2. RAILWAYS
  3. BRITISH RAILWAY STATIONS

NORFOLK RAILWAY STATIONS

All pictures of Norfolk railway stations and their various associated accoutrements are shown here, whether ancient or modern, excepting those shown as part of the Midland & Great Northern Railway.
These pictures are published for pleasure/information/research purposes only and are not for sale or copy under any circumstances. Information in captions has been researched as thoroughly as possible but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
PLEASE NOTE : IMPORTANT MESSAGE : Please be aware that I do not sell copies of ANY of my pictures, DO NOT email copies to viewers or allow re-posting on other sites. Neither do I wish to enter into correspondence with any individual or group regarding my pictures or their captions. All comments reflect my personal opinions and I am not prepared to discuss these with anyone or to spend the rest of my life answering inane questions. I apologise for this disclaimer but I'm afraid it has been forced upon me. I have no wish to offend anyone and I hope you will continue to enjoy my pictures at your leisure.
Read More
HUNSTANTON - 1950's - Opened in October 1862 by the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway on what was essentially a greenfield site, it was located some distance from the settlement of Old Hunstanton. The landowner, Henry Styleman le Strange, also principal shareholder in the railway, had gifted the land, built the Sandringham Hotel and owned most of the town quickly grew up around it. The station had two island platforms plus a number of carriage sidings but in the height of the summer season this accomodation was barely sufficient for purpose. Through services from Liverpool Street were withdrawn in 1959 and passenger numbers declined sharply in the 1960's. By 1967 the line had been singled and most stations were unstaffed, trains consisting of a DMU service to Kings Lynn. The line closed in May 1969, lifted and has been a source of regret ever since, road access to the town being diabolical. Here we see what I think is D5551 backing onto a train in the late 1950's.
42 / 105

HUNSTANTON - 1950's - Opened in October 1862 by the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway on what was essentially a greenfield site, it was located some distance from the settlement of Old Hunstanton. The landowner, Henry Styleman le Strange, also principal shareholder in the railway, had gifted the land, built the Sandringham Hotel and owned most of the town quickly grew up around it. The station had two island platforms plus a number of carriage sidings but in the height of the summer season this accomodation was barely sufficient for purpose. Through services from Liverpool Street were withdrawn in 1959 and passenger numbers declined sharply in the 1960's. By 1967 the line had been singled and most stations were unstaffed, trains consisting of a DMU service to Kings Lynn. The line closed in May 1969, lifted and has been a source of regret ever since, road access to the town being diabolical. Here we see what I think is D5551 backing onto a train in the late 1950's.

  • HUNSTANTON - 1920's - Terminus of the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway, the station opened in October 1862 and was immediately the focus of seasonal passenger traffic. Built hard against the seafront, the station had full need of it's 4 platforms on Summer Sundays, when excursion arrived at 10 minute intervals. With the advent of the private car, passenger numbers declined, the station lost it goods facilities in October 1962, was reduced to unstaffed status in June 1966 and was closed completely in May 1969, a decision much regretted to this day. Seen here in the 1920's with all platforms occupied, with a train of Pullman cars second from the left.
  • HUNSTANTON - 1950's - Opened in October 1862 by the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway on what was essentially a greenfield site, it was located some distance from the settlement of Old Hunstanton. The landowner, Henry Styleman le Strange, also principal shareholder in the railway, had gifted the land, built the Sandringham Hotel and owned most of the town quickly grew up around it. The station had two island platforms plus a number of carriage sidings but in the height of the summer season this accomodation was barely sufficient for purpose. Through services from Liverpool Street were withdrawn in 1959 and passenger numbers declined sharply in the 1960's. By 1967 the line had been singled and most stations were unstaffed, trains consisting of a DMU service to Kings Lynn. The line closed in May 1969, lifted and has been a source of regret ever since, road access to the town being diabolical. Here we see what I think is D5551 backing onto a train in the late 1950's.
  • HUNSTANTON - 1961 - Terminus of the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway, the station opened in October 1862 and was immediately the focus of seasonal passenger traffic. Built hard against the seafront, the station had full need of it's 4 platforms on Summer Sundays, when excursion arrived at 10 minute intervals. With the advent of the private car, passenger numbers declined, the station lost it goods facilities in October 1962, was reduced to unstaffed status in June 1966 and was closed completely in May 1969, a decision much regretted to this day. Seen here in September 1961 with Class B1 No.61378 awaiting departure with a returning excursion.
  • KINGS LYNN - 1950 - An aerial view from 1950. The station itself would not seem so radically different today but everything else had changed enormously. In the bottom right corner we have the harbour lines serving the docks, still in place but unused. Most of the extensive goods yard is now covered in superstores and the locoshed, no doubt crammed with 'Clauds', J17's, B17's and J69 tanks, is but a distant memory. Kings Lynn, although a terminus, was also a major junction with lines radiating out to Hunstanton, Norwich, Wisbech and Liverpool Street plus the shuttles to the M&GN at South Lynn. Only the mainline to London now remains.
  • KINGS LYNN - 1950's - The station here bears little resemblance to what appears in this 1950 aerial view. Once the centre of a complicated web of railways, only the line to Cambridge now remains, although the original station buildings have been retained and tastefully restored. Much of the goods yard is now occupied by a retail park.
  • LINGWOOD - 1950's - On the Norwich - Great Yarmouth via Acle line, the platform canopy roof supports betray their Eastern Counties Railway origins. The station is still open and serves about 50,00 passengers per year.
  • MIDDLE DROVE -1930's - the rather spartan facilities at this small Norfolk station probably reflect the level of usage - it nominally served the village of Tilney Fen End, itself a tiny oasis in an area almost entirely unpopulated. I think the one coach train says it all. The station was located on the line from Wisbech East to Magdalen Road and, ultimately, Kings Lynn - the line closed in 1968.
  • MIDDLE DROVE - 1950's - the rather spartan facilities at this small Norfolk station probably reflect the level of usage - it nominally served the village of Tilney Fen End, itself a tiny oasis in an area almost entirely unpopulated. The station was located on the line from Wisbech East to Magdalen Road and, ultimately, Kings Lynn - the line closed in 1968. Seen here looking east, with the quite extensive goods yard on the left beyond the level crossing. The cottage behind the platform is the station house and the platform on the left has been preserved almost entirely.
  • MIDDLE DROVE - 1964 - Opened in 1848 on the East Anglian Railway line from Magdalen Road, now Watlington, to March via Wisbech East, this station really is in the middle of nowhere. The nearest village is about 2 miles away although there is a cluster of houses around the station that presumably post date it. Here we see a Class 31 slowing to stop with a train from Kings Lynn to March in the winter of 1964.
  • MIDDLE DROVE - 2017 - Opened in 1848 on the East Anglian Railway line from Magdalen Road, now Watlington, to March via Wisbech East, this station really is in the middle of nowhere. The nearest village is about 2 miles away although there is a cluster of houses around the station that presumably post date it. A close-up of the shelter on the eastbound platform. The cast-iron brackets at each end are very nice. I think the nameboard might be from the signalbox. Seen here on 25/07/17.
  • MIDDLE DROVE - 2017 - Opened in 1848 on the East Anglian Railway line from Magdalen Road, now Watlington, to March via Wisbech East, this station really is in the middle of nowhere. The nearest village is about 2 miles away although there is a cluster of houses around the station that presumably post date it. This is the old eastbound platform, the westbound one, now demolished, was similar. Passenger traffic must have been almost non-existent but goods traffic in local produce would have been considerable. The station closed in September 1968 and has survived the ensuing 50 years remarkably well. Seen here on 25/07/17.
  • MIDDLETON TOWERS - 1910's - Opened in October 1846 by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, this was the first stop out of Kings Lynn and is a long way from Middleton village, being much nearer to Leziate. Note the stepped platform. Compare with the picture taken from roughly this spot in 2017. Seen here in about 1910.
  • MIDDLETON TOWERS - 2017 - Opened in October 1846 by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, this was the first stop out of Kings Lynn and is a long way from Middleton village, being much nearer to Leziate. A closer view of the platform and shelter and the sand loading gantry beyond. Seen here on 25/07/17.
  • MIDDLETON TOWERS - 2017 - Opened in October 1846 by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, this was the first stop out of Kings Lynn and is a long way from Middleton village, being much nearer to Leziate. Note the short platform and the sparse platform accommodation. The line closed in 1968 and was truncated here. It still sees about 20 sand trains per week which load at the elevator just out of shot on the right. It is quite frequently visited by railtours as well. Seen here on July 25th, 2017.
  • NARBOROUGH & PENTNEY - 1950's - Opened by the Lynn & Dereham Railway in October 1846 as a terminus named just Narborough, the line was completed to Swaffham by the following summer. The station was renamed Narborough and Pentney after the Grouping, presumably as there are several other Narborough's. Despite a recommendation that the Kings Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line remain open in the Beeching Report, it closed to passengers in September 1968 although both ends of the line remained open for freight for some years. I think this a 1950's view.
  • NORTH ELMHAM - 1960's - Opened in 1857 by the Eastern Counties Railway line from Wymondham to Wells Next The Sea as plain Elmham, the station was renamed North Elmham in September 1872. It was only a small station with a single platform but with a quite extensive goods yard, serving a dairy, seen on the left, until it closed in October 1963. The station closed to passengers in October 1964 and the station building survives as a residence. The Class 31 in this picture marks the northernmost point of the track today and the Mid Norfolk Railway is in process of building a new station here for trains from Dereham.
  • NORTH WALSHAM - 1970's - Opened in October 1874 on the GER line from Norwich to Cromer, North Walsham changed name in January 1948 to North Walsham Main to avoid confusion with the M&GN station of the same name. After closure of the M&GN in 1959, the name reverted once again.
  • NORTH WALSHAM MAIN STATION - 1963 - North Walsham, a very small town, paid host to two adjacent railway stations, North Walsham Town on the M&GNJR line from Melton Constable to Yarmouth and this one on the GER line from Norwich to Cromer High. The M&GN lines closed in 1959 and this station simply became North Walsham (but obviously not on the sign on the right!). Seen here in June 1963 with a Derby Lightweight DMU, having terminated I think, crossing onto the other platform.
  • NORTH WOOTTON - 1910's - Opened on October 3rd, 1862, as Wootton, this was the first stop from Kings Lynn on the line to Hunstanton. The station, and the line, closed in May 1969 to much protest and, in the present day, much regret. The station buildings still stand as a private residence.
  • NORWICH THORPE - 1914 - Opened in 1844 by the Yarmouth & Norwich Railway and, in 1845, it acquired a direct link to London via Ely and Cambridge. In May 1848, the station was taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway, which became the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.Although the ECR already had a terminus at Victoria Station, the more conveniently sited Thorpe soon became it's major station in the city, although some London trains continued to use Victoria until 1916. In October 1874, the line to Cromer opened and the existing station soon became overcrowded, so a new station was built to the north of the original station and opened in May 1886. It opened as plain Norwich, became Norwich Thorpe in December 1849 and reverted to Norwich in May 1969 with the closure of the other Norwich stations. Seen here in 1914, the platforms filled with typically luxurious(!) GER stock.
  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2022 SmugMug, Inc.