Wellington Bowl Great Yarmouth Review

Disclaimer: We received our game of bowling in exchange for this post, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own

Bowling is a game the whole family can enjoy, from young to old and no matter your age it will set off a competitive streak in the best of you. We’ve not actually bowled as a family that often, before heading to Wellington Bowl last week the last time we had been was back in 2019 on a holiday to Potter’s, and before that only a few times.

I think this actually helped to build the excitement for the children as they couldn’t really remember playing, although it did mean it took a few turns to practice their bowling technique.

Table of Contents

Wellington Bowl Great Yarmouth Review

Wellington Bowl is located at the back of Wellington Pier. You can either walk all the way through the arcades, out of the back doors and it is in front of you, or you can divert around the left side of the pier if you want to avoid the arcades (I really should have done this as Harry is like a deer caught in headlights when it comes to the games and flashing lights in arcades, and just wants to play on everything).

Inside you will find a lovely little cafe/bar that serves a good selection of food and drinks, children’s meals, milkshakes and for the adults there is a fully licenced bar. There is plenty of seating to relax and enjoy a meal and/or a drink before (or after) your game. This could be a nice distraction if you are awaiting your lane to become available. You can view the menu here.

You can also enjoy a game of pool on the full-sized American pool tables while enjoying the wonderful view of the beach as you play – these are available on a first-come basis with no booking required. These can be found in the games room to the right of the bowling lanes and you will also find a full-size Air Hockey table, slot machines, 2p machines and the latest multi-player interactive arcade games such as Buck Hunter, The Fast and the Furious, Batman and more.

Wellington Bowling

I would recommend pre-booking a lane if you want to play at a set time, you can just turn up but you may have to wait a while for a lane to become available. When I was checking in for our game which was at 2 pm, families in the queue in front and behind us booked in for games – one family was given a slot at 3.30 pm and another at 4.30 pm as they needed 2 lanes due to the size of their group. Slots are available throughout the day so it’s very likely you will get to play that day but if you book you will be sure of this and the kids won’t be disappointed in having to wait. At peak times a waiting list will be displayed around the centre enabling you to enjoy the other facilities whilst you wait for a lane to become available.

There are 10 lanes altogether and gameplay depends on how quickly you bowl really. You can take your time, chat with friends and family and enjoy a drink at the table while playing your game. Up to six people can bowl at a time on each lane.

Thankfully, gone are the days of having to work the computer screens to type in your name (I remember having to do that when bowling with friends as a child/teenager and there would always be some mistake in setting up the game, or someone who adds a rude name to the screen for all to see), this is all done for you at the check-in desk. You just have to write down your names and play order and by the time you’ve put on your bowling shoes and got to your lane, this is all displayed ready for you. You can also let the staff know if you want the bumpers up for individual players and that is done on their computer for you.

We started off not wanting the bumpers, however on the kid’s second go they soon changed their minds, this wasn’t a problem at all and I just went over and asked if they could be added for the children’s turns only and it took seconds for that to happen – probably for the best really as Harry seemed to bowl using the bumpers to bounce the ball off of nearly every time.

We had a great time playing it was such a lovely way of breaking up a busy day, and meant we managed to avoid the mini rain shower before hitting the beach again.

Prices and opening times

Wellington Bowl is open daily from 10 am until 11 pm (and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

1 game for a group of 4 people = £29.00

2 games for a group of 4 people = £47.00
1 Hour’s bowling for up to 6 people = £36.00
Individual game, per person = £7.95
Student rate (must have a valid NUS card = £5.95

Final thoughts

We had a really lovely time bowling and was such a great way to break up the day. If heading to Great Yarmouth for just the day then you probably won’t fit in a game of bowling unless the weather takes a turn for the worse, however, if spending a few days here then a game of bowling or even an hour’s bowling will probably be far cheaper than spending that time in the arcades and make a welcomed break too.

As we had 3 people bowling it would work out to £23.85 for one game which is a bargain in my opinion as my children can easily spend more than £8 in an arcade in an hour given the chance – and on this holiday they absolutely did,

I would say one game really isn’t enough though, as by the time the children got into the swing and mastered their techniques the game was over. I think that at the speed they bowled we could probably have fitted 2 games into an hour so next time we visit I’ll be booking that option for us.

I’ve been told we have to go bowling again very soon – I won, beating both Emmy and Harry and getting two strikes and this has to be put right apparently.

Things to remember:

Try holding a few different weighted balls before you start – there is nothing worse than trying to bowl a ball which is far too heavy
Add the bumpers for younger children
Use the metal rolling aid/frame if needed – especially for younger children