Record Details

NHER Number:13585
Type of record:Monument
Name:Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway (Northern Section)

Summary

A late 19th and early 20th century railway, from East Runton to North Walsham, via Cromer, Overstrand, Trimingham, Mundesley, Paston and Knapton. The Cromer to Mundesley section was closed in 1953, with the other sections closed in 1964. Part of the line is still active. Some parts of the line have been built over, while others sections are still used as roads and paths. Paston and Knapton stations and a number of bridges and embankments survive, as does a viaduct at East Runton.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 25454 36302
Map Sheet:TG23NE
Parish:CROMER, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
GIMINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
KNAPTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
MUNDESLEY, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
NORTH WALSHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
OVERSTRAND, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
PASTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
RUNTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SIDESTRAND, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SWAFIELD, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
TRIMINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Antingham Road Junction to Paston and Knapton to Mundesley on Sea (siding) (This section was originally opened by the East Norfolk Railway). Trimingham (with siding) to Sidestrand (opened 1936) to Overstrand to Cromer Links (opened 1923) to Roughton Road Junction to Newstead Lane Junction to Runton West Junction.

Opened to Mundesley 1898, to Runton West Junction 1906.
Cromer to Mundesley closed 1953, to North Walsham 1964.

Line now used as road, housing estate, and gas pipe trench. At Sidestrand great earthworks remain.
Paston and Knapton station remains. Cutting to west is overgrown with some overbridges.

A narrow gauge construction railway was used in building this line.
Roughton Road opened as passenger halt 1985.

Context 1 at 1975 4228.
Tall and impressive black brick viaduct across road at East Runton between Newstead Lane and Runton West Junctions. Forms fine ensemble with lower viaduct on Midland & Great Northern Railway line (NHER 13584, context 8). This section of line is now disused and lifted, the embankment remaining, British Rail trains now running from Newstead Lane to Runton East junctions to Cromer Beach and reversing out.
E. Rose (NAU) 5 May 1986.

Section of trackbed from near Swafield to Old Hall Street now used as Paston Way footpath. Section of cutting infilled, then still open to just north of Knapton; then ploughed away as far as Mundesley.
Over and Under bridges mostly of black brick, both arched and straight, in ornate brickwork (the underbridges more ornate).
Second bridge north of Knapton station is in yellow brick, and footbridge immediately south of station is arched steel.
E. Rose (NLA) 28 August 1991

Section south of Trimingham village formerly in cutting now completely filled in and used for agriculture.
Triple arched black brick bridges are buried up to their soffits.
E. Rose (NLA) 9 October 1992.

At TG 1992 4170 (Runton parish) is a very fine skew underbridge of glazed red bricks.
E. Rose (NLA) 15 August 1994.

For full account of line, reasons for red brick bridges and unusual signal boxes near Cromer, armoured train used in World War One etc. see (S1). Copy in file.
E. Rose (NLA) 3 September 1997.

The Paston Way footpath has now been extended to North Walsham. The Old Mundesley Road overbridge at TG 2855 3150 is an exceptionally good black brick skew arch. The canal bridge at TG 2885 3185 has been removed, leaving only tall abutments which now carry a modern pipe bridge.
The site of Mundesley station is now a grass field. A massive block of concrete projects from beneath the Links Road crossing; this is probably to do with the railway but might just be some sort of pillbox - if so a very large one. To the south the course is built over.
Another very good skew bridge, a narrow underbridge, remains near Overstrand at TG 2529 4018.
The above comment of 1992 about buried bridges is still correct in 1999, including a footbridge still of black brick at TG 2812 3812.
At the site of Trimingham station, now a housing estate, the attachment point for the steps down remains on the side of the road bridge.
E. Rose (NLA) 28 September 1999.

(S2) in file.

Immediately west of Roughton Road station is a very fine iron bridge across the road. This was seen only in passing and needs a detailed description.
E. Rose (NLA) 8 August 2002.

Norfolk NMP. September 2003.
A section of dismantled track at East Runton is clearly visible on NLA 1985 aerial photographs (S3) and on Hunting Surveys Limited aerial photographs from 1969 (S4). This section runs from NGR TG 1967 4233 to TG 1988 4188 and included in this area is the bridge/viaduct NHER 13585/Context 1 (at NGR TG1975 4226 - grid reference corrected). The track itself has been lifted but the embankments and bridge survive intact.
H. Clare (NMP) 11 September 2003.

January 2005. Norfolk NMP.
There is no evidence on wartime aerial photographs of a pillbox sited at Mundesley Station. The block of concrete described above, therefore, is more likely to relate to the railway or station rather than a military structure. It may be the base of the multi storeyed structure which is visible against the embankment of the Links Road bridge on these photographs (for example, S5).
S. Tremlett (NMP) 5 January 2005.

Principal reference is (S6) which notes in addition a gasworks siding at Runton East Junction in 1899, and that the line tunnelled beneath the main line (NHER 13586) into Cromer High Station.
E. Rose (NLA) 5 July 2005.

Overstrand station remains apparently intact (seen only from distance, now in private ownership) including the glass roof of the subway that descends from the former platforms down to the road below.
E.Rose (NLA), 12 March 2007.

Monument Types

  • BRIDGE (19th Century to Early 20th Century - 1898 AD to 1906 AD)
  • RAILWAY (19th Century to Early 20th Century - 1898 AD to 1906 AD)
  • RAILWAY TRANSPORT SITE (19th Century to Early 20th Century - 1898 AD to 1906 AD)
  • VIADUCT (19th Century to Early 20th Century - 1898 AD to 1906 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG 2540J - M.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. Sadness as seaside village reached the end of the line. 5 March.
---Unpublished Contractor Report: Network Archaeology. 2002. Bacton to Kings Lynn Proposed Gas Pipeline. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment. Network Archaeology. 179.
---Unpublished Document: Yardley, C. J. 2011. The Mun Valley: Historic landscape Assessment and Landscape Character Assessment for Norfolk Coast Project. p 18.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Article in Serial: Tuddenham, E.. July 1966. The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint.. Railway World. pp 288ff.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. New rail station opens. 7 September.
<S3>Aerial Photograph: 1985. SMR TG 1942A-E (NLA 163/AYT26-30) 08-JUL-1985.
<S4>Aerial Photograph: Hunting Surveys Ltd. 1969. HSL UK/69/949 0113 20-NOV-1969 (Norfolk SMR TG1943/A).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1606 6130-1 27-JUN-1946 (Norfolk SMR TG 3136A & 3036B).
<S6>Monograph: Adderson, R. & Kenworthy, G.. 1998. Branch Lines Around Cromer..

Related records - none

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