Charles Dickens visits Great Yarmouth

There have been many notable famous people visit Great Yarmouth over the years, but one of the most famous people who have visited here was Charles Dickens.  Charles Dickens lived from 1812 - 1870 and his books and stories have been made into films which are still loved today.

Charles Dickens visited Great Yarmouth twice in 1848 and 1849, staying in the Royal Hotel.   There is also a plaque dedicated to him at The Feathers in Gorleston, where he also visited.  He described the town as "The strangest place in the wide world."  Great Yarmouth is immortalized in his 8th novel, David Copperfield.  This is a semi-autobiographical book.  In the book David Copperfield was born in Blundeston in Suffolk.  In the book he talks about the smell of the fish.  The herring fishing industry was thriving at the time.  It is believed that Dickens saw an over turned boat on the Denes.  In David Copperfield an upturned boat is used as a home.

Charles Dickens

There are also several streets and roads which are dedicated to Charles Dickens:-

• Barkis Road - A Dickens character
• Copperfield Avenue - A Dickens character
• Dickens Avenue - Charles Dickens
• Micauber Avenue - A Dickens character
• Peggoty Road - A Dickens charcter.

In the nineteenth century Great Yarmouth would have looked very different.

As you can see from this picture, this is the Quay and town hall in the distance.  Charles Dickens would have seen a very different Great Yarmouth to the one we know today.  Although he found it a strange place, he still evidently made an impact on the town with David Copperfield.