Overstrand Parish Council
Fishing Past and Present
Fishing has always been a part of Overstrand village life and although not such an important part of the village economy it continues to this day. The main catch being the world famous Cromer Crab.
It is thought that the Crab shed, visible in both photographs, was given to the fishermen of Overstrand by Lord Battersea. In Lady Battersea’s ‘The Reminiscences of Lady Battersea’ she writes ‘When not out at sea, the men are mostly to be found standing on the top of the gangways-which, be it said, are draped with hundreds of yards of drying fishing-nets-gazing seawards.
When not on the cliff, most of them may be seen in a fisherman’s hut, or look-out, given them by my husband, where they clean their lobster-pots, mend their gear, and look to their ropes. In this shelter the men keep their heavy mackintosh coats and their high sea boots, such boots as would, I feel sure, prevent them from ever being able to save their lives in an accident at sea”.
