Record Details

NHER Number:13591
Type of record:Monument
Name:Route of Lynn and Hunstanton Railway

Summary

The King's Lynn to Hunstanton railway, via Sandringham and Heacham, opened in 1862 and closed in 1969 (although King's Lynn station remained open, see NHER 13594). All of the railway track has been removed since 1969, although many buildings survive. These include stations at King's Lynn, Dersingham, Snettisham, North Wootton and Wolferton and several signal boxes. Wolferton Station is of particular interest, being 'Tudor' in style and built between 1876 and 1898, with a Royal waiting room for Sandringham.

Images

  • Wolferton railway station.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TF 65252 30313
Map Sheet:TF63SE
Parish:DERSINGHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
HEACHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
HUNSTANTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
INGOLDISTHORPE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
NORTH WOOTTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SANDRINGHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SNETTISHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SOUTH WOOTTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Opened 1862, closed for goods 1964, passengers 1969 except for King's Lynn station (see NHER 51301).
Line removed, in part used as caravan park.
King's Lynn (goods yard and engine shed) to North Wootton to Wolferton to Dersingham to Snettisham (siding) to Heacham to Heacham Junction to Hunstanton (siding).
Dersingham station remains fairly intact, with signal box. Hunstanton station has entirely gone, the trackbed being caravan sites, amusements, etc.
Snettisham station retains a signal box in good condition by some red brick warehouses, now a hauliers yard in 1991. North Wootton Station retains a signal box, restored but apparently altered.
E. Rose (NLA) 1991.

Context 1 at TF 6605 2852, Sandringham.
Wolferton Station. 'Tudor' style, 1876 and 1898, with Royal waiting room for Sandringham. Now a museum.
Signal box on other side of level crossing is in end of row of cottages.
Seen by E. Rose (NAU) in 1977.
It was moved in 1898 when the line was widened.
For detailed history see (S1).
Panelling, plumbing fittings and furniture all intact.
Architect W. N. Ashbee.
E. Rose (NAU) 16 October 1985.

The whole station complex is listed to the following grades:
Horse dock, grade II.
Stationmaster's house, grade II.
Two gatepiers to house, each grade II.
Signal box and attached cottages (built 1862, repositioned 1898), grade II* (the cottages are about 1870).
Station buildings downside, grade II*.
Gatepiers and railings to latter, grade II*.
Goods office, grade II*.
Two lamp posts, grade II.
Clock house (up side waiting room), grade II.
Latter's railings etc, grade II.
Royal Waiting Rooms, grade II*.
Its railings, grade II.
Plans (S2) in file.

The section of line each side of the former river bridge at Babingley is a farm track in part used as a permissive path. Only the abutments of the bridge remain, black brick; a concrete plate layers hut stands to the north.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 August 2000.

19 June 1995. NLA aerial photography.
Route of dismantled railway line visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 18 April 2001.

The above mentioned signal box at Snettisham was dismantled in 2006 and the upper part moved to Hardingham on the Mid Norfolk Railway (NHER 13588) where it will be set on a new locking-room. The original locking-room was too rotten to preserve.
E. Rose (NLA) 24 February 2006.

Monument Types

  • RAILWAY (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
  • RAILWAY STATION (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RAILWAY TRANSPORT SITE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • SHINE
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • SHINE
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Higher Level Stewardship
  • SHINE
  • SHINE
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF6219 D,E.
---Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1389399.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TF6733/ABU - ABX.
---Designation: Listed Building Consent.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 62 NE 10.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1976-1982. [Articles and a letter to the editor on Wolferton Station being opened as a museum].
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. Roof strippers find not in bottle. 8 June.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1984. Ornamental lamp returns to Wolferton. 28 March.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1986. The affair of the Royal nanny's perks. 31 March.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1988-1989. [Articles on the potential closing of Wolferton museum].
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. [Articles on the sale of Wolferton signal box].
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1989. [Articles on the fight to keep Wolferton Museum open].
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1990. Museum's contents for sale. 10 April.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1992. True's yard boost. 17 July.
---Newspaper Article: Unknown. 1990. [Sale advertisement for Wolferton Station]. 10 August.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1990. Carriage's 1st class return. 30 November.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1991. Sighs of relief all round as a Lynn eyesore goes. 15 January.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1991. Plea for museum help. 12 November.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1993. The Sunshine Express. 4 May.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1996. [Articles on the selling of Wolferton Station].
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1996. The train now standing…. 9 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. [Photograph of Hunstanton Railway Station]. 8 September.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1999. Wolferton Station's Clock House. 30 April.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1999. An era over, but is it end of the line?. 4 May.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2000. Royal approval for plans to convert station. 23 March.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2001. For sale -s station on route of royal history. 18 May.
---Publication: 2002. Beautiful Homes and Gardens, Golden Jubille Edition, Eastern Daily Press supplement. May.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2008. New age of the train for Norfolk's royal line?. 29 October.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009. A right royal aerial odyssey. 12 December.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 785.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Photograph: BDE 13 (Dersingham Station).
<S1>Article in Serial: 1985. [unknown]. Period Home. Vol 6, no 9.
<S2>Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2012. Enthusiasts celebrates line's past and look to the future. 3 October.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2012. Railway loved by kings and holiday makers. 29 September.

Related records

62865Parent of: Former crossing keeper's cottage, 161 Gaywood Road (Building)
51301Related to: King's Lynn Railway Station, Blackfriars Road (Building)

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