CAISTER-ON-SEA

Caister-On-Sea is still within the boundaries of Great Yarmouth, but it has plenty of interest in its own right. The town’s history goes back to Roman times when there was a need for a port to handle trade between Norfolk and the German Rhineland. There are traces of the old port still visible today in the Roman Town with its Fort, run by English Heritage, where such features as a defensive wall and the south gateway have been excavated. Meanwhile, to the west of the town is the ruined 15th century Caister Castle, which was built by Sir John Fastolf, the leader of the English archers at Agincourt. The grounds of the castle include a Motor Museum.

The village of Caister-on-Sea has a memorial to the nine people who lost their lives during a lifeboat tragedy in 1901 during what came to be known as the Great Storm, which caused havoc along the east coast. The conditions were so bad that the crew of the lifeboat in question, the Beauchamp, had to make several attempts to even get the lifeboat afloat after it had been alerted to come to the aid of a stricken vessel. Once afloat, the lifeboat was forced onto the beach by the heavy seas, where it capsized, trapping the crew underneath. Valiant attempts were made to pull crew members clear, but only three were saved. Caister’s popularity as a seaside resort lies in its position on what is known as the Golden Mile, which includes Caister’s Georgian Beach.


Map of the area.

Caister Beach - geograph.org.uk - 467607. Photo by Richard Robinson, via Wikimedia Commons.