Until 1968 the town was served by Swaffham railway station on the Great Eastern Railway line from King's Lynn. Immediately south of Watton little remains of the line in Thompson Parish except at Griston where the railway crossed a minor road. A former Norfolk railway line could become a new walking and cycling route between two of the county's towns, according to newly-published documents. The Hamond's Grammar School building latterly came to serve as the sixth form for the Hamond's High School, but that use has since ceased. Latterly Class 03 diesel shunters were to be found working goods turns on the branch. There was also a theatre, which entertained such august personages as Horatio, Lord Nelson and his family (and his mistress, too, according to the records). The idea has been suggested as part of Breckland Councils Future Breckland project, for which a plan covering each of the districts five market towns has been produced. There are various exhibitions on display throughout the year and children's activities in all A castle mound was raised here by the Earls of Surrey in about ad 1080, and the first stone castle was added around the 11th century. Watton station has also been demolished and the site redeveloped, although a level crossing gate survived on Church Road as late as 1983. Drive. 6h 33m. There were only 70 passengers on the final stage of the journey. An express left for Lynn and Peterborough at 8.25am, non-stop to Lynn. Swaffham railway station was located in Swaffham, Norfolk. [note 1] Instead locomotives were obtained from Manning Wardle & Co. Time for a picnic lunch at Killamarsh station, Derbyshire, on the former Great Central Railway during one of the clubs 40th anniversary walks in September 2018. Rose (NAU), 22 September 1986. A large wooden door from the rear yard may be original and is intact. A former Norfolk railway line could become a new walking and cycling route between two of the county's towns, according to newly-published documents. Where the island platform is an ugly and untidy business park. For example, since the rail replacement bus service between Maiden Newton and Bridport (Dorset) was withdrawn in 2015, anyone tracing that route which is only partially open to walkers anyway will find no public transport at all between Maiden Newton and the outskirts of Bridport. Walk on the pavement along Station Road until you see Sporle Road on your right. The road bends left and heads into the countryside, with the sails of a giant wind turbine turning up ahead. [12], One of the ballast quarries created during the construction of the railway through Watton was converted into a leisure park and bathing lake known as Loch Neaton. The Market Place and twin churches lie to the right, while the car park is just a short distance ahead along Station Road. Rose (NLA), 18 February 2002.Holme Hale station is preserved intact, including a signal to the east. (Image: Ian Burt). It hadnt gone far during the time it took me to walk the 7 or so miles but because the last stretch is parallel to where I was walking earlier, it had just walked across these two tracks! It would . In addition there was an 8.00 am Watton to Swaffham service. There were five passenger workings each way on the Thetford branch and a daily goods worked from Lynn to Roudham Junction. Apr 2023 - Watton-Swaffham railway . Tickets for travel from intermediate stations, except at Watton, were issued by the guard. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can (Tim Chant). Most send out two newsletters per year. Get your free copy of the "Quick Guide To Norfolk Beaches". The market cross here was built by George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford and presented to the town in 1783. He had a fine hound called Czarina, who regularly chased hares across the heaths surrounding Swaffham. The last passenger service, the 9.21 pm from Thetford to Swaffham, ran on 12th June 1964 and was formed of a two-car diesel multiple unit with driver David Grant of Dereham in charge, carrying, it was reported locally, seventy passengers. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. ', 'The UK's specialist club for exploring old railways: it organises walks throughout the country for varying ages and abilities, usually on disused railways but occasionally on an old canal or even Roman road. 2007 - 2023 Norfolk Historic Environment Service, Priory of St Mary in the Meadow, Beeston Regis, Kings Lynn Urban Archaeological Database (2017-2022), Early Prehistoric Record Enhancement (2014), World War Two Fighter Pen & Shed Restoration, The Heritage Explorer Project (2005-2007), Great Yarmouth Archaeological Map (2004-2006), Route of Thetford, Watton and Swaffham Railway (later Great Eastern). This was established by Lord Orford, a nephew of the writer Horace Walpole, in 1786. Theres a well-equipped kitchen, enclosed Little Flint and Lyons Green are two secluded, traditional brick and flint English country cottages built in the early 18th century, both with inglenook fireplaces, beams and many original features. Record Card: NAU Staff. This abutted the station building constructed of knapped flint with brick quoins and stone window surrounds. By 1960 no steam locomotives plied the line on passenger trains and the Sunday service had disappeared. Rose (NLA), 29 January 2005. The line ran from Thetford, via Watton to a junction with the Lynn and Dereham Railway at Swaffham and was completed in 1875. Editors' Code of Practice. The new walkand cyclepathwould include a connection to the Peddars Way, which would enable walkers to branch off towards the north Norfolk coast. This area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the pollen and the plant remains in the peat which is below all this wetland. Set off on this walk from Tennyson Ave and follow the Swaffham . BRIDGE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), RAILWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), RAILWAY TRANSPORT SITE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD). Download your free copy of the "Quick Guide To Norfolk Beaches" and join our newsletter tokeep up to date with 4 different tips every month for enjoying what Norfolk has to offer. [26], In June 2018 it was announced that the centre had closed for financial reasons and that Ecotricity intended to hand the building back to Breckland District Council (BDC). However, it helps to ensure that our walk leaders do not overlook anything, and there is much to be said for that. Eight up trains left for Lynn, including that off the Thetford branch. Route map drawn by Alan Young. He took up office around the turn of the 20th Century and stayed in post until after Grouping in 1923. She is thought to be the ancestor of every pure greyhound alive today. [4], The line was closed to passengers on 15 June 1964, with a two-car diesel multiple unit (DMU) driven by driver David Grant of Dereham operating the final service. An evening train ran from Thetford to Lynn. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. It is now fairly clear. Anyone who is concerned about risk can arrange their own, personal insurance cover, but in practice our walks are no more dangerous than any other walk, and probably a lot less dangerous than some other outdoor pursuits, such climbing or even cycling. The line was lifted after closure. Roudham Junction to Watton closed completely. Just after Swaffham, the line split into two, one branch heading south to Thetford, and the other east towards Dereham. Passing through Thetford Forest between Stow Bedon and Hockham Heath the trackbed is a Permitted Public Path before once more being obliterated by agricultural activity towards the site of Roudham Junction. These were 0-6-0 tank locomotives with 3-foot driving wheels and 11-inch cylinders. Most of the Pingos that were in the Brecks area have now disappeared due to the land being ploughed up for farming, so the ones remaining are historically, ecologically and internationally important for the wildlife. Closure notices were served for the Lynn & Dereham line in 1968 and it closed to passengers with effect from 9 September 1968, with the last trains running on Saturday 7 September. Enjoy this 2.0-mile out-and-back trail near King's Lynn, Norfolk. All of our walks are also published quarterly in advance in our magazine, Railway Ramblings. Many of our walk leaders research their routes in advance and bring along resources such as archive photographs, books and historical notes. The delightful village of Castle Acre boasts an extraordinary wealth of history and is a very rare and complete survival of a Norman planned settlement. Opened in 1875, the Watton and Swaffham Railway -also known as the Crab and Winkle line - connected the towns with Thetford in one direction and King's Lynn in the other. The club carries Civil Liability Insurance, which covers all members plus non-members on taster events (as described above) but not friends, family or other casual participants. Once through Cranberry Rough, you then follow the straight disused Thetford to Swaffham railway track for a while, along open farmland, and this path eventually takes you all the way back to the car park. The reasons for the privately owned trackbeds being in the minority are (1) we do not trespass on private land, and (2) it is very time-consuming to arrange access with sometimes dozens of separate landowners. This trail is great for running and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. A little further north a brick overbridge is intact crossing Hale Road. Last walked on 23 July 2016, A circular walk from Turbine Way, Swaffham; heading west from Swaffham along Shouldham Lane, turning south then east from Town Farm along Shoemakers Lane to reach the centre of Swaffham, heading east by the churchyard and then to the southern end of Swaffham by streets, joining Dulgate Lane to head north on tracks and paths until the route of an old railway line is reached, turning west on this route and continuing on paths and roads back to the start. Tools The Bury and Thetford (Swaffham Branch), also known as the Crab and Winkle Line, [1] was a railway line in England. tokeep up to date with 4 different tips every month for enjoying what Norfolk has to offer. Here you need to go through the gate and follow the path through more woodland. The stranger told him about a dream in which he had gone to garden (the one he had described was the pedlars own) and excavated a huge treasure trove. The pace and physical demands on our walks is more Rob Bell than Bear Grylls. The Sharp locomotives being scrapped in 1891 and the tank engines in the late 1880s.[11]. In Kingdom the town is called Market Shipborough. I walk you around the trail in 10 minutes! [25] A proposal to convert the building into a leisure centre was considered by BDC but ultimately abandoned. The equivalent down working called at 7.52pm. The turbines were originally associated with the EcoTech Centre, a visitor centre which was opened in 1999. Nowadays, the station site is occupied by a small housing estate called The Sidings, which is as predictable as any name in such a location. Further round the coast you'll findGreat Yarmouth, one of the most popular resorts in the UK and packed full of amusements, shops and seashore entertainment. The eastwest A47 Birmingham to Great Yarmouth road now avoids the town, using a northerly bypass opened in 1981. www.open-walks.co.uk/directory/?searchconditi www.historyfiles.co.uk/MainRailwayWalksIndex. Streetmap, A circular walk from Turbine Way, Swaffham; heading west from Swaffham along Shouldham Lane, turning south then east from Town Farm along Shoemakers Lane towards the southern end of Swaffham, joining Dulgate Lane to head north on tracks and paths until the route of an old railway line is reached, turning west on this route and continuing on paths and roads back to the start. There was more activity on the main line, by that time part of the Great Eastern Railway and the branch to Thetford was, from 1879, worked by the same railway under a leasing agreement. Crossing the line of the railway from Swaffham to Dereham Now officially only a bridleway, but hardly any worse than the road. This produces a lot of information which doesnt lend itself easily to a short rubric that we can publish in our magazine. I have done it quite a few more times and each time I love it more than the last time! The cheapest way to get from Kent to Swaffham costs only 44, and the quickest way takes just 2 hours. Some of the main platform edging and surface survives. The coming of the railway invigorated business in the town and two large monthly cattle markets brought livestock traffic to the railway. All passenger services to Watton and Thetford ended on 15 June 1964 although the final trains had run on 12 June. The line would be worked by the Thetford and Watton company. We do not publish these resources on the Internet, but they are available to walk leaders from our Secretary, who can supply them on a CD. They are all around the Norfolk Coast. Here a deep depression had to be filled and compacted and an embankment formed to carry the railway. Eastwards towards Dereham they ran, at first, only as far as Sporle from 26 October 1847: Sporle to Dereham opened on 11 September 1848. The nearest Met Office weather station to provide local climate data is RAF Marham, about .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}5+12 miles (9km) west of the town centre. The 56-lever Tyers 4" frame controlled extensive goods facilities on both sides of the line with the crossing gates being operated by a wheel. The Gate House, much rebuilt and modernised, still stands beside the crossing. Even with a walk over an official route, theres a lot to consider, including lunchtime and transport arrangements: its no good reaching the lunchtime pub after the kitchen has closed, or the end of the walk after the last bus has gone. 58 - 92. The Pingo Trail starts in the car park off the main A1075. [22] It was also built with an observation deck just below the nacelle which was open for the public to climb during the 2000s and 2010s, the only wind turbine in the world to have such a facility. book contains 18 walks with an interest. Although well provided with sidings for goods traffic the junction had no road access being simply a transfer platform for branch passengers using the Norwich & Brandon Railways trains to complete their journey. The engines were housed in a shed at Watton. Also known as kettle ponds, these pingos date back to the ice age, and Pingo is the Eskimo word for hill. Once past this stretch of open meadow, youll have a very pretty walk in amongst woodland and alongside a stream and eventually arriving at more Pingoponds and then the wonderfully picturesque Thompson Water. Here can still be seen the crossing-keepers hut and, beside it, a gatepost and the remnants of the personnel gate that was part of the level crossing. Near the road the large goods shed, extended to cover the route of the railway between station and level crossing, now houses a motor company. early on as you walk through the woods and the first stretch of Thompson Drive from Kent to Swaffham. In this vast open landscape, it is easy to appreciate the power of the wind. The idea has been suggested as part of Breckland Council's 'Future Breckland' project . By 1882 the station was a much busier place. Continue up the hill and bear left, (leaving the Peddars Way which bears right). North of Watton a nominally independent company, the Watton and Swaffham Railway was incorporated on 12 July 1869. Freight services commenced in January 1869, with passenger services in October 1869. People gathered in Swaffham for 'the season', and so many clergymen ranked among their numbers that the Bishop of Norwich was reported as being concerned that they were neglecting their parishioners. ", "Environmental centre was 'too difficult' to convert into leisure facility, says council", "International firm to move global HQ to Norfolk town", "History of Greyhounds: 18th and 19th Centuries", Information from Genuki Norfolk on Swaffham, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swaffham&oldid=1144919603, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 March 2023, at 08:46. The pub the Startled Duck in the TV series is better known as the Greyhound Inn, in which the Earl of Orford created the first coursing club open to the public, in 1776. [9] These locomotives were maintained at a shed at Watton. A little bit further on I another found a sign as well as some interesting long horned cattle. Our walks are open to all members from any area of the club. Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk. A near-flat awning with plain valance, supported by remarkably large and chunky brackets with trefoil motifs in the spandrels, was attached to the station building on the platform elevation. Opened in 1875, the Watton and Swaffham Railway was also known as the Crab and Winkle line - and it connected the towns with Thetford in one direction and King's Lynn in the other. The line closed on 15 June 1964. (See below)Line immediately south-east of Swaffham Junction is an overgrown cutting so small that it would be hard to believe it were a railway were it not for the overbridges.E. To the east of the level crossing there were two sidings shunted from the station direction; these lay on the north side of the running lines. It would cost somewhere between 3.3 and4.75m to be built and it would take between five and eight years to finish the project. This photograph was taken shortly after 4th May 1964 and all services had been withdrawn. Indeed, on weekdays, a traveller might reach Swaffham only as late as 9.44 pm, whilst on Sunday evening it was midnight exactly when the second train reached the town!