Great Yarmouth: First peek as former Palmers store is transformed

Hoardings currently cover the old shop windows of the former Palmers Department Store in Great Yarmouth

The first glimpses have been shared of the transformation of a 183-year-old department store into a new library and learning hub.

Palmers on Great Yarmouth's Market Place, in Norfolk, opened in 1837 and closed in March 2020, just before the first lockdown.

The building was bought by Great Yarmouth Borough Council last year after the department store chain Beales, which took over the landmark store in 2018, went into administration.

Stripped back: The interior is laid bare after the building was cleared

East Coast College and the University of Suffolk will offer degree-level courses within the five-storey building.

The University of East Anglia, based in Norwich, also plans to offer remote learning facilities for its students, together with professional development courses.

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A lecture hall will be housed on the top floor, while a simulated medical ward will provide true-to-life facilities for trainee nurses.

Architectural features have been uncovered during the renovation, including ornate ceilings made out of tin

The town's central library will also be relocated to the building, while weddings will be held in a civic room with a newly-revealed ornate tin ceiling.

Art exhibitions, meetings and conferences will also be hosted there.

Builders have been surprised by some of the details revealed in the former department store

An array of historic architectural features and fittings - some of which have been hidden for years - have been discovered.

"We've uncovered a door - a very narrow door - that we believe formed part of a house on one of the original rows within this building," said Kate Blakemore, from the borough council.

The renovation has revealed a stained glass window and skylight which will provide the focal point of the children's library

A stained glass window, featuring the letter P for Palmers, has also been uncovered in an area that will house a children's library.

"To find these stained glass windows, which haven't seen the light of day for many, many years, and with the skylights above - it will be a fabulous place for children to learn," said Ms Blakemore.

Roofs have been removed on parts of the building, with a glass lantern feature found above the old cafe, while a student art space will be housed in the former warehouse

It is hoped the building's new purpose will help attract more people into the heart of Great Yarmouth.

"The whole point of this project is the around the wider reimagination of our town centre," added Ms Blakemore, the council's strategic director.

"We've got the fabulous Market Place just through the main entrance to this building.

"We think people who are going to be using this building are going to be enjoying the Market Place, but also people using the Market Place are going to be venturing into this building."

Alcoves and old wooden beams have been found behind false walls

While many of Palmer's former shoppers will fondly remember its cafe, lift attendant - and even booking a holiday there - the building's new guardians are keen for its striking historical features to remain intact - providing new memories and enjoyment.

"One of the main parts of this project has been preserving as many of these historic features as possible," said Ms Blakemore.

"[But] not just preservation, highlighting them so people coming in can really understand the history."

An old safe is tucked inside the former department store