1 and 1A Lowestoft – Martham

Journey Overview

This is a bright and breezy route, serving two ports, Lowestoft in Suffolk and Norfolk’s Great Yarmouth as well as small, fascinating seaside towns and inland villages.

With its excellent independent shops, award winning beach and maritime landscape, Lowestoft’s an intriguing start to a journey as the bus climbs a hill overlooking the sea and then winds its way in and out of the coastal village of Hopton and then Gorleston-on-Sea, with charming regency style beachfront residences with pretty balconies. Through the small town of Gorleston with its range of shops and then as Great Yarmouth approaches, there’s mighty vessels on the right hand side of the bus before it’s over the bridge and the awning estuary below.

Great Yarmouth provides a heady mix of amusements and a charming pier as well as some decent shops and of course a great view from the bus of Great Yarmouth Minster with its majestic clock and St George’s flag waving proudly from the top. There’s a grand old clock too at the New Town Methodist Church a bit further along on this fab route, before the racecourse on the right and then the Yarmouth Stadium with its fantastic greyhound track on the left.

Caister beckons with its ornate County Cinema and the pretty Holy Trinity Church and not far away the Roman Fort. Green fields then appear, alongside a mix of smart cottages and detached houses, with the odd semi! Farmhouses and horses abound before the charming St Margaret’s Church and its more open space until Martham where the bus turns round and heads back towards Great Yarmouth, but this time deviating out towards the sea and a perfect, spot of solitude looking out onto the coast at Scratby – a great high point of a fascinating and varied ride.

A Fab Day Out!

A great start to the adventure is for a wander through the Victorian seafront gardens and along the prom or a visit to the Maritime Museum and an absorbing insight into the town’s history. Then, it’s on the bus to Hemsby where a walk on the sandy beach can be enjoyed and a coffee or bite to eat in one of the traditional seaside cafes. For fun and games, there’s the Lost World Adventure golf  and MB’s Funhouse indoor play area, before catching the bus to Gorleston which is set beneath the cliff gardens and has incredible views out into the North Seas. There’s a large paddling pool and trim-trail on the cliff top and a great Edwardian theatre. On the bus again and it’s next stop Great Yarmouth and a stroll down the ‘Golden Mile’ with its two piers, gardens, cafes and adventure golf courses. As well as the wooden roller-coaster on the pleasure beach and Joyland which has rides for youngsters.

The Sea Life Centre and maybe an exploration of Merrivale Model village or visit to the Time & Tide Museum which is a small walk from the seafront is strongly recommended and also a wander round the historic market before catching the bus to Caister, a family friendly coastline with plenty of space to fly a kite. Caister’s also seeped in history with the remains of a Roman fort built in 200AD. This really is a bus route that packs in as much history, culture, with thrills and spills – all in a few short miles!

Gateway to 1A

By train to Ipswich, then changing for Lowestoft or by train to Norwich and the X1 or X11 to Great Yarmouth