Lowestoft

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Lowestoft
Image of Lowestoft seafront and harbour
Lowestoft beach and outer harbour
Map showing location of Lowestoft
Map showing location of Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft shown within Suffolk
Population 71,010 [1]
OS grid reference TM548933
• London 110 mi (180 km) South-west
Civil parish
  • Lowestoft
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Lowestoft
Postcode district NR32, NR33
Dialling code 01502
Police Suffolk
Fire Suffolk
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Suffolk
52°29′N 1°45′E / 52.48°N 1.75°E / 52.48; 1.75Coordinates: 52°29′N 1°45′E / 52.48°N 1.75°E / 52.48; 1.75

Lowestoft (/ˈloʊ(ɪ)stɒft, ˈloʊstəf/) is a town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk.[2] The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly settlement 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 71,010 in 2011.

Some of the earliest evidence of settlement in Britain has 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.

History[edit]

Following the discovery of flint tools in the cliffs at Pakefield 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.[3]

The area was settled during the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and during the Roman and Saxon periods, with a Saxon cemetery producing a number of finds at Bloodmoor Hill in south Lowestoft.[4][5] The settlement's name is derived from the Viking personal name Hlothver and toft,[6] a Viking word for 'homestead'. The town's name has been spelled variously: Lothnwistoft[citation needed], 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 comprising, in 1086, three families, ten smallholders and three slaves.[7][8] The manor formed part of the king's holding within the Hundred of Lothingland and was worth about four geld in tax income.[8][9] Roger Bigod was the tenant in chief of the village.[9] The village of Akethorpe may have been located close to Lowestoft.[10]

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.[11][12] 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 km) off the coast of the town. The battle resulted in a significant victory for the English fleet over the Dutch.[13]

The Lowestoft Porcelain Factory, active from 1757 to 1802, was in production for longer than any English soft-paste porcelain manufacturer other than Royal Worcester and Royal Crown Derby, producing domestic wares such as pots, teapots and jugs.[11] The factory, built on the site of an existing pottery or brick kiln, was later used as a brewery and malt kiln. Most of its remaining buildings were demolished in 1955.

Lowestoft's Yacht Basin in 1929
Lowestoft's Yacht Basin in 1929

In the 19th century, Sir Samuel Morton Peto's arrival to Lowestoft, brought about a change in the town's fortunes, that included improving the fishing industry.[12] As a railway contracter, Peto was given the task of building a railway line by the Lowestoft Railway & Harbour Company, connecting the town with Reedham and the city of Norwich, in order to help stimulate further development in the fishing industry, which had begun to take advantage of the Port of Lowestoft since its construction in the 1830s.[14] Its completion had a profound impact on the town's industrial development - not only could its fishing fleets sell its product to markets further inland, it also helped to assist in the development of other industries such as engineering, and allowed others to take advantage of the port's boosted trade with the continent.[14] Peto's railway was also key in establishing Lowestoft as a flourishing seaside holiday resort.[12][14]

During World War I, Lowestoft was bombarded by the German Navy on 24 April 1916 in conjunction with the Easter Rising. 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 15 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.[15][16] It is sometimes claimed that it became one of the most heavily bombed towns per head of population in the UK.[15] 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.[17]

Government[edit]

Lowestoft is the major settlement in Waveney District Council. 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 annually.[18] Suffolk County Council is the county authority. A civil parish was created on 1 April 2017.[19]

The town is part of the Waveney parliamentary constituency, 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.[20] 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.[21] The most recent district council elections were on 5 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.[22] For county council elections Pakefield division includes Carlton Colville. Elections take place every four years, with the most recent elections in May 2013. Five of Lowestoft's county councillors represent the Labour party and three the UK Independence Party after the Conservative party lost all seven of its seats in May 2013.[23][24]

Geography[edit]

Lowestoft
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
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Source: Met Office

Lowestoft is the easternmost town in the United Kingdom. The town 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 (66–98 ft) above sea level.[25] 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.[25] Areas around Lake Lothing feature alluvium silt and some marshland remains west of Oulton Broad.[25] The beaches to the south of the harbour are sandy and have Blue Flag status.[26][27] 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 UK.

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.[28] Heavy rain caused flash flooding in the town in September 2006.[29] In December 2013, a storm surge caused severe flooding[30] of Lowestoft and its suburbs. [31]

Lowestoft is in one of the driest areas of the United Kingdom and receives less than 600 mm of rainfall a year on average.[32] 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.[32] Significant snowfall is rare. Sea fog and cool onshore breezes can affect the town.

Demography[edit]

Lowestoft is Suffolk's second largest town (second to Ipswich) with an estimated population of 58,560 in 2010.[1][33] Including the suburban areas of Oulton and Carlton Colville, which are part of the wider urban area, brings this population to 71,010, up from 64,358 at the 2001 census.[1] The town contains 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.

About 10 per cent of the Lowestoft area's population at the 2001 census was aged 75 or over and 20 per cent under 16.[33] 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 per cent of the population, compared with about 8.7 per cent nationally.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

At the 2001 census there were 27,777 households, with an average household size of 2.40.[33] In total 8,430 households (30%) were classified as one-person households, while 26 per cent included children aged 15 or under.[33] The proportion of households without a car was 29 per cent, whilst 22 per cent had two or more cars. In terms of housing tenure, 72 per cent of households were owner-occupied.[33]

Economy[edit]

Originally based on the fishing and engineering industries, the economy of Lowestoft has declined over the years.[40] Although the tourism sector has grown, the major employers in the town are in the wholesale and retail sector, making up 18 per cent of employment.[41] Service industries, including health and social care and education are significant employers, whilst manufacturing employs around 10 per cent of the workforce.[41] Employment in the town can vary seasonally due to the importance of tourism to the economy.[42] In early 2011 around 10 per cent of the working population of the town claimed Jobseekers Allowance.[42]

Traditional industries[edit]

Traditional trawler, the Mincarlo, now a museum ship

Until the mid 1960s, fishing was perceived as Lowestoft's main industry,[12] although from the 1930s the percentage of those employed directly and in trades associated with fishing was actually only about 10 per cent of the working population.[citation needed] Fleets of drifters and trawlers caught fish such as herring, cod and plaice. Catches have diminished since the 1960s[43] and, although 100 boats remained by the 1980s, there are now only a few small boats operating out of Lowestoft, with no large trawlers.[40][44][45] By 2011 just three traders remained at the town's fish market which is under threat of closure due to the redevelopment of the port.[46][47] The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a large fisheries research centre that is a part of Defra, is still located in Lowestoft.[40]

Other major traditional employers included the Eastern Coach Works and engineering and ship building companies clustered around the harbour.[12][40] 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.[12][48] Some ship building and repair still goes on in the harbour.[49][50]

Modern economy[edit]

Image of harbour with windfarm construction
Windfarm construction in Lowestoft harbour

Major local employers include Birds Eye frozen foods which employs 700 workers.[40][51][52] The company has been located in the town for over 60 years.[53] The food-processing company Wessex Foods closed its Lowestoft plant in 2010 after a fire destroyed the factory and it was unable to find alternative premises.[54]

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.[55] The plant once employed 800 people.[56] Timber company Jeld-Wen closed its factory in the town in 2010.[48]

From the mid-1960s to the late 1990s, the oil and gas industry provided significant employment in the Lowestoft area.[57] For many years the Shell Southern Operations base on the north shore of Lowestoft Harbour was town's largest employers.[57] A decision to close the Shell base was finally made in 2003.[58] The oil and gas industry is still a significant industry here.[59][60][61]

The town has attempted to develop itself as a centre for the development of renewable energy in the east of England.[62][63] 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.[64][65][66][67] In April 2009, Associated British Ports announced that the harbour is to become the operations centre for the 500 MW Greater Gabbard wind farm, 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 being 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[68] and wave power systems developed by Trident Energy.[69]

Rainbow Saver Anglia Credit Union, a savings and loans co-operative established in 1999 and operating throughout East Anglia, is based in the town. Hoseasons, the self-catering, UK Holiday specialist is also a large employer here.[70]

Retailing[edit]

The town centre is the main shopping area in Waveney district.[71] The major retail chain Marks & 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 the Great Yarmouth-based Palmers group.[72][73] Specialist shopping areas, branded as The Historic High Street and the Triangle Market Place, have been developed on the northern edge of the centre, and a number of retail parks have been developed.

Tourism[edit]

Lowestoft beach crowd
Lowestoft beach at the airshow

Lowestoft is a traditional seaside resort, first developing as a bathing site in the 1760s.[11] The coast has been branded the "Sunrise Coast". The town's main beaches are to the south of the harbour where two piers, the Claremont and South piers, provide tourist facilities and the East Point Pavilion is the site of the tourist information service.[11][74] The beach south of the Claremont Pier is a Blue Flag beach.[75] Lifeguard facilities are provided during the summer and watersports take place along the coast.[74] Tourism is a significant aspect of the town's economy.[62]

The town features two major attractions, the first being Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park, situated on the northern edge of the town,[76] while the second is the Africa Alive! wildlife park, situated in the south at Kessingland. The town maintains a holiday park at Pakefield, operated by Pontins,[59] and a small caravan site near its northern beach. The natural attractions of the Broads and the River Waveney on the west edge of the town, also attract visitors and been the site for boat trips and watersports events, with companies such as Hoseasons operating hire boats from Oulton Broad.[59]

Between 1996 and 2012, the town hosted a major airshow 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 the Red Arrows, a Lancaster bomber, Spitfires and an Avro Vulcan.[77] From 2004, the event was run by Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, a non-profit company, but suffered from financial difficulties. In 2010, the event made a loss of £40,000 and raised concerns over sustainability,[78][79] whereupon further financial difficulties, coupled with bad weather and low visitor number, made the 2012 airshow the last to take place before it was discontinued.[80][81][82]

Near the town centre is Lowestoft Maritime Museum, which is open from late April to late October each year and which includes 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.

Redevelopment[edit]

Lowestoft (right) and Great Yarmouth (left) at night

Lowestoft is one of the more socially deprived areas in Suffolk, with Kirkley the most deprived ward in the county, ranking 173rd most deprived in England (out of 32,486).[38] The area has attracted European Union redevelopment funding. The Waveney Sunrise Scheme invested £14.7 million in the town, funding transport improvements and tourist facilities such as fountains on Royal Plain, in an attempt to stimulate the local economy.[83][84] Regeneration company 1st East, which focused on the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth areas, closed in 2011.[85]

Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone was announced in 2011 and launched in April 2012.[86] The zone, developed by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, has six redevelopment sites across Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. The bid for the zone in 2011 aimed to create 13,500 jobs by 2036.[87] It involved the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance and focussed on developing the energy sector initially using tax incentives, simplified planning regulations and the provision of improved broadband internet services.[87] The sites in Lowestoft are Mobbs Way, Riverside Road and South Lowestoft Industrial Estate.[86]

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.[88] The plan focuses on the redevelopment of brownfield sites in and around the harbour area to create jobs, particularly in the renewable energy and retailing sectors.[62][89][90]

Culture and community[edit]

St. Margaret's Church, Lowestoft

The town has two theatres, the Marina Theatre and The Seagull community theatre. Operated as a Charitable Trust, the 800-seat Marina was substantially restored and refurbished in 2012 and its cinema was 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 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. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has been resident at the Marina Theatre since 2005.

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.[11] There are a number of small museums in Sparrow's Nest Park in the north of the town, including the Lowestoft War Memorial Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum. The Heritage Workshop Centre is also located in the park.[91] 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.[11][92] The borough church is dedicated to St Margaret and is a Grade I listed building.[93][94] In the town centre is Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, it is a Grade II listed building, in the Arts and Crafts style and is the most easterly Catholic church in the British Isles.[95][96]

Lowestoft library, located in the centre of the town, contains a local history section and a branch of the Suffolk Record Office.[97] Lowestoft Hospital provides community care for the elderly as well as other services. The main burial grounds for the town are Lowestoft Cemetery and Kirkley Cemetery.

The town is twinned with the French town of Plaisir in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France to the west of Paris.

Landmarks[edit]

Ness Point, the most easterly location in the United Kingdom, is located in the town close to a 126-metre wind turbine, known locally as Gulliver. At the time it was completed the turbine was the tallest in the United Kingdom.[98] 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.[99]

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.[17]

Lighthouse[edit]

Main article: Lowestoft Lighthouse
Lowestoft Lighthouse

Lowestoft Lighthouse, located to the north of the town centre, was built in 1874 and stands 16 metres high, at 37 metres above sea level. The light, which has a range of 23 nautical miles (43 km), was automated in 1975.[100] It is the most easterly lighthouse in the United Kingdom.

The first two lighthouses in Lowestoft were built in 1609 on the foreshore and candlelit, to give warning of the dangerous sandbanks around the coast. These were the first lighthouses constructed by Trinity House. The Low Light was discontinued in 1706 following 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 finally discontinued in August 1923. The High Light tower was rebuilt as the present lighthouse in 1874[101] with the intention of displaying an electric light, but when opened paraffin oil was used instead; it was not until 1936 that it was electrified. The lighthouse, along with two cottages originally used by lighthouse keepers, is a Grade II listed building.[101]

Lifeboat station[edit]

Main article: Lowestoft Lifeboat Station

Lowestoft Lifeboat Station is located at the mouth of the outer harbour at the South Pier. The station is one of the oldest in the British Isles, founded in 1801, and is open to visitors throughout the year.[102] The lifeboat is Patsy Knight, a Shannon class lifeboat which replaced the Tyne class boat Spirit of Lowestoft in 2014. A former Lowestoft lifeboat was used during the Dunkirk evacuation of British forces from France in 1940.[102] The South Broads Lifeboat Station, an inland RNLI station, operated at Oulton Broad between 2001 and 2011.[103]

Town Hall[edit]

Lowestoft Town Hall

Lowestoft Town Hall stands on the High Street. Various forms of local government have met or been based on this site since the establishment of a Town House and Chapel here in 1570. In 1698 a new Town House was built, incorporating a 'corn 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.[104] The building houses the town clock and the curfew bell, which dates from 1644 and is rung each evening at 8pm.[105] The building is a Grade II listed building.[106]

In 2012, Waveney District Council announced that it planned to leave the town hall, and share Suffolk County Council's offices on Riverside Road. This took place in 2015.[106]

Transport[edit]

Image trains at railway station
Trains at Lowestoft station

Lowestoft railway station, 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.[107][108] Both lines were originally part of the Great Eastern Railway and are operated by Abellio Greater 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 mainly operated by First Norfolk & Suffolk and Konectbus 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 Excel X1 route provides a link to Peterborough and National Express Coaches stop in Lowestoft on the route from London to Great Yarmouth.

The main A12 road to London passes through the centre of Lowestoft, ending at the town's harbour bascule bridge, where it connects to the main A47 road, which also runs through the centre of town, and links it with Great Yarmouth in the north. A second road from the town centre, the A1044, links the town to Oulton Broad, via its second road crossing over Lake Lothing, and connects with the A146 that links Lowestoft with Beccles and Norwich.[62] 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.[62][109][110] A third crossing of Lowestoft Harbour is proposed,[110] but has yet to receive planning or funding; a southern relief road was built, which diverts traffic away from the seafront to help reduce congestion,[84][111] while a proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge is planned to provide an alternative crossing alongside the Bascule Bridge.[112]

Lowestoft's cycle network is generally fairly well developed, with routes focusing on linking areas to the town centre.[62] Around 12% of residents cycle to work and the town is considered to be "ideally suited" to cycling due to its relatively small size and flat landscape.[62] Suffolk County Council is aiming to promote cycling in the town by working with employers and schools as well as through the funding of the pedestrian and cycle bridge in the town centre.[62]

Education[edit]

Lowestoft has a number of primary and high schools, including four 11–16 high schools: The Benjamin Britten High School, Ormiston Denes Academy, East Point Academy and Pakefield School.[113] Following a reorganisation of schools in Lowestoft, all eight middle schools in the town closed in 2011 and Pakefield High School opened.[114] Post–16 education is provided at Lowestoft Sixth Form College, which opened in September 2011 as part of the school reorganisation, and Lowestoft College which provides a range of academic and vocational courses.

Lowestoft College provides a small range of higher education courses through an affiliation to University Campus Suffolk.[115] Degrees are validated by the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex.[116] The college also runs courses in boatbuilding and courses designed to support the offshore and maritime industries which are important employers in the town.[117] Other adult education courses are run by the County council from a base at the town library.[118]

Sport and leisure[edit]

Lowestoft has sport clubs and facilities. Lowestoft Town Football Club play at Crown Meadow and Kirkley & Pakefield Football Club play at Walmer Road. Lowestoft Cricket Club play at the Denes Oval sport ground.[119] Other sport clubs include Waveney Gymnastics club[120] and Rookery Park Golf Club.[121]

The town's main leisure centre, the Waterlane Leisure Centre, was redeveloped at a cost of £8million in 2010–11.[122][123] Facilities include a gym and climbing wall as well as a 25 metre swimming pool with a movable floor.[122][124] Lowestoft has a number of parks and recreation grounds.[125]

The Broads national park extends to Lowestoft on Oulton Broad. Water activities and boat tours can be taken here. Powerboat racing takes place throughout the summer period, mainly on Thursday evenings.[126] Fixtures are organised by the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club and can attract up to 1500 spectators.[126][127] The Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club has its club house in Lowestoft harbour.[128]

Notable people[edit]

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 at Oulton Broad for many years and wrote most of his books there. Lieutenant General Sir Edwin 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 the last month.[129]

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.

Robert William Hook, coxswain at RNLI Lowestoft from 1853 to 1883 and who has been credited with saving more than 600 lives during his career, with Lowestoft RNLI and with private companies. He was born in Lowestoft, lived and worked there all his life, and is buried in Lowestoft Cemetery.

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 harbour. Sir Christopher Cockerell, inventor of the hovercraft, lived at Oulton Broad, and tested craft in Somerleyton. Economist Sir 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 with Keynes.

The philanthropist Howard Hollingsworth, co-founder of Bourne & Hollingsworth Department Store, visited Lowestoft in 1908 and subsequently bought and renovated the burnt out Briar Clyffe House and grounds on Gunton Cliff.[130] He became a Lowestoft benefactor and, on the death of his friend Nicholas Everitt, bought his estate at Oulton Broad and gave it to Lowestoft to be used as a public park.[131] He was made the first Freeman of the Borough of Lowestoft in 1929.[130] Roland Aubrey Leighton, the fiancé of Vera Brittain imortalised in her WW1 autobiography Testament of Youth, lived with his family at Heather Cliff on Gunton Cliff.

The composer Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft in 1913. He has been described as "without a doubt the greatest English classical composer of the last century"[132] and "the only person of real celebrity to have emerged from darkest Lowestoft."[133] The Benjamin Britten High School and a small shopping centre in the town are named after him.

The children's author and illustrator Michael Foreman was born in 1938 and spent his childhood years in Pakefield, where his mother kept the grocer's shop.[133] He went to Pakefield Primary School, and played on Hilly Green – stories of which are recorded in his book War Boy. The author and illustrator James Mayhew lived in the town and studied at Lowestoft School of Art. Photographer George Davison was also born in Lowestoft. Author of the Inspector Allen mysteries, Jayne-Marie Barker, grew up at Oulton Broad and has used Lowestoft as an inspiration for her books.[134] The artist Mark Burrell (born Lowestoft, 1957) has a studio in the town and frequently features Lowestoft's architectural landmarks and local people in his paintings. Burrell is also a leading member of the North Sea Magical Realists. Author Mark Dawson was born in the town.

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 area.[133] Lil' Chris featured in Channel 4's Rock School programme filmed at Kirkley High School and went on to have a musical career. Leanne Mitchell, winner of the first series of The Voice UK, lives in the town.[135]

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, former football player and manager Richard Money, New York Mets pitcher Les Rohr and Olympic Bronze medal-winning middleweight boxer Anthony Ogogo.

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External links[edit]

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