The ‘unloved’ UK seaside town blighted by nightclub and abandoned by all but rats

A UK market town has been named among the worst in its country after being branded "depressing and bleak". The YouTube channel Turdtowns revealed what they thought were the 'worst' towns in Norfolk, and Gorleston made the list at number four.

Gorleston-on-Sea is a seaside town in the borough of Great Yarmouth. The video described it as a "fishing town, turned tourist town, turned industrial town" that "doesn’t know what it wants to be". It is known for its sandy Edwardian Beach, with traditional seaside gardens and a model boat pond. In 2023, the beach was voted the best in Britain and the 12th best in Europe by Tripadvisor reviewers.

The YouTuber said that down by the seafront it’s "okay" and you "wouldn't know you were in a turdtown". One major downside is that "main attraction" is a boarded up nightclub.

Ocean Room shut last year after 50 years of entertaining locals and hosting performances from the likes of Pink Floyd and Blue. Owned by the borough council, the building reportedly needs £1 million worth of renovations.

According to the YouTuber, the former nightclub is now home to a family of rats who can be frequently seen by locals wandering the seafront promenade during the day.

Gorleston's Pier Hotel and beach feature as a key location in Danny Boyle's 2019 film Yesterday, about a struggling musician who suddenly finds himself as the only person who remembers the Beatles and becomes famous for performing their songs.

The YouTuber said the town itself feels "unloved" and is "depressing and ugly". He said it felt "bleak" and like there were "no shops of any use" other than lots of barbers.

The other towns named among Norfolk’s worst by the YouTube video are King’s Lynn, Thetford, and Great Yarmouth.