Great Yarmouth: New lick of paint for 'England's oldest grandstand'

A football club has repainted its 131-year-old wooden grandstand, which is believed to be the oldest still in use.

Great Yarmouth Town's Wellesley Grandstand was completed in 1892.

The Grade II listed structure has a brick ground floor below a timber roof and is recorded by Historic England as "possibly the earliest football grandstand surviving in England".

Its regeneration was supported by a Football Foundation grant and Great Yarmouth Borough Council funding.

Funding of nearly £1m has been spent on a new training facility, third generation artificial turf pitch and the restoration of the club's stand.

The Norfolk-based club starts its Eastern Counties League Division One season at FC Peterborough on 29 July.

The grandstand provides seating for 500 fans at the Wellesley recreation ground, close to the resort seafront.

The stadium is also used by Great Yarmouth Athletics Club.

Jack Jay, president of Great Yarmouth Town Football Club, said: "It's more than just a stand, it's a piece of history."

He said: "These things are so unique, so different and, I think, taken for granted. To have such a big part of football history here is amazing."

Philip Miles, curator of Great Yarmouth's Time And Tide museum, said the stand was "really important" to the town.

"Yarmouth is very proud of its heritage. We're lucky to have all the amazing old buildings on the seafront.

"It's a lovely backdrop, I think it's important we keep historical things like that alive".

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