Coloured postcard showing a view of the gardens of the Wellington Pier in Great Yarmouth. Great Yarmouth, having been a major naval town, became a tourist destination from the 1880s, and its waterfront area was extensively redeveloped in the late 19th and early 20th century to include ornamental gardens and other tourist attractions. Wellington Pier was opened in 1853, and Britannia Pier in 1858 (the latter was demolished and rebuilt more than once); both piers were eventually accompanied by decorative gardens. In 1904 a winter garden was moved from Torquay and sited near the Wellington Pier; the Anchor Garden was later developed nearby. Between 1926 and 1928 the Venetian Waterways were constructed; in the 1960s the Merrivale Model Garden was added