🧙‍♀️ What a way to bring Heritage Open Days to a close! Heritage Open Days came to an end in Great Yarmouth with a special evening of Witch Trial Live! at the Town Hall – taking audiences back to 1645, when accusations of witchcraft were being heard in our town. With a Judge, Bailiffs, a jury and even members of the audience taking on roles in the trial, guests were invited to hear the evidence and decide the fate of two women accused of witchcraft – Elizabeth Bradwell and Maria Vervey. The trial featured some familiar faces, with the Deputy Mayor of Great Yarmouth taking on the role of Judge, while Her Worship the Mayor of Great Yarmouth played one of the Bailiffs. Guests also joined in, taking on roles including members of the jury and other key characters in the trial. The performance explored explored the methods used by Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General of East Anglia, including the search for so-called 'Devil's marks', confessions and witness testimony. Guests even had the chance to cast their own verdict of guilty or not guilty. The trial also revealed the tragic reality behind the history. Those found guilty were taken from the Tolhouse to the North Denes, where they were executed together on 10 September 1645 and buried on the north side of St Nicholas Minster. 👏 A huge thank you to our Events Team and Heritage Guides for bringing this fascinating and thought-provoking piece of Great Yarmouth's history to life – and to everyone who joined us and got involved! Throughout Heritage Open Days, we also welcomed visitors to Town Hall tours, giving people the chance to explore more of the building and discover stories from our town's past. But there's plenty more history to uncover! 👀 👻 Fancy something a little spookier? Don't miss our upcoming Ghost Stories event, or join one of our Guided Heritage Walks and Talks to discover more fascinating stories, places and people from across Great Yarmouth. 📚 There’s always more of Great Yarmouth’s past waiting to be discovered! #GreatYarmouth #HeritageOpenDays #Heritage #GreatYarmouthHeritage #History #LocalHistory #WitchTrialLive #TownHall #HeritageWalks #HeritageTalks #GhostStories #DiscoverGreatYarmouth

🧱 Great Yarmouth’s Town Wall As part of our heritage campaign, we’ll be taking a closer look at Great Yarmouth’s historic Town Wall. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing fascinating facts about what makes it so special to our town – and why it deserves to be protected for future generations. ✨ First up: A Guardian of Great Yarmouth The North West Tower is one of the last surviving sentinels of our medieval defences. Built from flint and brick, this 7m-high wall once stretched 2,078m, fortified with 16 towers and around 10 gates. Construction began in 1261 and took an astonishing 111 years to complete. 🚪 The nearby North Gate (demolished in 1807) once welcomed carts and pedestrians from Caister and Norwich. Its façade was decorated with saintly statues – a proud symbol of both faith and civic pride. Although much of the wall nearby was dismantled in the early 19th century, the North West Tower still stands – a powerful reminder of when Great Yarmouth was both a fortress town and a thriving port. 📍 Next time you pass, look closely at the flintwork and imagine the medieval craftsmen who shaped each stone more than seven centuries ago. #TownWallTrail #GreatYarmouthHistory #MedievalWalls #HistoricEngland #RestoringHistory