Great Yarmouth Rows - King Street to Middlegate

Numbered Map of the Rows - click on image in order to enlarge
[Source: "A History of Great Yarmouth", Frank Meeres, 2007]

Here are snippets about the rows between King Street and Middlegate Street (source, "The Rows of Great Yarmouth" by Colin Tooke, 1987):

Row 93

King the Baker’s Row (1734)

Rivett the Baker’s Row

Goddard the Whitesmith’s Row

Kings Head public house was on the south-west corner, and was converted into a bakers shop in 1734. Bread was baked here for the poor of the town.

Row 95

Kittywitches Row

Draper the Butcher’s Row (1863)

“At the eastern end of this row was four and a half feet wide, but at the western end it was barely 30 inches. It was described as a picturesque but gloomy row, with many overhanging Tudor houses on the south side” – Tooke

The name is probably derived from a former resident, Christopher Wyche.

Row 97

Barnes Row (1690)

Blick’s Row

Bell’s Row

Bayly’s Surgeon Row (1874)

Nightgale the Confectioner’s Row

Lawyer Bell’s Row

Norfolk Hero’s (1878) – a public house, on south west corner

Row 99

Castle Row

The name derives from around 1600 and described a square building with a watch tower at each corner which was built in the 1500s.  It was demolished in 1621.

This was also the site of the *Penrice Arms pub, which was on King Street between rows 99 and 101.

Row 101

Reynold’s Row ( 1781)

Charles Symonds Row

Victualling Office Row

*Penrice Stable Row

*Penrice was the name of a wealthy resident of King Street who had a mansion which once extended from St Georges Plain to row 94. One Yarmouth historian (Palmer) described it as, ‘probably the finest house ever erected in a county town for the residence of a private gentleman’. It only stood for 40 years before being demolished. Unfortunately, there is no indication of what period this was built.

Row 102

William’s Row (1760)

Benett the Cooper Row (1863)

Arnold the Brewer’s Row

William and Bells Row

Packet Office Row

Row 105

Chapel Row (1715)

Rev Cooper’s Row (1802)

Dr Penrice’s Row (1837)

Doughty the Grocer’s Row (1870)

Row 107

Post House Row (1660)

Old Post House Row

Chapel Paved Row

Step Paved Row

St Georges East Row

At the south west corner was a public house known as the Tolhouse Tavern, previously the Welcome Sailor

Row 109

Red Lion Row (1746)

Dr Borrett’s Row

Dr Meadow’s Row

Lion and Lamb Row

Red Lion pub was at the south west corner; the Lion and Lamb was on the south east corner.

Dr Daniel Meadows, surgeon, lived in a house known for many years (imaginatively) as the Doctor’s House. From the mid 1700s until 1970 there was an almost unbroken succession of doctors living here, the last being Dr Dowding.

Row 110

New Prison Row

Prison Row

Perry the Oatmeal Maker’s Row (1836)

Bellamy the Butcher’s Row

The south side of the row was used for French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic war (early 1800s). “A sentry stood guard at each end of the row and after dusk no one could pass down the row without the password. Despite these precautions several prisoners managed to escape.”

Row 113

Tilson’s South Row (1626)

Errington’s Row (1714)

Ferier the Surgeon’s Row (1836)

Thomas Tilson was a member of the GY Corporation in 1626. Near the western end of the row was a pub known as “The Bee” whose sign read thus:

‘Within this hive we’re all alive,

Good liquor makes us funny;

If you are dry, step in and try

The flavour of our honey’


~ Colin ~