| Lowestoft | |
|---|---|
| Town andcivil parish | |
 Lowestoft beach and outer harbour | |
  Lowestoft Location withinSuffolk | |
| Area | 21.43 km2 (8.27 sq mi) |
| Population | 71,327 (2021 census)[a] |
| • Density | 3,328/km2 (8,620/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TM548933 |
| • London | 110 mi (180 km) south-west |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Areas of the town | List |
| Post town | Lowestoft |
| Postcode district | NR32, NR33 |
| Dialling code | 01502 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Lowestoft Town Council |
| 52°29′N1°45′E / 52.48°N 1.75°E /52.48; 1.75 | |
Lowestoft (/ˈloʊ(ɪ)stɒft,ˈloʊstəf/LOH-(ih)-stoft,LOH-stəf) is a coastal town andcivil parish in theEast Suffolk district ofSuffolk, England.[1] As themost easterly UK settlement, it is 38 miles (61 km) north-east ofIpswich and 22 miles (35 km) south-east ofNorwich, and the main town in its district. Its development grew with thefishing industry and as aseaside resort with wide sandy beaches. As fishing declined,oil and gas exploitation in theNorth Sea in the 1960s took over. In 2021 the built-up area had a population of 71,327[2] and the parish had a population of 47,879.[3]
Some of the earliest signs of settlement in Britain have been found here. Flint tools discovered in thePakefield cliffs of south Lowestoft in 2005 allow human habitation of the area to be traced back 700,000 years.[4]
Habitation occurred in theNeolithic,Bronze andIron ages and in theRoman andSaxon times. Several finds have been made at a Saxon cemetery at Bloodmoor Hill in south Lowestoft.[5][6] The place name derives from aNorse personal name,Hlothver, andtoft, anOld Norse word for homestead.[7] It has been spelt historically asLothnwistoft,Lothuwistoft,Lestoffe,Laistoe,Loystoft andLaystoft.
The 1086Domesday Book gives Lothuwistoft village some 16 households in three families, with ten smallholders and three slaves.[8][9] The manor formed part ofthe king's holding in theHundred of Lothingland, worth about fourgeld in tax income.[9][10]Roger Bigod was the tenant in chief.[10] The lost village ofAkethorpe may have lain close by.[11]
In theMiddle Ages, Lowestoft became an important fishing town that came to challenge its neighbour,Great Yarmouth.[12][13] The trade, particularly forherring, continued as the town's main identity into the 20th century.
The navalBattle of Lowestoft in June 1665 was the first in theSecond Anglo-Dutch War. Held 40 miles (64 km) off the coast, it was a victory for the English.[14]
Lowestoft Porcelain Factory, from 1757 to 1802, was in production for longer than any Englishsoft-paste porcelain manufacturer other thanRoyal Worcester andRoyal Crown Derby, producing domestic pots, teapots and jugs.[12] It stood on the site of an existing pottery or brick kiln and was later used as a brewery and malt kiln. Most of its remaining buildings were demolished in 1955.
Sir Samuel Morton Peto's arrival in 19th-century Lowestoft brought a change in the town's fortunes, including its fishing industry.[13] To help stimulate this, Peto was given the task of building a line for the Lowestoft Railway and Harbour Company, connecting withReedham and the city of Norwich.[15] This had a profound impact on the town's industrial development – its fishing fleets could sell to markets further inland, and other industries such as engineering gained from increased trade with the continent.[15] Peto's railway enabled Lowestoft to become a flourishingseaside holiday resort; much of Peto's seaside resort in south Lowestoft still exists, including theGrade II listed Kirkley Cliff and Wellington Esplanade terraces.[13][15]
DuringWorld War I, Lowestoft wasbombarded by the German Navy on 24 April 1916 in conjunction with theEaster Rising. The port was a major naval base during the war, including for armed trawlers such asEthel & Millie andNelson used to combatGermanU-boat actions in the North Sea such asthat of 15 August 1917. InWorld War II the town was heavily bombed by theLuftwaffe for its engineering industry and role as a naval base.[16][17] It is sometimes placed among the UK's most heavily bombed towns per head of population.[16] TheRoyal Naval Patrol Service was mobilised in August 1939, mainly by trawlermen and fishermen of theRoyal Naval Reserve. Its depot,HMS Europa, was also known locally as theSparrow's Nest.[18]
Lowestoft is the major settlement in theEast Suffolk district. In 1885 Lowestoft became amunicipal borough which became part of the administrative county ofEast Suffolk in 1889, the district contained the parish of Lowestoft, from 1890 to 1907 the district also contained the parish ofKirkley.[19] On 1 April 1974 the district and parish were abolished and became part ofWaveney in thenon-metropolitan county of Suffolk.[20] It retained a ceremonial mayor elected annually by its district councillors and acting ascharter trustees until 2017.[21]Suffolk County Council is the county authority. Acivil parish of Lowestoft was created on 1 April 2017, governed by Lowestoft Town Council, which elects a town mayor annually.[22][23]
The town is part of theLowestoft parliamentary constituency.
Before 1 April 2019, Lowestoft, as part of Waveney District Council, was divided into ten electoral wards, withCarlton Colville treated as a separate electoral area. Harbour, Kirkley,Normanston,Pakefield, St Margarets andWhitton wards elected three councillors each, and Carlton, Gunton and Corton, Oulton and Oulton Broad wards two.[24] Of the 48 council seats in the district, 26 represented wards within Lowestoft and three were in Carlton Colville. In 2010 the council changed to a system of all seats being elected every four years.[25]
On 1 April 2019, governance arrangements for Lowestoft changed with the merger of Waveney andSuffolk Coastal District Councils to form a new district council ofEast Suffolk. Elections were held on 2 May 2019 for the six new Lowestoft wards. The seats, fourteen in all, are allocated to Carlton and Whitton (2), Gunton and St. Margarets (2), Harbour and Normanston (3), Kirkley and Pakefield (3), Lothingland (1), and Oulton Broad (3). There are also changes to wards adjacent to Lowestoft.[26] After the inaugural2019 East Suffolk District Council election of 2 May, eight of the fourteen Lowestoft seats over the six new wards went to the Conservatives and six to Labour.
On Suffolk County Council, Lowestoft and its district are represented by eight councillors, split equally between four divisions: Gunton, Lowestoft South, Oulton and Pakefield.[27] For county council elections, held every four years, Pakefield division includes Carlton Colville. After the 2017 election, seven of Lowestoft's county councillors represented the Conservatives and one Labour. In 2018, one Conservative councillor left the party and became an Independent.[28][29]
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Lowestoft, theeasternmost town in the United Kingdom, lies on theNorth Sea coast. The town is divided byLake Lothing, which forms the inner part ofLowestoft Harbour and gives access viaOulton Broad andOulton Dyke to theRiver Waveney andthe Broads. The northern half is on the island ofLothingland.
Lowestoft is mainly low-lying, with hilly areas in the north and high points of 20–30 m (66–98 ft) above sea level.[30] The rock beneath is crag-sand with overlying sand and glacialtill deposits with gravel, with the crag exposed at coastal cliffs such asPakefield's.[30] Areas around Lake Lothing feature alluvium silt; some marshland remains west of Oulton Broad.[30] The sandy beaches south of the harbour haveBlue Flag status.[31][32] To the north of the harbour is an area of old sand dunes known as the Denes, along with more beaches andNess Point, the easternmost point of the UK.
Lowestoft has been subject to periodic flooding, notably inJanuary 1953, when a North Sea swell driven by low pressure and an extreme high tide swept away many earlier sea defences and deluged most of the southern town.[33] Heavy rain caused flash flooding in the town in September 2006.[34] In December 2013, astorm surge caused severe flooding of Lowestoft and its suburbs.[35][36]
Lowestoft is among the UK's driest areas: annual rainfall averages under 600 mm distributed fairly evenly through the year.[37] Mean daily summer temperatures peak at 21 °C in August, when the town averages over 200 hours of sunshine, while in winter minima average 2 °C.[37] Marked snowfall is rare. Sea fog and cool onshore breezes can affect the town.
| Climate data for Lowestoft, elevation: 15 m (49 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1889–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.0 (62.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 23.9 (75.0) | 26.8 (80.2) | 30.0 (86.0) | 32.4 (90.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 27.8 (82.0) | 24.6 (76.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 32.4 (90.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) | 7.6 (45.7) | 9.8 (49.6) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.6 (65.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 13.8 (56.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.8 (44.2) | 9.3 (48.7) | 12.2 (54.0) | 15.1 (59.2) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 15.3 (59.5) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.1 (46.6) | 5.5 (41.9) | 10.8 (51.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) | 2.4 (36.3) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.8 (42.4) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 13.8 (56.8) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.9 (53.4) | 9.2 (48.6) | 5.5 (41.9) | 3.1 (37.6) | 7.7 (45.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.2 (11.8) | −11.7 (10.9) | −8.9 (16.0) | −3.6 (25.5) | −1.7 (28.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | −2.8 (27.0) | −6.1 (21.0) | −10.0 (14.0) | −11.7 (10.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 51.1 (2.01) | 43.7 (1.72) | 40.0 (1.57) | 34.7 (1.37) | 50.0 (1.97) | 49.5 (1.95) | 57.6 (2.27) | 63.9 (2.52) | 55.7 (2.19) | 68.8 (2.71) | 65.1 (2.56) | 59.9 (2.36) | 640 (25.2) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.2 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 11.5 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 117.4 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 52.8 | 79.6 | 121.8 | 186.3 | 208.5 | 191.7 | 200.3 | 202.7 | 156.4 | 111.1 | 63.2 | 44.4 | 1,618.8 |
| Source 1:Met Office[38] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:KNMI[39] | |||||||||||||
Lowestoft is Suffolk's second largest town, afterIpswich, with an estimated population of 58,560 in 2010.[40][41] The wider urban area brought the estimated population of the built-up area to 73,755 in 2018 from 68,850 at the 2001 census.[42] The town's wider urban area includes the suburbs and villages ofCarlton Colville,Gunton,Pakefield,Oulton,Oulton Broad andKirkley. Other outlying villages in the urban area includeBlundeston,Corton,Gisleham,Kessingland andSomerleyton.
About 10 per cent of the area population at the 2001 census was aged 75 or over and 20 per cent under 16.[41] In general the population of several wards is slightly skewed towards the elderly. The population is mainly classed as "white", with minority ethnicities making up 1.4 per cent, compared with 8.7 per cent nationally.[43][44][45][46][47][48]
At the 2001 census there were 27,777 households, giving an average household size of 2.40.[41] In total 8,430 (30 per cent) were classified as one-person households, while 26 per cent included children aged 15 or under.[41] The proportion of households without a private car was 29 per cent, whilst 22 per cent had two or more. In housing tenure, 72 per cent of homes were owner-occupied.[41]
Originally based on fishing and engineering, the economy of Lowestoft has declined over the years.[49] Although the tourism sector has grown, the major employers in the town are the wholesale and retail sector, with 18 per cent of employment.[citation needed] Service industries, including health, social care and education are significant employers, while manufacturing employs about 10 per cent of the workforce.[citation needed]
Employment can vary seasonally due to the importance of tourism to the economy.[citation needed] In early 2011, around 10 per cent of the working population of the town claimedJobseekers Allowance.[citation needed]
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Until the mid-1960s, fishing was seen as Lowestoft's main industry,[13] although from the 1930s the percentage so employed directly and in trades associated with fishing was actually only about 10 per cent.[citation needed] Fleets ofdrifters andtrawlers caught fish such asherring,cod andplaice. Catches have diminished since the 1960s[50] and although 100 boats remained by the 1980s, there are now only a few small boats operating out of Lowestoft, with no large trawlers.[49][51][52] By 2011 just three traders remained at the town's fish market, which is under threat of closure due to redevelopment of theport.[53][54] TheCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a large fisheries research centre that is a part ofDefra, is still located in Lowestoft.[49]
Other major traditional employers includedEastern Coach Works and engineering and shipbuilding companies clustered around theharbour.[13][49] These included theBrooke Marine andRichards shipbuilding companies, which together employed over a thousand men but went out of business in the 1990s, and the Norwich-based engineering companyBoulton and Paul.[13][55] Some shipbuilding and repair still goes on at the harbour.[56][57]
Major local employers includeBirds Eye frozen foods, with 700 workers.[49][58][59] This has been located in the town for over 60 years.[60] The food-processing company Wessex Foods closed its Lowestoft plant in 2010 after a fire destroyed the factory and it failed to find alternative premises.[61]
Several other employers have shed labour in recent years. TheSanyo plant in the town closed down in 2009 with a loss of 60 jobs,[62] having once employed 800.[63] The timber companyJeld-Wen closed its factory in the town in 2010.[55]
From the mid-1960s to the late 1990s, theoil and gas industry provided significant employment in the area.[64] For many years theShell Southern Operations base on the north shore ofLowestoft Harbour was town's largest employer.[64] A decision to close the Shell base was finally made in 2003.[65] Oil and gas is still a major industry.[66][67][68]
The town has made efforts to develop as a centre forrenewable energy in the east of England.[69][70] The non-profit Orbis Energy centre has been set up to draw business in the green-energy sector and featuressolar thermal heating.[71][72][73][74] In April 2009,Associated British Ports announced that the harbour is to become the operations centre for the 500 MWGreater Gabbard wind farm, which when completed will be the world's largestoffshore windfarm. The turbines will be located 15 miles (24 km) off the Suffolk coast and the Outer Harbour will be used to house the necessary operational support facilities. Other developments in the renewable energy sector include a prototypetidal energy generator being produced by local company 4NRG[75] andwave power systems developed by Trident Energy.[76]
Hoseasons (now part ofAwaze), a specialist in self-catering UK holidays, is also a large employment provider.[77]
The town centre is the main shopping area in Waveney district.[78] The retail chainMarks & Spencer has a store. Chadds independent department store was founded in 1907, and after nearly 100 years trading in the High Street, was taken over in 2004 by theGreat Yarmouth-based Palmers group.[79][80] Specialist shopping areas, branded as The Historic High Street and the Triangle Market Place, have been developed on the northern edge of the centre. Several retail parks have appeared, the largest being North Quay Retail Park in Peto Way.
Lowestoft is a traditionalseaside resort, first developed as a bathing site in the 1760s.[12] The coast has been called the "Sunrise Coast". The town's main beaches are south of the harbour, where twopiers, theClaremont and South piers, provide tourist facilities, and the East Point Pavilion the tourist information service.[12][81] The beach south of the Claremont Pier is aBlue Flag beach.[82] Lifeguard facilities are provided during the summer and water sports take place along the coast.[81] Tourism is a significant aspect of the town's economy.[69]
The town features two major attractions, the first beingPleasurewood Hills Theme Park, situated on the northern edge of the town,[83] while the second is theAfrica Alive! wildlife park, situated in the south atKessingland. The town maintains a holiday park atPakefield, operated byPontins,[66] and a small caravan site near its northern beach. The natural attractions of theBroads and theRiver Waveney on the west edge of the town, also attract visitors and been the site for boat trips and water sports events, with companies such as Hoseasons operating hire boats fromOulton Broad.[66]
Between 1996 and 2012, the town hosted a major air show during the summer, dubbed the Lowestoft Airshow. A major attraction, the two-day event took place in August, and featuring a wide range of aircraft including theRed Arrows, aLancaster bomber,Spitfires and anAvro Vulcan.[84] From 2004, it was run by Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, a non-profit company, but suffered financial difficulties. In 2010, the event made a loss of £40,000 and raised concerns over its sustainability,[85][86] whereupon further financial difficulties coupled with bad weather and low visitor numbers made the 2012 airshow the last before it was discontinued.[87][88][89]
Near the town centre isLowestoft Maritime Museum, open from late April to late October, which has exhibits of maritime artefacts, an extensive collection of ship models and medals, marine art, fishing and the fishing industry, activities with the Royal Navy in WWII, and shipwrights' and coopers' tools.
Lowestoft is among the more socially deprived areas in Suffolk, withKirkley the county's most deprived ward, ranking 173rd most deprived in England out of 32,486.[47] The area attractedEuropean Union redevelopment funding. The Waveney Sunrise Scheme invested £14.7 million, funding transport improvements and tourist facilities such as fountains on Royal Plain, as stimulants.[90][91] Regeneration company 1st East, which focused on the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth areas, closed in 2011.[92]
Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone was announced in 2011 and launched in April 2012.[93] The zone, developed by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, has six redevelopment sites across Lowestoft andGreat Yarmouth. The bid for the zone in 2011 envisaged creating 13,500 jobs by 2036.[94] It involved the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance and focused on developing the energy sector initially using tax incentives, simplified planning regulations and the provision of improved broadband internet services.[94] The sites in Lowestoft are Mobbs Way, Riverside Road and South Lowestoft Industrial Estate.[93]
Associated British Ports, the operator of the Port of Lowestoft, published their Lowestoft Masterplan, which aims to regenerate the harbour and take advantage of renewable energy, including the new Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) on the former SLP land at the outer harbour amongst other projects.[95] The harbour is a focus of redevelopment proposals for Lowestoft through the Lake Lothing and Outer HarbourArea Action Plan, submitted in February 2011.[96] The plan focuses on the redevelopment ofbrownfield sites in and around the harbour area to create jobs, particularly in the renewable energy and retailing sectors.[69][97][98]
The town has three theatres: theMarina, the Players (Lowestoft) andThe Seagull. The 800-seat Marina, operated as a charitable trust, was restored and refurbished in 2012 and its cinema upgraded to digital in 2013. A small four-screen cinema, the independently owned East Coast Cinema, underwent modest refurbishment in late 2011 to upgrade facilities and allow 3D films to be shown. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has played regularly at the Marina Theatre since 2005.[citation needed]
Lowestoft Museum, which holds a collection of Lowestoft Porcelain and artifacts describing the town's history, is in Nicholas Everett Park inOulton Broad.[12] There are some small museums in Sparrow's Nest Park in the north of the town, including theLowestoft War Memorial Museum, theMaritime Museum and the Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum. The Heritage Workshop Centre is also located there.[99] TheMincarlo, the last survivingsidewinder trawler of the Lowestoftfishing fleet, can be visited at Lowestoft Harbour. TheEast Anglia Transport Museum holds a collection of buses, trams and trolleybuses inCarlton Colville.
Lowestoft retains several narrow lanes with steps running steeply seawards, known locally as "scores". They were used by fishermen and smugglers and now feature in an annual charity race.[12][100] The borough church, dedicated toSt Margaret, is aGrade I listed building.[101][102] In the town centre isOur Lady Star of the Sea Church, a Grade II listed building in theArts and Crafts style and the most easterly Catholic church in the British Isles.[103][104]
Lowestoft's town-centre library contains a local-history section and a branch of the Suffolk Record Office.[105]Lowestoft Hospital closed in 2016. Services are now provided by theJames Paget University Hospital in Gorleston.[106] The main burial grounds for the town areLowestoft Cemetery andKirkley Cemetery. The town is twinned with the town ofPlaisir in theYvelines department in theÎle-de-France to the west of Paris.[citation needed]
Ness Point, themost easterly location in the United Kingdom, is located in the town close to a 126-metrewind turbine, known locally as Gulliver.[107] At the time it was completed it was the country's tallest.[108]
At the most easterly point is a large compass rose, theEuroscope, set in the ground to give the direction and distance to various cities inEurope.[109]
Belle Vue Park (Sparrows Nest) is the site of theRoyal 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.[18] Prior to this, it was the site of the "North Battery", which stood on the cliff and was constructed in around 1782. It was a four sided bastion set back from the cliff edge, housing four 18-pounder canon, with a guardhouse and magazine to the rear. All traces are now gone, minus two cannons with are now mounted around the memorial.[110]
Lowestoft Lighthouse, built in 1874 to the north of the town centre, stands 16 metres high at 37 metres above sea level, with a range of 23 nautical miles (43 km). It was automated in 1975.[111] It is the United Kingdom's most easterlylighthouse.
The first two lighthouses in Lowestoft were built in 1609 on the foreshore and candlelit, to warn of the dangerous sandbanks around the coast. These were the first constructed byTrinity House. The Low Light was discontinued in 1706 after sea encroachment, but re-established in 1730 in a form that could be easily moved in response to further changes to the Stamford Channel and shoreline. It was discontinued in August 1923. The High Light tower was rebuilt as the present lighthouse in 1874[112] with the intention of displaying an electric light, but when opened paraffin oil was used instead; not until 1936 was it electrified. The lighthouse, with two cottages originally for lighthouse keepers, is a Grade IIlisted building.[112]
Pakefield Lighthouse, the second remaining lighthouse, can be found on the coast south of Lowestoft, betweenPakefield and the village ofKessingland. Originally constructed in 1831 and decommissioned in 1864, Pakefield lighthouse is now looked after by volunteers from Pakefield Coastwatch, who operate it as a coastal surveillance station.[113]
Lowestoft Lifeboat Station, at the mouth of the outer harbour at the South Pier, is one of Britain's oldest, founded in 1801 and open to visitors throughout the year.[114] The lifeboat isPatsy Knight, aShannon class lifeboat which replaced theTyne class boatSpirit of Lowestoft in 2014. A former Lowestoft lifeboat was used during theDunkirk evacuation of British forces from France in 1940.[114] TheSouth Broads Lifeboat Station, an inlandRNLI station, operated atOulton Broad in 2001–2011.[115]
Lowestoft Town Hall stands in the High Street. Various forms of local government have met or been based on this site since its establishment as a Town House and Chapel in 1570. In 1698 a new Town House was built, incorporating acorn cross on the ground floor with the meeting chamber and chapel above. This in turn was replaced by the present building, designed by architect J. L. Clemence in 1857.[116] The building houses the town clock and the curfew bell, which dates from 1644 and is rung each evening at 8 p. m.[117] The building is aGrade II listed building.[118]
In 2012, Waveney District Council announced that it planned to leave the town hall and shareSuffolk County Council's offices in Riverside Road. This occurred in 2015.[118]
The Gull Wing Bridge is a rollingbascule bridge that spansLake Lothing in the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, and is the largest bridge of its kind in the world to date.[119][120]
The bridge's surface consists of a two-lanesingle carriageway with pedestrian and cycle footpaths on both sides. The bridge maintains a speed limit of 30 mph (50 km/h) for road traffic.[121]
The bascule span of the bridge, which opens up southwards when required,[122] lies around 12 metres (39 ft) above water level during high tides,[123] with the space between the two main spans in the water being around 35 metres (115 ft) - safety features fitted to the span walls limit shipping with a maximum width of 32 metres (105 ft) to be able to pass through its channel.[124] The Northern Approach Viaduct (NAV) has ground clearance of around 6-metre (20 ft) over the railway line toLowestoft station for trains.[125] Road access in the south is via Waveney Drive, while in the north it is via Peto Way and Denmark Road.[126]
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Lowestoft railway station, originally Lowestoft Central, is centrally placed within walking distance of the beach and the town centre. It provides services to Ipswich on theEast Suffolk Line and to Norwich on theWherry Line.[127][128] Both lines were originally part of theGreat Eastern Railway and are operated byGreater Anglia. The suburb of Oulton Broad has two stations:Oulton Broad North lies on the line toNorwich, whileOulton Broad South is on the line toIpswich.
Lowestoft North, originally operated by theNorfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway, closed in 1970 with theLowestoft to Great Yarmouth line. The site is now taken by the residential Beeching Drive.
Buses in Lowestoft are mainly operated byFirst Eastern Counties, with Lowestoft bus station as the hub. They link the town with Norwich and Great Yarmouth and provide services within the town and to surrounding villages. TheExcel X1 route runs a link toPeterborough.National Express Coaches stop in Lowestoft on theLondon–Great Yarmouth route.
The mainA12 road toLondon passes through Carlton Colville, Pakefield and Kirkley in the southern area of Lowestoft, ending at the town's harbourBascule Bridge. It connects there to theA47 road, which runs around the centre of town, before exiting along Great Yarmouth Road, crossing thecountyborder intoNorfolk.
A second road from the town centre, the A1044, links the town to Oulton Broad, via its second road crossing overLake Lothing, and connects with theA146 that runs between Lowestoft, Beccles and Norwich.[69] Both bridges can be raised if vessels need to pass through the harbour and Lake Lothing, though this can cause congestion in the town and routes can become gridlocked.[69][129][130] As of June 2021[update] athird crossing of Lowestoft Harbour is under construction. A southern relief road was built to divert traffic from the seafront,[91][131] while a proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge is planned as an alternative crossing alongside the Bascule Bridge.[132]
Lowestoft's cycle network has routes that link areas to the town centre. About 12 per cent of residents cycle to work. The town is seen as "ideally suited" to cycling due to its relatively small size and flat landscape.[69] Suffolk County Council aims to promote cycling by working with employers and schools and by funding a town-centre pedestrian and cycle bridge.[69]
Lowestoft has several primary and high schools, including four 11–16 high schools:Benjamin Britten Academy,Ormiston Denes Academy,East Point Academy andPakefield High School.[133] After reorganisation, all eight middle schools in the town closed in 2011 and Pakefield High School opened.[134] Post-16 education is provided atLowestoft Sixth Form College, which opened in September 2011 as part of the reorganisation, and atEast Coast College (Lowestoft Campus), which offers a range of academic and vocational courses.
East Coast College (Lowestoft Campus) provides some higher education courses through an affiliation to theUniversity of Suffolk.[135] Degrees were initially validated by theUniversity of East Anglia and theUniversity of Essex[136] but are now validated by theUniversity of Suffolk. The college also has courses in boat building and some to support the offshore and maritime industries that are major employers in the town.[137] Other adult education courses are run by the County Council from a base at the town library.[138]
Lowestoft's sport clubs and facilities includeLowestoft Town Football Club at Crown Meadow andKirkley & Pakefield Football Club at Walmer Road. Lowestoft Cricket Club plays at the Denes Oval sports ground.[139] Other sport clubs include Waveney Gymnastics club[140] and Rookery Park Golf Club.[141]
Nicknamed 'The Waves',Lowestoft Ladies football team won theWomen's FA Cup in1982. They beatCleveland Spartans 2-0 atLoftus Road withLinda Curl andAngela Poppy scoring the goals. Unfortunately due to their geographical location, they were refused entry into several leagues and the club disbanded shortly afterwards.[142][143]
Lowestoft and Yarmouth rugby football club[144] also has its Gunton Park home based in Lowestoft. Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest rugby union clubs in England.
East Coast Hockey Club[145] is the town's field hockey side formed in 2019 as a result of a merger between Lowestoft Railway Hockey Club and Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Club. They play their home matches atEast Point Academy.
The town's mainleisure centre, the Waterlane Leisure Centre, was redeveloped at a cost of £8 million in 2010–2011.[146][147] Facilities include a gym and climbing wall as well as a 25-metre swimming pool with a movable floor.[146][148] Lowestoft has a number of parks and recreation grounds.[149]
The Broads national park extends to Lowestoft onOulton Broad. Water activities and boat tours can be taken here.Powerboat racing takes place throughout the summer, mainly on Thursday evenings.[150] Fixtures are organised by the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club and can attract up to 1500 spectators.[150][151] TheRoyal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club has its club house inLowestoft harbour.[152]
The Elizabethan pamphleteerThomas Nashe, a father of modern journalism and a primary source for the literary milieux ofWilliam Shakespeare, was born in Lowestoft in 1567.[153]Robert Potter, poet and translator of Greek drama, was Vicar of Lowestoft until 1804. The 19th-century writer and travellerGeorge Borrow lived atOulton Broad for many years and wrote most of his books there. Lieutenant General SirEdwin Alderson also lived at Oulton Broad, on a houseboat, and died in 1927 at the since-demolished Royal Hotel in Lowestoft, where he had been staying for his last month.[154]
AdmiralSir John Ashby, who commandedHMSVictory at theBattles of Barfleur and La Hogue in 1692, grew up in Suffolk and is buried in Lowestoft. A memorial is sited in St Margaret's Church. AdmiralSir Thomas Allin, a commander at theBattle of Lowestoft on 13 June 1665 was awarded a knighthood on 24 June and appointed an Admiral of the Blue squadron. He lived in a family house in High Street until his victories enabled him to move to a grander country residence,Somerleyton Hall.[citation needed] Vice AdmiralJames Dacres fought in wars against America in the 19th century and was born in the town.Claud Castleton of the Australian Army andVictoria Cross recipient was born in Kirkley[citation needed] and CaptainThomas Crisp, Royal Navy officer and Victoria Cross recipient, was born in the town – one of the town's main roads is named after him.Robert William Hook,coxswain at theRNLI in Lowestoft from 1853 to 1883 and who has been credited with saving more than 600 lives in his career, with Lowestoft RNLI and with private companies. He was born in Lowestoft, lived and worked there all his life, and is buried inLowestoft Cemetery.
SirSamuel Morton Peto, boughtSomerleyton 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 harbour.Sir Christopher Cockerell, inventor of thehovercraft, lived at Oulton Broad, and tested craft inSomerleyton at Fritton Lake. The astronomerFiammetta Wilson was born in the town in 1864, with a birth name of Helen Francis Worthington. EconomistSir Dennis Holme Robertson was born in Lowestoft in 1890. He was educated on a scholarship at Eton, and read Classics and Economics at Trinity College, Cambridge before teaching at Cambridge University, working closely withKeynes. The philanthropist Howard Hollingsworth, co-founder ofBourne & Hollingsworth Department Store, visited Lowestoft in 1908 and later bought and renovated the burnt-out Briar Clyffe House and grounds on Gunton Cliff.[155] He became a Lowestoft benefactor, and on the death of his friend Nicholas Everitt, bought his estate atOulton Broad and gave it to Lowestoft for a public park.[156] He was made the first Freeman of the Borough of Lowestoft in 1929.[155] Roland Aubrey Leighton, fiancé of Vera Brittain, immortalised in her WW1 autobiographyTestament of Youth, lived with his family at Heather Cliff on Gunton Cliff.
The composerBenjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft in 1913. He has been called "without a doubt the greatest English classical composer of the last century"[157] and "the only person of real celebrity to have emerged from darkest Lowestoft."[158]The Benjamin Britten High School and a small town shopping centre are named after him. The artist Mark Burrell (born in Lowestoft in 1957) has a studio in the town and often features Lowestoft's landmarks and local people in his paintings. He is a leading member of the North Sea Magical Realists.
The children's author and illustratorMichael Foreman, born in 1938, spent his childhood inPakefield, where his mother kept a grocer's shop.[158] He went to Pakefield Primary School, and played on Hilly Green – stories of which are recorded in his bookWar Boy. The author and illustratorJames Mayhew lived in the town and studied at Lowestoft School of Art. PhotographerGeorge Davison was also born in Lowestoft. Jayne-Marie Barker, author of the Inspector Allen mysteries, grew up at Oulton Broad and has used Lowestoft as an inspiration for her books.[159] AuthorMark Dawson was born in the town.[citation needed]
The comedian and actorKarl Theobald was born in Lowestoft, as were BBC Radio 4 newsreader and television presenterZeb Soanes and DJ and BBC radio presenterTim Westwood. Historian and authorIvan Bunn was born in Kirkley and still resides in Lowestoft. Three founder members ofThe Darkness rock band were educated inKirkley (NamelyJustin Hawkins, his brotherDan Hawkins andEd Graham.) Some of their songs feature local landmarks or stories such as "Black Shuck".[158]Lil' Chris featured inChannel 4'sRock School, filmed at Kirkley high school (nowEast Point Academy) and went on to a musical career.Leanne Mitchell, winner of the firstThe Voice UK series, lives in the town.[160]
Sports people associated with Lowestoft include the England football captainTerry Butcher, who was educated there, andPeter Wright, a Darts World Champion who spent formative years there. Others include formerIpswich Town goalkeeperLaurie Sivell,Norwich City defendersPaul Haylock andDaryl Sutch, former football player and managerRichard Money,New York Mets pitcherLes Rohr andOlympic Bronze medal-winning middleweight boxerAnthony Ogogo.
The following individuals, military units, organisations and groups have received theFreedom of the Town of Lowestoft.
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