Yarmouth's historic Rows to 'feel safer' for women under revamp

Broad Row. (Image: James Weeds)

The aim is to improve the "general feeling of safety", particularly for women and girls, who may feel afraid to use the Rows - for many the archetypal dark, narrow alley.

Under the £240,000 scheme the Rows will have their own community safety officer and a new, specialist cleaning machine, as well as a repaint and heritage lighting.

Great Yarmouth's Rows are being made to feel safer with new lighting and a range of improvements. (Image: EDP pics © 2008)

The majority of the funding was awarded to Great Yarmouth Borough Council from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, through its bid to the Home Office's Safer Streets fund.

Council leader Carl Smith said: "The Rows are an important and fascinating piece of the town's history but they are also living places used by thousands of people every year.

"We want them to be more welcoming and this work will literally brighten them up and give us the tools to help keep them clean and tidy in the future."

Norfolk's newly-elected Police and Crome Commissioner, Gile Orpen-Smellie is officially sworn into the role. Byline: Sonya Duncan (Image: Archant)

Giles Orpen-Smellie, Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk said: "Areas that are cleaner and well cared for can feel safer and more welcoming, whilst the recruitment of a community safety officer will mean that residents and users of the Rows have direct access to support and can raise future concerns.

"It is important to me that our response to making our county safer, particularly for women and girls, is embraced by the full spectrum of agencies in Norfolk as well as the police, and so it is particularly pleasing to see this work now getting underway in Great Yarmouth."

Great Yarmouth originally had over 145 Rows, described by Charles Dickens as the "grid-iron" that defined Yarmouth.

Some were given back their names under a Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust initiative aimed at rescuing their reputation.

The project delivered repairs to key Rows and reinstated cast iron name plates which include such evocative titles as Body Snatchers Row, Popinjay Row, Kittywitches Row and Captain Christmas's Row.

Owners of properties in the Rows who want to find out more about the project can contact steve@greyfriarspm.com for more details.

Rows ripe for a revamp

The Rows included in the 2022 Safer Streets project are: Row 6 - Body Snatchers Row; Row 32 - Kings Head South Row; Row 38 - Ferrier's Row; Broad Row; Row 46 - Sewell's Row; Row 47 - Vine Row; Row 51 1/2 - British Lion Row; Row 53 - Bank Paved Row; Row 57 - Carpenter's Arms Row; Row 60 - Oxford Row; Row 61 - Popinjay Row; Row 62 - Church's Row; Row 63 - Quaker's Row; Row 64 - Mew's Row; Row 69 - Rev Weltham's Row; Row 78 - Pot in Hand Row; Row 81 - Crome's Row; Row 86 - Fisher's Row; Row 89 - Herring's Row; Row 95 - Kittywitches Row; Row 97 - Bells Row; Row 99 - Castle Row; Row 101 - Reynold's Row; Row 102 - Packet Office Row; Row 109 - Red Lion Row; Row 110 - Pilson Row; Row 115 - Nathaniel Fish's Row; Row 116 - Sam Hurry's Row; Row 119 - Dove Row ; Row 120 Duncan's Head Row; Row 121 - Captain Christmas's Row; Row 126 - Robin's Hall Row.

Row 53 - Bank Paved Row. (Image: James Weeds)

Row 57 - Carpenter's Arms Row. (Image: James Weeds)