Record Details

NHER Number:13594
Type of record:Monument
Name:East Anglian Railway, originally known as Lynn and Ely

Summary

This railway runs from Ely, in Cambridgeshire, to King's Lynn, was opened in October 1847 and is still in use. Two of the stations along the railway are listed buildings; one at Downham Market (NHER 51302), the other in King's Lynn (NHER 51301).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 60774 06207
Map Sheet:TF60NW
Parish:DENVER, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
DOWNHAM MARKET, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
FORDHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
HILGAY, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
RUNCTON HOLME, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
STOW BARDOLPH, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WATLINGTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WEST WINCH, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WIMBOTSHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Railway south of King's Lynn (later Great Eastern).
Opened October 1847. Still in use.
King's Lynn to St German's Siding to Watlington (Magdalen Road) (now reopened) to Stow (Bardolph) to Downham (siding) to Denver to Hilgay to Blackhorse Drove Siding (county boundary). Ouse Bridge rebuilt 1880, Wissey Bridge 1899. Old Hilgay station house was formerly on the embankment by the Ouse bridge and was at first known as Hilgay Fen. Only Stoke Ferry trains stopped at Denver. National Railway Museum, York, has an engine made in Lynn for the mayor's use on this line, now believed to be on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. There was also Hiam's Siding between Hilgay and Blackhorse Drove.
(S1) marks also a Holme station (i.e. Runcton Holme). Railways were added to this map in about 1860.
Denver station was closed from 1870 to 1889.
At Watlington there was an easterly branch to a ballast pit, the earthworks of which survive.

22 July 1996. NLA aerial photography.
Cropmarks are clearly visible of two parallel curved linear features, running between NGR TF 6171 1213 and TF 6144 1205. These cropmarks show the line of a stretch of dismantled railway (This is the ballast pit branch at Watlington, mentioned above. E. Rose (NLA)).
See (S2).
H. Clare (NLA) 4 January 2002.

The engine mentioned above as made for the mayor of Lynn was Gazelle, built in Lynn as a 2-2-2WT for Burkitt in 1893. Rebuilt as a 0-4-2WT it was used by the Great Eastern until 1911, then the Shropshire and Montgomery until 1937 when it was given to the Minitry of Defence at Longmoor, thence to York Museum, then the Beverley Museum of Army Transport before the K&ESR.
E. Rose (NLA) 26 February 2003.

Downham Market Station and King's Lynn Station, previously included in this record, are now recorded under NHER 51302 and NHER 51301 respectively.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 05 March 2008.

Monument Types

  • BRIDGE (19th Century to 21st Century - 1847 AD? to 2100 AD)
  • RAILWAY (19th Century to 21st Century - 1847 AD? to 2100 AD)
  • RAILWAY TRANSPORT SITE (19th Century to 21st Century - 1847 AD? to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Higher Level Stewardship

Sources and further reading

---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1989. A facelift for station. 4 July.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1991. Project is nearly complete. 13 March.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1979. Old bridge spans new pastures. 30 July.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch..
<S2>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF 6112E - J.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1998. All change at…. 24 November.

Related records

51302Related to: Downham Market Railway Station (Building)
51301Related to: King's Lynn Railway Station, Blackfriars Road (Building)

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