It is a dominating structure that has been part of a coastal town’s skyline since it was built in 1884.

The gasholder at Great Yarmouth's Admiralty Road has drawn many admiring glances - and cricks in necks as people view it.

However, an assessment of the Grade II listed gasholder has shown that it is in poor condition and requires work.

Following a major public consultation in early 2023, Great Yarmouth Borough Council granted planning permission and listed building consent for refurbishment works to the structure.

National Grid has confirmed that work to secure the long-term future of the 29-metre-tall tower will start in the next few weeks. 

Great Yarmouth's Victorian gas tower, whose elaborate design was a display of civic pride and technological prowessGreat Yarmouth's Victorian gas tower, whose elaborate design was a display of civic pride and technological prowess (Image: Liz Coates)

Land regeneration manager at National Grid, Nadia Dew, said: “These works will involve the removal of the tank and the refurbishment of the gasholder frame in situ.

"This will open up the site for new uses and secure the long-term future of a significant part of the town’s heritage and skyline.”

The first stage of the works, the removal of the tank at the bottom of the gasholder, is expected to be completed by spring next year with refurbishment work following in 2025.

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More information about this multi-million-pound project and the history of the former gasworks site can be found at: www.nationalgrid.com/GYGH

HISTORY OF THE GASHOLDER

The elaborate Victorian holder is considered one of the finest in the country - its elaborate design was a display of civic pride and technological prowess. 

The 29m high gasholder in Great Yarmouth The 29m high gasholder in Great Yarmouth (Image: Laura Fisher)

It was first established on the corner of Southgates Road and Barrack Road and extended towards Admiralty Road in the mid-1880s.

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Initially, the gasworks featured two large holders - also known as gasometers - in the eastern part of the wider site and two further gasholders on a piece of land on the opposite corner of Barrack Road and Southgates Road.

The Great Yarmouth Gas Light and Coke Company was first established in 1824 to supply 150 new gas street lamps - the last of which was knocked down by a car and destroyed outside the Arc Cinema in 2005.

After 142 years the transition from coal gas to natural gas in the 1960s saw much of the plant demolished, the final two holders still operational into the early 1970s.

Great Yarmouth's gasholder was built in 1884Great Yarmouth's Gasholder was built in 1884 (Image: National Grid)