 1801. During the early period wares decorated with Chinese-inspired
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
scenes in underglaze blue were produced. This type of decoration continued throughout the life of the factory but scenes were gradually simplified. Overglaze colours in enamel were used from about 1768.
The factory, which was built on the site of an existing pottery or brick kiln, was later used as a brewery and malt kiln. Most of the remaining buildings were demolished in 1955.
Government
Lowestoft is the major settlement in Waveney District CouncilWaveney
Waveney is a local government district in Suffolk, England, named after the River Waveney that forms its north-west border. The district council is based in Lowestoft, the major settlement in Waveney, which is the only unparished area in the district...
. It is a former municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
, having lost this status in 1974, although it retains a ceremonial mayor. The mayor of Lowestoft is elected by councillors on an annual basis. Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
is the local authority.
The town is part of the Waveney parliamentary constituency
Waveney (UK Parliament constituency)
Waveney is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
and currently represented at Westminster by Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Peter Aldous
Peter Aldous
Peter James Guy Aldous is a Conservative Party politician in England. A former local councillor, he has been the Member of Parliament for the Waveney constituency in Suffolk since winning the seat at the 2010 general election....
. Former M.P.s include Bob Blizzard
Bob Blizzard
Robert John Blizzard is a British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament for Waveney from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, David Porter
David Porter (UK politician)
David John Porter , was Conservative Member of Parliament for Waveney from 1987 to 1997.Before going into parliament he was a drama teacher at Kirkley High School. After the 1997 election, he concentrated his efforts on supporting the British film industry...
and Jim Prior
James Prior, Baron Prior
James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, PC, known as "Jim Prior" , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he was a Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, representing the constituency of Lowestoft from 1959 to 1983 and the renamed constituency of Waveney from 1983 to 1987...
, a cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
in the Thatcher
Premiership of Margaret Thatcher
The Premiership of Margaret Thatcher began on 4 May 1979, with a mandate to reverse the UK's economic decline and to reduce the role of the state in the economy...
governments, who also represented the former constituency of Lowestoft
Lowestoft (UK Parliament constituency)
Lowestoft was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
. For European Union elections Lowestoft forms part of the East of England
East of England (European Parliament constituency)
East of England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
constituency.
For district election purposes, Lowestoft is divided into ten electoral wards, with Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville is an area in the suburbs of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk, located south-west of the centre of the town. Significant residential development has occurred in the area since the 1960s, including more than 1,000 homes built in Carlton Park...
treated as a separate electoral area. Harbour, Kirkley, Normanston, Pakefield, St Margarets and Whitton wards elect three councillors each, with Carlton, Gunton and Corton, Oulton and Oulton Broad wards electing two district councillors. Of the 48 council seats in the district, 26 represent wards within Lowestoft, with three more representing Carlton Colville. In 2010 the council changed to a Whole Council election process, with all seats on the council elected at one set of elections every four years. The most recent district council elections were on 5th May 2011
Waveney Council election, 2011
Elections to Waveney District Council took place on Thursday 5th May 2011. This was the first election held as a Whole Council election following a change made to the electoral system in 2010. As a result all 48 council seats were contested....
at which the Labour party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
won 19 of the Lowestoft seats, a gain of four seats, concentrated in the central areas of the town. The Conservative party won six seats with one Independent candidate retaining their seat in Oulton ward.
At Suffolk County Council, Lowestoft and its immediate surrounding area are represented by eight councillors, split equally between four electoral divisions–Gunton, Lowestoft South, Oulton and Pakefield. For county council elections Pakefield division includes Carlton Colville. Elections take place every four years, with the most recent elections in June 2009. Seven of Lowestoft's county councillors represent the Conservative party, with South Lowestoft electing a UK Independence Party councillor in 2009.
Geography
Lowestoft is the easternmost town in the United KingdomExtreme points of the United Kingdom
This is a list of the extreme points of the United Kingdom: the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. Traditionally the extent of the island of Great Britain has stretched "from Land's End to John o' Groats" .This article does not include references to the...
. It lies on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast and is located 110 miles (177 km) north-east of London, 38 miles (61 km) north-east of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
and 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. The town is divided in two by Lake Lothing
Lake Lothing
Lake Lothing is a saltwater lake located in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. The lake, which is believed to be the remnant of medieval peat cutting, flows into the North Sea and forms part of the Port of Lowestoft...
which forms Lowestoft Harbour
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
and provides access via Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
and Oulton Dyke
Oulton Dyke
Oulton Dyke is a freshwater stretch of water in The Broads National Park, located in Suffolk within the United Kingdom. The dyke connects Oulton Broad near Lowestoft to the River Waveney by means of a confluence near the village of Burgh St Peter....
to the River Waveney
River Waveney
The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...
and the Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
.
Lowestoft is mainly low lying, although with areas of steep hills in the north of the town where the highest points are 20–30 metres above sea level. The underlying rock is crag-sand with overlying sand and glacial till deposits with gravel, with the crag being exposed at coastal cliffs such as at Pakefield
Pakefield
Pakefield is a suburb of the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Pakefield is located around 2 miles south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms a suburb of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was until 1934 a village and parish in its own right....
. Areas around Lake Lothing feature alluvium silt and some marshland remains west of Oulton Broad. The beaches to the south of the harbour are sandy and have Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
status. Towards the north of the harbour is an area of old sand dunes known locally as the Denes as well as more beaches and Ness Point
Ness Point
Ness Point, also known as Lowestoft Ness, is the most easterly point of both the United Kingdom and the British Isles, located in the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of Suffolk in England...
, the easternmost point of the U.K.
Lowestoft has been subject to periodic flooding, most notably in January 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
when a North Sea swell driven by low pressure and a high tide swept away many of the older sea defences and deluged most of the southern town. Heavy rain caused flash flooding in the town in September 2006.
Lowestoft is in one of the driest areas of the United Kingdom and receives less than 600 mm of rainfall a year on average. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Summer temperatures will tend to reach 21°C in August, when the town averages over 200 hours of sunshine, whilst in winter minimum temperatures average 2°C. Significant snowfall is rare, although has occurred in recent years. Sea fog and cool onshore breezes can affect the town.
Lowestoft is Suffolk's second largest town (second to Ipswich) with a population of 64,358 at the 2001 census. The town contains a variety of business and residential areas, with the main shopping centre lying just to the north of Lake Lothing. The wider Lowestoft urban area includes the suburbs of Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville is an area in the suburbs of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk, located south-west of the centre of the town. Significant residential development has occurred in the area since the 1960s, including more than 1,000 homes built in Carlton Park...
, Gunton
Gunton, Suffolk
Gunton is a suburb of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. Gunton was a small coastal village but over the years has been suburbanised. Gunton has an estimated population of 6,640. The main A12 or Yarmouth road runs through the area.-Attractions:...
, Pakefield, Oulton and Oulton Broad as well as the district of Kirkley
Kirkley
Kirkley is a place within the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Kirkley is located south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms part of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was originally a village....
. Outlying villages associated with Lowestoft include Blundeston
Blundeston
Blundeston is a village and civil parish in the Waveney district of Suffolk, England. It is about inland, and between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft...
, Corton
Corton, Suffolk
Corton is a suburb in the town of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. Corton is located around north of the centre of town. The local church is dedicated to St Bartholomew. The estimated population was 1,140 in 2008. It has boundaries with the suburb of Gunton. -Features:Corton is home to...
, Gisleham
Gisleham
Gisleham is a small village located on the western edge of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is situated between Carlton Colville and Kessingland. Gisleham church, Holy Trinity, is one of 38 existing round-tower churches in Suffolk....
, Kessingland
Kessingland
Kessingland is a large village in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. It is located around south of Lowestoft. It is of interest to archaeologists as Palaeolithic and Neolithic implements have been found here; the remains of an ancient forest lie buried on the seabed.There has...
and Somerleyton
Somerleyton
Somerleyton is a village close to the River Waveney in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Somerleyton is located around north-west of Lowestoft and south-west of Great Yarmouth...
.
Demography
Around a tenth of Lowestoft's population of 64,358 at the 2001 census was aged 75 or over, whereas 20% was aged under 16. In general the population of a number of wards within the town is slightly skewed towards elderly people. The population is mainly classified as "white" with minority ethnic groups making up around 1.4% of the population of the town compared to around 8.7% nationally.At the 2001 census there were 27,777 households with an average household size of 2.40. In total 8,430 households (30%) were classified as one person households while 26% included children aged 15 or under. The proportion of households without a car was 29% whilst 22% had two or more cars. In terms of housing tenure, 72% of households were owner occupied.
Economy
Originally based on the fishing and engineering industries, the economy of Lowestoft has declined over the years. Although the tourism sector has grown, the major employers in the town are in the wholesale and retail sector, making up 18% of employment. Service industries, including health and social care and education are significant employers, whilst manufacturing employs around 10% of the workforce. Employment in the town can vary seasonally due to the importance of tourism to the economy. In early 2011 around 10% of the working population of the town claimed Jobseekers Allowance.Traditional industries
Drifter (fishing boat)
A drifter is a type of fishing boat. They were designed to catch herrings in a long drift net. Herring fishing using drifters has a long history in the Netherlands and in many British fishing ports, particularly in East Scottish ports....
s and trawlers caught fish such as herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and plaice
Plaice
Plaice is the common name of four species of flatfishes.Plaice or PLAICE may also refer to:* USS Plaice , a Balao-class submarine* PLAICE, an open source hardware FLASH programmer, memory emulator, and logic analyzer...
. Catches have diminished since the 1960s and, although by the 1980s 100 boats remained, there are now only a few small boats operating out of Lowestoft, with no trawlers remaining. By 2011 just three traders remained at the towns fish market which is under threat of closure due to the redevelopment of the port
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
(CEFAS), a large fisheries research centre, which is a part of Defra
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
is still located in Lowestoft.
Other major traditional employers included the Eastern Coach Works
Eastern Coach Works
Eastern Coach Works Ltd was a bus and railbus body building company based in Lowestoft, England.-History:The company can trace its roots back to 1912, when United Automobile Services was founded in the town to run bus services. United began a coach building business at the Lowestoft site in 1920...
and a variety of engineering and ship building companies clustered around the harbour
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
. These included Brooke Marine
Brooke Marine
Brooke Marine was a Lowestoft-based shipbuilding firm. The company constructed boats and small ships for civilian and commercial use, as well as minor warships for the Royal Navy, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Australian Navy, Kenya Navy and United States Navy.The company was founded in 1874 as a...
and Richards shipbuilding companies, who together employed over a thousand men but went out of business in the 1990s, and Norwich based engineering company Boulton and Paul
Boulton & Paul Ltd
Boulton & Paul was a British general manufacturer from Norwich that became involved in aircraft manufacture.Jeld Wen Inc, bought Boulton & Paul Boulton & Paul was a British general manufacturer from Norwich that became involved in aircraft manufacture.Jeld Wen Inc, bought Boulton & Paul Boulton &...
. Some ship building and repair still goes on in the harbour.
Modern economy
Major local employers include Birds EyeBirds Eye
__FORCETOC__Birds Eye is an international brand of frozen foods owned by Pinnacle Foods in North America and by private equity group Permira in Europe....
frozen foods which employs 700 workers. The company has been located in the town for over 60 years. Food processing company Wessex Foods closed its Lowestoft plant in 2010 after a major fire destroyed the factory and the company was unable to find alternative premises.
A number of other local employers have had to make redundancies in recent years. The Sanyo
Sanyo
is a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
plant in the town closed down in 2009 with the loss of 60 jobs. The plant once employed 800 people. Timber company Jeld-Wen
JELD-WEN
Jeld-Wen is a corporation with over 150 divisions and 20,000 employees worldwide. The business manufactures building products, including windows, interior and exterior doors, and garage doors. Jeld-Wen owns several distribution facilities and operates several resort properties...
closed their factory in the town in 2010.
From the mid 1960s to the late 1990s, the oil and gas industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
provided significant employment in the Lowestoft area. For many years the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Southern Operations base on the north shore of Lowestoft Harbour
Port of Lowestoft
The Port of Lowestoft is a harbour in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk owned by Associated British Ports. It is the most easterly harbour in the United Kingdom and has direct sea access to the North Sea. The harbour is made up of two sections divided by a bascule bridge...
was one of the town's largest employers. A decision to close the Shell base was finally made in 2003. The oil and gas industry is still a significant industry within the town.
The town has attempted to develop itself as a centre for the development of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
in the east of England. The non-profit Orbis Energy centre has been set up to attract business in the green energy sector to the town and features solar thermal heating
Passive solar building design
In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer...
. In April 2009, Associated British Ports announced that the harbour is to become the operations centre for the 500 megawatt Greater Gabbard offshore windfarm which, when completed, will be the world’s largest offshore windfarm
Offshore wind power
Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher....
. The turbines will be located 15 miles (24 km) off the Suffolk coast, and Lowestoft’s Outer Harbour is to be used to house the necessary operational support facilities. Other developments in the renewable energy sector include a prototype tidal energy
Tidal power
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....
generator being produced by local company 4NRG and wave power
Wave power
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...
systems developed by Trident Energy.
Lowestoft is also bidding for to be the operational base for the proposed 5,000 megawatt 'Zone 5' wind farm, planned for construction off-shore.
Retailing
The town centre is the main shopping area within Waveney district. Major retailers such as Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
and British Home Stores have stores in the town. Chadds independent department store was founded in 1907 and after nearly 100 years trading on the high street and was taken over in 2004 by the Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
based Palmers group. Specialist shopping areas, branded as The Historic High Street and the Triangle Market Place, have been developed on the northern edge of the centre, while a number of retail parks have been developed in the town.
Tourism
Lowestoft is a traditional seaside resortSeaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
, first developing as a bathing site in the 1760s. The coast has been branded the "Sunrise Coast
The Sunrise Coast
The Sunrise Coast is a term used to describe a stretch of tourist coastline in the English county of Suffolk. The area includes the seaside resort towns of Lowestoft and Southwold and the inland Broads towns of Beccles and Bungay within the Waveney district....
". The town's main beaches are to the south of the harbour and have Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
status. Two pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
s, the Claremont
Claremont Pier
The Claremont Pier is a traditional seaside pier in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk.-History:The pier was constructed in 1902/03 and used originally as a mooring for Belle steamers. It was designed by D. Fox and was originally 181.8 m in length and 10.9 m in width. In 1912, it was...
and South piers, provide tourist facilities and the East Point Pavilion is the site of the tourist information service. Lifeguard facilities are provided during the summer and watersports take place along the coast.
Pleasurewood Hills
Pleasurewood Hills
Pleasurewood Hills is a theme park on a site between Corton and Gunton, near Lowestoft, Suffolk. The park contains attractions including three rollercoasters. Its mascot is called Woody Bear, who was given a "sailor" look in 2007...
Theme Park is situated on the northern edge of the town. In the west at Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
boat trips and watersports on the Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
and River Waveney
River Waveney
The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...
are attractions, with companies such as Hoseasons operating hire boats from Oulton Broad. To the south Africa Alive
Africa Alive
Africa Alive!, formerly known as Suffolk Wildlife Park, is a zoo located in Kessingland, Suffolk, UK. It is situated off the A12 at Kessingland two miles south of Lowestoft....
at Kessingland
Kessingland
Kessingland is a large village in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. It is located around south of Lowestoft. It is of interest to archaeologists as Palaeolithic and Neolithic implements have been found here; the remains of an ancient forest lie buried on the seabed.There has...
is a major attraction whilst Pontins operates a holiday park at Pakefield
Pakefield
Pakefield is a suburb of the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Pakefield is located around 2 miles south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms a suburb of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was until 1934 a village and parish in its own right....
where 160 jobs were created in 2010.
A major attraction in recent years has been Lowestoft Airshow, founded in 1996. The two day event, which takes place in August, features a wide range of aircraft including, in the past, the Red Arrows
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
, a Lancaster bomber
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s and an Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
. In 2002, a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Harrier
RAF Harrier II
The British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas Harrier II is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing jet aircraft used previously by the Royal Air Force and, between 2006–2010, the Royal Navy. Derived from the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, which was a development of the Hawker...
plane crashed into the sea during the festival. An RAF board of inquiry later established that the pilot, Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Cann, had accidentally operated the controls for throttle and nozzle direction lever at the same time, causing it to drop sharply.
The event, which has been run by Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, a not for profit company, since 2004, has had financial difficulties in the past and made a £40,000 loss in 2010. Waveney District Council has helped support the event, which has significant economic benefits to the town, but it has lacked a main sponsor since 2007 when Birds Eye withdrew its sponsorship of the £250,000 cost of staging the show. The event raises money through collections for local charities which, in turn, provide stewarding. In 2010, despite the operating loss, £27,000 was donated to groups. It has been estimated that the show generates 180 jobs and benefits the local economy by more than £13 million a year.
Redevelopment
Lowestoft is one of the more socially deprived areas in Suffolk, with KirkleyKirkley
Kirkley is a place within the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Kirkley is located south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms part of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was originally a village....
the most deprived ward in the county ranking 173rd most deprived in England (out of 32,486). The area has attracted European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
redevelopment funding. The Waveney Sunrise Scheme invested £14.7 million in the town, including the transport improvements and the development of tourist facilities such as fountains on Royal Plain, in an attempt to stimulate the local economy. Regeneration company 1st East, which focussed on the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
areas, closed in 2011.
The town was announced as a location for an enterprise zone in August 2011. The plan, developed by New Anglia local enterprise partnership, will be based around six redevelopment sites across Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
and aim to create 13,500 jobs by 2036. The bid, which involved the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance, will focus on developing the energy sector initially using a variety of tax incentives, simplified planning regulations and the provision of improved broadband internet services.
The harbour is the focus for redevelopment proposals for Lowestoft in the form of the Lake Lothing and Outer Harbour Area Action Plan
Area Action Plan
An area action plan is an optional development plan document specified in United Kingdom planning law forming part of a local development framework...
submitted in February 2011. The plan focusses on the redevelopment of brownfield site
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
s in and around the harbour area to create jobs, particularly in the renewable energy and retailing sectors.
Culture and community
The Marina TheatreMarina Theatre
The Marina is a theatre and cinema in Lowestoft, Suffolk originally opened in the Victorian era. The venue has an auditorium seating 751. It plays host to celebrity touring acts, films and runs its own production company known as The Lowestoft Players....
is the largest theatre in the town. The Seagull theatre in Pakefield is smaller. The Beach
The Beach (radio station)
The Beach is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting to North Suffolk and East Norfolk. It broadcasts on 103.4FM from The Beach Studios on Hollingsworth Road in Lowestoft, Suffolk and on 97.4FM from a signal transmitter at a water tower in Blythburgh, Suffolk and from a signal transmitter at...
radio station broadcasts to Lowestoft and the surrounding area as does BBC Radio Suffolk
BBC Radio Suffolk
BBC Radio Suffolk is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Suffolk, commencing broadcasts on 12 April 1990. Its studios are at Broadcasting House in St Matthews Street, Ipswich on 95.5 , 95.9 , 103.9 and 104.6 FM...
. The local weekly paper is the Lowestoft Journal which is part of the Archant
Archant
Archant is a publishing company, based in Norwich, England, United Kingdom. The group publishes four daily newspapers, around 75 weekly newspapers, and 75 consumer and contract magazines....
group.
Lowestoft Museum, which holds a collection of Lowestoft Porcelain as well as artifacts describing the town's history, is in Nicholas Everett Park in Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
. Lowestoft's other museums include the Maritime Museum and Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum, both located in Sparrow's Nest park in the north of the town, and the Heritage Workshop Centre. The Mincarlo
Mincarlo (trawler)
Mincarlo is the last surviving sidewinder fishing trawler of the Lowestoft fishing fleet. She is also the last surviving fishing vessel built in Lowestoft, with an engine made in the town.-Construction:...
is the last surviving sidewinder trawler of the Lowestoft fishing fleet
Fishing fleet
A fishing fleet is an aggregate of commercial fishing vessels. The term may be used of all vessels operating out of a particular port, all vessels engaged in a particular type of fishing , or all fishing vessels of a country or region.Although fishing vessels are not formally organized as if they...
and can be visited at Lowestoft Harbour. The East Anglia Transport Museum
East Anglia Transport Museum
The East Anglia Transport Museum is an open air transport museum, with numerous historic public transport vehicles . It is located in Carlton Colville a suburb of Lowestoft, Suffolk...
, which holds a collection of buses, trams and trolleybuses is located in Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville is an area in the suburbs of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk, located south-west of the centre of the town. Significant residential development has occurred in the area since the 1960s, including more than 1,000 homes built in Carlton Park...
.
Lowestoft retains a number of narrow lanes with steps running steeply towards the sea, known locally as "scores". These were used by fishermen and smugglers in the past and are now the site of an annual race which raises money for charity. The borough church is dedicated to St Margaret
St. Margaret's Church, Lowestoft
Saint Margaret's Church is situated on the north-western edge of the town centre of the Suffolk town of Lowestoft. It is most notable for its large illuminated blue spire which can be seen across the town...
and is a Grade I listed building
Grade I listed buildings in Waveney
There are 51 Grade I listed buildings in Waveney, a non-metropolitan district of in the county of Suffolk in England.In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of "exceptional architectural or historic special interest";...
.
Lowestoft library, located in the centre of the town, contains a local history section and a branch of the Suffolk Record Office. Lowestoft Hospital
Lowestoft Hospital
Lowestoft Hospital is a National Health Service hospital on Tennyson Road in Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is managed by the James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It provides convalescing community care for elderly people, a minor injuries unit and a variety of...
provides community care for the elderly as well as a variety of other services.
The town is currently twinned with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
town of Plaisir in the Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
department in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
to the west of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was formerly twinned with Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
town of Katwijk
Katwijk
Katwijk is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.-Location:...
which is due east from Lowestoft on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast.
Landmarks
Ness PointNess Point
Ness Point, also known as Lowestoft Ness, is the most easterly point of both the United Kingdom and the British Isles, located in the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of Suffolk in England...
, the most easterly location in the United Kingdom
Extreme points of the United Kingdom
This is a list of the extreme points of the United Kingdom: the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. Traditionally the extent of the island of Great Britain has stretched "from Land's End to John o' Groats" .This article does not include references to the...
, is located in the town close to a 126 metre high wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
known locally as Gulliver. At the time it was completed the turbine was the tallest in the United Kingdom. At the most easterly point is a large compass rose, the Euroscope, set in the ground which gives the direction and distance to various cities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Belle Vue Park is the site of the Royal Naval Patrol Service
Royal Naval Patrol Service
The Royal Naval Patrol Service was a branch of the Royal Navy active during the Second World War. The RNPS operated many small auxiliary vessels such as naval trawlers for anti-submarine and minesweeping operations to protect coastal Britain and convoys during WWII.-History:The Royal Naval Patrol...
memorial. The central depot for the service was in Lowestoft when it was mobilised in August 1939 on a site known as Sparrow's Nest adjacent to the memorial. The memorial has the names of the 2,385 members of the service who died in World War II.
Lowestoft High Lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
, located to the north of the town centre, was built at its present location on the cliffs above the Denes in 1676, although two candlelit lights were first established in the town in 1609. The present structure was built in 1874 and stands 16 metres tall, 37 metres above sea level. The light, which has a range of 23 nautical miles (42.6 km), was electrified in 1936 and automated in 1975.
Transport
Lowestoft railway stationLowestoft railway station
Lowestoft railway station, formerly known as Lowestoft Central railway station, is a staffed railway station serving the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It is the terminus of the Wherry Line from Norwich and the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich. It is the easternmost station on the National Rail network...
, originally known as Lowestoft Central station, is centrally placed within the town, within walking distance of the beach and the town centre. It provides services to Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
on the East Suffolk Line
East Suffolk Line
The East Suffolk Line is an un-electrified secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by National Express East Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are...
and to Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
along the Wherry Line. Both lines were originally part of the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
and are currently operated by National Express East Anglia. The suburb of Oulton Broad has two stations: Oulton Broad North station
Oulton Broad North railway station
Oulton Broad North railway station is one of two railway stations serving Oulton Broad, a suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Norwich-Lowestoft Wherry Line. The station building dates from 1847 when the line was opened, but is now unstaffed.The station is served...
lies on the line to Norwich, while Oulton Broad South
Oulton Broad South railway station
Oulton Broad South is one of two railway stations serving Oulton Broad, a suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England.The station is located on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line...
is on the line to Ipswich.
Lowestoft North railway station
Lowestoft North railway station
Lowestoft North was a railway station in Lowestoft, England. It closed in 1970.The station was located just to the east of the A12 opposite the Denes High School; a site which is now occupied by Beeching Drive....
, which was originally operated by the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway was a British joint railway company.The NSJR was owned by the Great Eastern Railway and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and consisted of two distinct sections: a line between North Walsham and Cromer via Mundesley, and a coastal section running...
, closed in 1970 when the Yarmouth to Lowestoft line closed. The site is now occupied by Beeching Drive, a residential area.
Buses in Lowestoft
Buses in Lowestoft
-Lowestoft Corporation:Lowestoft was one of the many places that had a municipal bus service. Lowestoft Corporation operated the bus and, up to 1931, tram services. Buses were introduced in 1927. The corporation became Waveney District Council in 1974 and the bus service was sold by the council to...
are operated by First Eastern Counties and Anglian Bus
Anglian Bus
Anglian Bus is a large independent bus operator based in Beccles in Suffolk, England. The company operates services over a wide area in both Norfolk and Suffolk, running a fleet of around 63 buses and coaches...
with Lowestoft bus station as the hub for routes. Buses link the town with Norwich and Great Yarmouth and provide public transport within the town and to surrounding villages. The X1 service operates a direct link to Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
and National Express Coaches stop in Lowestoft on the route from London to Great Yarmouth.
The main A12 road from London to Great Yarmouth passes through the centre of Lowestoft, crossing the harbour in the centre of the town on the Bascule Bridge
Bascule Bridge
The Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge is a -long bascule bridge at in Westport, Massachusetts, USA. Four lanes of Route 88 pass over the bridge from Westport Point and Wood Point in the Westport Point section of town to the Horseneck Beach State Reservation, connecting with Cherry & Webb Lane and,...
. The A146
A146 road
The A146 is a road that runs between two of East Anglia's largest population centres - Norwich in Norfolk and Lowestoft in Suffolk.The entire route has primary classification and as such has been improved over the years, although traffic levels can lead to delays.- Norwich :Before the construction...
links Lowestoft with Beccles and Norwich, providing a second road crossing of Lake Lothing. Both bridges can be raised if vessels need to pass through the harbour and Lake Lothing and this can cause congestion in the town and routes can become gridlocked. A third crossing of Lowestoft Harbour is proposed but has yet to receive planning or funding, although a southern relief road diverts traffic away from the seafront to help reduce congestion.
Education
Lowestoft has a number of primary, middle and high schools, currently including three 13–16 high schools: The Benjamin Britten High SchoolThe Benjamin Britten High School
The Benjamin Britten High School is a High School located in the northern outskirts of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. It caters for approximately 800 students aged 13 to 18 . It is also home to a sports training centre open to the public. The Headteacher is David Park.The school was completed in...
, The Denes High School
The Denes High School
The Denes High School is a High School located in the northern outskirts of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England.-Admissions:It has approximately 850 students aged 13 to 18 . It is also home to a sports training centre open to the public...
and East Point Academy
East Point Academy
East Point Academy is an academy located in the Kirkley district of Lowestoft, in the English county of Suffolk. It educates children from ages 11 to 16...
(formerly Kirkley Community High School). Lowestoft College
Lowestoft College
Lowestoft College is a Further Education college in Lowestoft, Suffolk. It is affiliated to University Campus Suffolk through which it offers a range of Higher Education degree courses. The College works with two school partnerships, North Suffolk and Lowestoft, delivering vocational training in...
provides a range of academic and vocational courses.
Pakefield High School
Pakefield High School
The Pakefield High School is a high school as well as specialist arts and engineering; college in Pakefield a suburb of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is being built on the present Pakefield Middle School site. The school is expected to cater for around 900 students aged from 11 to...
is due to open in September 2011. At this time all high schools in Lowestoft will become 11–16 schools with post-16 provision at Lowestoft College or a newly built Lowestoft Sixth Form College
Lowestoft Sixth Form College
Lowestoft Sixth Form College is brand new Sixth Form College in Lowestoft, Suffolk which opened in September 2011. It caters for up to 950 16-19 year old students with the facilities to engage 14-16 year olds as well as adult learners....
. This will involve the closure of all eight middle schools in the town.
Lowestoft College provides a small range of higher education courses through an affiliation to University Campus Suffolk
University Campus Suffolk
University Campus Suffolk ' is an educational institution located in the county of Suffolk, United Kingdom that welcomed its first students in September 2007. Until then Suffolk was one of only three counties in England which did not have a University campus...
. Degrees are validated by the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
and the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
. The college also runs courses in boatbuilding and a variety of courses designed to support the offshore and maritime industries which are important employers in the town. Other adult education courses are run by the County council from a base at the town library.
Sport and leisure
Lowestoft has a variety of sports clubs and facilities. Lowestoft Town Football ClubLowestoft Town F.C.
Lowestoft Town F.C. is an English football club based in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Crown Meadow.-History:...
play at Crown Meadow and Kirkley & Pakefield Football Club play at Walmer Road. Lowestoft Cricket Club play at the Denes Oval sports ground. Other sports clubs include Waveney Gymnastics club and Rookery Park golf club.
The towns main leisure centre is the Waterlane leisure centre which was redeveloped at a cost of £6.5 million in 2010–11. Facilities include a gym and climbing wall and will feature a 25 metre swimming pool with a movable floor once refurbishment is complete. Lowestoft has a number of parks and recreation grounds.
The Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
national park extends to Lowestoft at Oulton Broad. Water activities and boat tours can be taken here. Powerboat racing
Powerboating
Power boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally, a power boat has a high power-to-weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing, which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also, the shape of the actual boat is usually very streamlined, which...
also occurs every Thursday throughout the summer, hosting local boats and occasionally a round of a national or international championship throughout classes of powerboat.
Notable people
The composer Benjamin BrittenBenjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
was born in Lowestoft in 1913. He has been described as "without a doubt the greatest English classical composer of the last century" and "the only person of real celebrity to have emerged from darkest Lowestoft". The Benjamin Britten High School
The Benjamin Britten High School
The Benjamin Britten High School is a High School located in the northern outskirts of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. It caters for approximately 800 students aged 13 to 18 . It is also home to a sports training centre open to the public. The Headteacher is David Park.The school was completed in...
and a small shopping centre in the town are named after the composer.
Sir Samuel Morton Peto
Samuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
, bought Somerleyton Hall
Somerleyton Hall
Somerleyton Hall is a country house in the village of Somerleyton near Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. It has a notable garden.-History:In 1240, a manor house was built on the site of Somerleyton Hall by Sir Peter Fitzosbert whose daughter married into the Jernegan family. The male line of the...
in 1843, and has one of the town's main roads named after him. He was influential in developing the town's railway links and its harbour. Sir Christopher Cockerell
Christopher Cockerell
Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE FRS was an English engineer, inventor of the hovercraft.-Life:Cockerell was born in Cambridge, where his father, Sir Sydney Cockerell, was curator of the Fitzwilliam Museum, having previously been the secretary of William Morris. Christopher Cockerell was...
, inventor of the hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
, lived in Oulton Broad, and tested craft in Somerleyton
Somerleyton
Somerleyton is a village close to the River Waveney in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Somerleyton is located around north-west of Lowestoft and south-west of Great Yarmouth...
.
Admiral Sir John Ashby, who commanded HMS Victory
HMS Royal James (1675)
HMS Royal James was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Anthony Deane and built by his successor as Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard, Daniel Furzer, and launched in 1675. She was renamed HMS Victory on 7 March 1691 as the old second rate Victory of 1666...
at the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue in 1692, grew up in Suffolk and is buried in Lowestoft. A memorial to him is sited in St Margaret's church in the town. Vice Admiral James Dacres fought in wars against America in the 19th Century and was born in the town. Captain Thomas Crisp
Thomas Crisp
Skipper Thomas Crisp VC, DSC, RNR was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
V.C.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, Royal Navy officer, was born in the town – one of the town's main roads is named after him.
The Elizabethan pamphleteer Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist. He was the son of the minister William Nashe and his wife Margaret .-Early life:...
, one of the fathers of modern journalism and a primary source for the literary milieux of William Shakespeare, was born in Lowestoft in 1567. Robert Potter
Robert Potter (1721-1804)
Rev. Robert Potter was an English clergyman of the Church of England, translator, poet and pamphleteer.-Life:...
, poet and translator of Greek drama, was vicar of Lowestoft until 1804. The 19th century writer and traveller George Borrow
George Borrow
George Henry Borrow was an English author who wrote novels and travelogues based on his own experiences around Europe. Over the course of his wanderings, he developed a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe. They figure prominently in his work...
lived in Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
for many years and wrote most of his books there.
The children's author and illustrator Michael Foreman
Michael Foreman (author / illustrator)
Michael Foreman is an award-winning British author and illustrator, mainly for children. He lives in London. He is one of the best-known and most prolific writer-illustrators of children's books. He was born and grew up in the seaside village of Pakefield, near Lowestoft, Suffolk, where his mother...
was born in 1938, and spent his childhood years in Pakefield
Pakefield
Pakefield is a suburb of the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Pakefield is located around 2 miles south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms a suburb of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was until 1934 a village and parish in its own right....
where his mother kept the grocers shop. He went to Pakefield Primary School, and played on Hilly Green – stories of which are recorded in his book War Boy. Photographer George Davison
George Davison (photographer)
George Davison was a noted English photographer, a proponent of impressionistic photography, a co-founder of the Linked Ring Brotherhood of British artists and a managing director of Kodak UK...
was also born in Lowestoft.
The comedian and actor Karl Theobald
Karl Theobald
Karl Theobald is an English comedian and actor, best known as Dr. Martin Dear in Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing, and for his physical comedy style....
was born in Lowestoft as was BBC Radio 4 newsreader and television presenter Zeb Soanes and Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
, DJ and BBC radio presenter. Three of the founder members of the rock band The Darkness were educated in Kirkley
Kirkley
Kirkley is a place within the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Kirkley is located south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms part of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was originally a village....
and some of their songs feature landmarks or stories from the local area. Lil Chris featured in Channel4s, Rock School
Rock School
Rock School is a British reality TV series starring Gene Simmons , in which he has a short time to turn a class of school children into a fully fledged rock band, at the end of which they must perform in a supporting slot for a leading rock band.Rock School is made by British production company...
programme filmed at Kirkley High School and went on to have a musical career.
Sportspeople associated with Lowestoft include former England football captain Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
who was educated in Lowestoft. Others born in the town include former Ipswich Town goalkeeper Laurie Sivell
Laurie Sivell
Laurence "Laurie" Sivell is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a goalkeeper for Ipswich Town and Lincoln City.Sivell spent 15 years with Ipswich Town, between 1969 and 1984...
, Norwich City defenders Paul Haylock
Paul Haylock
Paul Haylock is a former professional footballer.Haylock, a full-back, came through the youth system at Norwich City and was part of the Norwich team that won promotion to Division One in 1982 and won the Football League Cup at Wembley Stadium in 1985...
and Daryl Sutch
Daryl Sutch
Daryl Sutch is a former professional footballer who spent the majority of his career with Norwich City.He came through the youth system at Norwich and made his first team debut in October 1990 at Carrow Road in a League Cup match against Watford...
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
pitcher Les Rohr
Les Rohr
Leslie Norvin Rohr is a former baseball player for the New York Mets in the late 1960s. He was born in Lowestoft, England, where his father was serving with the United States Air Force...
and middleweight boxer Anthony Ogogo
Anthony Ogogo
Anthony Osezua Ogogo is an international boxer who has captained Great Britain's team in the World European and Junior Olympic Tournaments...
. Professional darts player Peter Wright
Peter Wright (darts player)
Peter Wright is a Scottish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He currently resides in Lowestoft and uses the nickname Snakebite for his matches. He represents Scotland due to Scottish grandparentage.He is known for having a mo-hawk hairstyle which changes colour...
lives in the town.