The area was named "Loch Neaton" in honour of the Scottish navvies who built the line, with Neaton being the local hamlet. Roudham Junction, Wretham & Hockham, Stow Bedon, Watton & Holme Hale, Click here for Swaffham Gallery 2: 1963 - 1967, The Great Eastern Commemorative Steam Tour, Off Station Street A1065 north of the Market Place and town centre. There is no national registry of who owns old railways and so our volunteers have to find out the hard way by research, letters and visits to find out who owns what, followed up by personal requests which, of course, have to be handled with some skill. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Trains began running on the Lynn & Dereham Railway on 10 August 1847 after the line was extended from Narborough. An express left for Lynn and Peterborough at 8.25am, non-stop to Lynn. The line closed on 15 June 1964. 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). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes, "The Man Who Became Rich through a Dream: Folktales of Type 1645", "Is this the infamous Norfolk panther prowling near Saxlingham Nethergate? The railway was taken over by the Great Eastern Railway in 1880, with the locomotives joining the GER stock list. Several of our members do the same, and part of the fun on these walks is comparing present day scenes with historic photographs. Then, as the climate became warmer and the ice melted away, the soil on top formed depressions, leaving a hole filled with water hence the Pingo was formed. The Pingo Trail starts in the car park off the main A1075. The Wattonwater feature is so named because it was created byScottish railway workerswho were digging earth to be used for anembankment on the line. The Junction box was taken out of use at this time. The new walkand cyclepathwould include a connection to the Peddars Way, which would enable walkers to branch off towards the north Norfolk coast. In the parish of Saham Toney some length of embankment remains in view and, close by, substantial brick-built abutments of an overbridge survive on Long Road at Woodbottom Farm. A little further north a brick overbridge is intact crossing Hale Road. 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. It was closed to passengers on 15 June 1964 and to freight on 19 April 1965. Meals are served every day in The Green Room restaurant, or in the bar for a more informal dining Nightingale Cottage sleeps up to four people. Length: just under 8 milesEase of Walk: easy and flatWhat youll see: Pingos, long horned cattle, woodland and common land, wetland and swamps, Thompson Water, water violetsDogs: Dogs are allowed on this walk but they must be under control, especially on Thompson CommonPostcode: NR17 1DP OS Map: No 229 (advisable)For a downloadable pdf of theThe Pingo Trailmap, click here. The new route running along its length would start at Loch Neaton, in the centre of Watton, and finish at the site of Swaffhams old station. Swaffham became a junction station on 20 September 1875 when goods services commenced on the line from Watton and Thetford; passenger traffic started on that route a couple of months later on 25 November. Despite BRs modernisation attempts the end was signalled in Dr. Richard Beechings report The Reshaping of Britains Railways, published in March 1963 and closure of Norfolks branch lines began with some urgency. The railway also secured a rebuilt 3 ft 6 in saddle tank. Rural views and a charming atmosphere make them an A warm welcome awaits at Bramley, a delightful detached house, set in a peaceful location on the fringe of the village, with ample safe parking in the generous grounds. [26], As with the rest of the British Isles and East Anglia, Swaffham experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. 1st Class singles were white, 2nd rose, 3rd green and parliamentary buff coloured. Of the cattle yards and shed there is no trace: they lie under a scaffolding companys yard. The start of the Pingo Trail is through a kissing gate and the path is very obvious along here. stations on the Watton & Swaffham Railway click on the station name: Biddle (Victorian Stations, 1973) notes the plain ogee gables and lozenge-latticed windows which betokened a delightfully cosy simplicity entirely fitting in north Norfolk. 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. Part of the extraction site was flooded and became known locally as Loch Neaton, allegedly after the Scots navvies who built the railway. Hi, you have 2 choices: 1. There are still rumours of a puma-like black cat wandering around Norfolk[15] and Cambridgeshire.[16]. One post-holder of note at Swaffham was John Coker who supervised the no doubt large workforce required for a busy junction station for more than 25 years. Route map drawn by Alan Young. 'Walking your way around Swaffham, you will see many fine examples of historic architecture and you will experience a sense of traditionalism mixed with the energy of modern day life. At the end of this road, turn right along London Street to return to the town centre and car park. This is now part of the Peddars Way Long Distance Trail. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. Additionally, at 8.30 am, a non-stop train left Thetford and terminated at Watton. 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 project previously reported has now been approved See full article, 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. Using photos and text, the course of each lost railway line is described in detail, enhanced where possible by photos taken during the line's heyday.'. Many of the old railways that we visit present no problem because they now form part of official traffic-free trails, and the structures on them are maintained and inspected regularly. This abutted the station building constructed of knapped flint with brick quoins and stone window surrounds. From there easily with the Metro to Heinrich-Heine-Allee (Altstadt) go upstairs and walk to the river rhine Promenade. The A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road still passes through the centre of the town on its northsouth route, intersecting with the A47 at a grade separated junction north of the town.[18]. The stationmasters house was an unassuming, two-storey structure of pale cream brick under a hipped roof with a tall central chimneystack. The shopkeeper laughed, and replied that he often dreamed that if he went to a certain orchard in Swaffham and started digging, he would find buried treasure. The 15km trail would create a new link between . If you're chattering away, you may miss this and continue on around the woods. It is now fairly clear. In the past, our civil liability cover has been an important factor in persuading some official bodies, such as the Army, to let us walk old trackbeds which they now own. Walk on the pavement along Station Road until you see Sporle Road on your right. On 16 July 1866 the Thetford and Watton Railway was incorporated to construct a new railway that would leave the Norwich & Brandon Railway line at Roudham Junction, four and a half miles east of Thetford. ", "Eco Tech Centre (United-Kingdom) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power", "Businesses and schools left in the lurch as Swaffham's Green Britain Centre closes suddenly", "Swap deal could breathe new life into vacant visitor attraction", "What does the future hold for Swaffham's Green Britain Centre? The view over the lake is beautiful and youll probably catch sight of the resident swan just beneath the hide. There were five passenger workings each way on the Thetford branch and a daily goods worked from Lynn to Roudham Junction. Climb to a junction and then turn left along White Cross Road. On Mondays and Fridays Swaffham sent out a light engine to Dereham at 6.00am. Opposite them was a two-road engine shed, opened with the line and entered by way of a locomotive turntable. It remained a stabling point (including overnight at weekends in particular), with water, turning and basic servicing facilities, until final closure on 2 April 1962. The mostly spacious bedrooms are thoughtfully furnished to ensure guest comfort You can read all about the history of Swaffham, along with seeing an excellent exhibition dedicated to Howard Carter and his discoveries in Egypt. It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and Thetford. If you enjoy walking holidays, then you may like to walk the "Ice Age To Royalty" Norfolk Stately Homes walk. This was the old site of the Stow Bedon railway line (part of which youll walk on towards the end). Coal and other produce not locally available arrived by train. The cheapest way to get from Swaffham to Wells-next-the-Sea costs only 8, and the quickest way takes just 32 mins. The 1906 timetable shows five southbound weekday (up) through trains and four down. As regards tickets issued for travel, Mr T C F Vollacott wrote a short history of the two railways. The British Railways Board published Dr Richard Beechings report The Reshaping of Britains Railways on 27 March 1963. Turn left to continue along this road, past a few cottages until it turns into a track straight ahead. 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. Before I get on to this Great Eastern Pingo Trail walk, let me just quickly explain about Pingos because youll be walking amongst a bit of history here. If you start this way first, its As I came out of the first wood and faced a very open Pingo, I wondered which way I should go until I saw a sign to my right. After about 0.5 miles (800m) you reach a sign on your right saying 'Peddars Way Restricted Byway Pickenham 3km'. The town is well known for the legend of the so-called Swaffham Pedlar, a local man called John Chapman who had gone to London and met a stranger on London Bridge. In addition there was an 8.00 am Watton to Swaffham service. It had an authorised capital outlay of 80,000. Many of our walk leaders research their routes in advance and bring along resources such as archive photographs, books and historical notes. I have done it quite a few more times and each time I love it more than the last time! . Just after Swaffham, the line split into two, one branch heading south to Thetford, and the other east towards Dereham. The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. The 1932 LNER Working Timetable showed a steady flow of passenger and goods traffic at Swaffham. Parking is normally possible at various places in Turbine Way but near the junction with Brocks Road may be preferable. Swaffham owes much of its present-day elegance to late 18th-century and Regency times, when it was a centre for well-connected people to attend balls, soires and concerts. Freight services commenced in January 1869, with passenger services in October 1869. In the summer of 2006, location filming was done in the town for the ITV1 series Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry. Re-connecting Watton and Swaffham: re-purposing the Watton and Swaffham Railway line as a walking and cycling route will better connect the two towns for residents travelling for education, employment and leisure purposes while also creating a new attraction to encourage people to visit and spend money in local businesses. North of Watton a nominally independent company, the Watton and Swaffham Railway was incorporated on 12 July 1869. If you know of a railway line near you that is accessible to horse traffic and/or carriage driving, please let us have the information. [28] Shortly after the sale, Swaffham Town Council gave BCD a parcel of land next to the centre on which BDC intends to build a leisure centre. We also have a useful Walk Template (see links below). Our area groups publish periodic local newsletters, usually by email, which set out what is happening in each area. This route ran from the Roudham Junction of the Norfolk Line (NHER 13571), and had stations at Wretham and Hockham, Stow Bedon, Watton, and Holme Hale, as well as sidings at Stow Bedon, Watton and Holme Hale. Here you need to go through the gate and follow the path through more woodland. Until 1968 the town was served by Swaffham railway station on the Great Eastern Railway line from King's Lynn. . The walk begins in the centre of Swaffham, near the Market Cross. The clue is in the name! A little bit further on I another found a sign as well as some interesting long horned cattle. 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! Rose (NAU), May, 1988.The section southwest of Stow Bedon mentioned above is now a footpath.At 9350 9491 is a crossing house of two storeys, grey brick skin over clay lump, now derelict.E. The Thetford branch closed on 15 June 1964, and the station closed to passengers on 9 September 1968. 10 Minute Walk From Wells Town . A Brief History of the Watton and Swaffham Railway - also known as the Bury and Thetford (Swaffham Branch) Railway The idea has been suggested as part of Breckland Council's 'Future Breckland' project . Many of Norfolks towns have a particular charm and a strong sense of community. Almost immediately you pass the entrance to the parish Church of St Peter and St Paul's, which dates mostly from the 15th century and whose distinctive spire can be seen for miles around. 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. The Market Place and twin churches lie to the right, while the car park is just a short distance ahead along Station Road. For more information on what we can offer on our Norfolk Walking Holidays, click here, Foxley Norfolk, Norfolk Wildlife Trust Bluebell Wood Spectacular. The 15km trail would create a new link between Watton and Swaffham, whose railway line closed in 1965. . 'Inspired by the BBC series, Railway Walks with Julia Bradbury, this section aims to document the surviving remnants of Britain's many disused railways (unfortunately without the assistance of Julia Bradbury). Most send out two newsletters per year. [5], On opening, the railway was approached by Robert Fairlie, who wanted a line to test his "Fairlie Steam Carriage",[6][citation needed] but the railway company were not interested in this proposal. [14], In medieval folklore, a black, hairy dog called the Black Shuck was rumoured to have wandered the three settlements of Swaffham, Castle Acre, and Great Cressingham, ambushing merchants who were on their way to large towns to sell their goods. Photographs from the 1950s show passenger work in the hands of D16 4-4-0s and goods trains hauled by various former Great Eastern 0-6-0 types. Swaffham has a Non-League football club Swaffham Town F.C. SWAEFAS WAY AND AROUND SWAFFHAM - 6.1 miles / 9.8 km, SWAFFHAM TOWN & COUNTRY - 5.1 miles / 8.2 km, SWAFFHAM TOWN & COUNTRY - 6.4 miles / 10.3 km. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. At Roudham the junction faced west towards Thetford. The line was important for coal, poultry, sugar beet and RAF cargo, and joined the Lynn and Dereham Line (NHER 13600) at Swaffham. Once called the Butter Cross, this Palladian-styled structure is topped by a little figure of the goddess Ceres, holding a sheaf. For more information on what we can offer on our Norfolk Walking Holidays, click here. 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. See full article, Click below for an interesting article on New Civil Engineer website titled "Abandoned rail links can boost transport connectivity" See full article, Our Southern Area Coordinators, Keith Lawrie and Kevin Arnold are giving a talk about RR at the Slough & Windsor Railway Society on Friday evening 10th March. The engines were housed in a shed at Watton. Swaffham railway station was located in Swaffham, Norfolk. And let's not forgetNorwich, the region's only city. Turn right here and head back in the direction of Swaffham. Another mere that you may like to walk around is Horsey Mere on the Horsey Windpump Circular walk.Thompson Water is a lovely spot to stop before you start on the next stretch of the walk on a wide farm track. These two busy routes provide Swaffham with a large volume of passing trade and travellers, especially at weekends and during the summer months. The quiet market towns of Fakenham and Swaffham are prime examples, as well as Thetford, with its popular museum focusing on the TV comedy seriesDads Armywhich wasfilmed in the area. The last train to Thetford left at 7.16pm and arrived back at Swaffham at 10.01pm. The road was not, however, constructed. A large wooden door from the rear yard may be original and is intact. The underbridge at the Lynn Road, also of black bricks, is in good condition and carries a barely readable bridge number dating from BR times. Steam locomotives worked out of Swaffham engine shed, a sub-shed of Norwich Thorpe (shed code 32A in BR days). He took up office around the turn of the 20th Century and stayed in post until after Grouping in 1923. Find the travel option that best suits you. From here you continue along the path and over the common land until you reach a junction with fairly open land on your right hand side. Under the proposal, the former Watton-Swaffham railway line would be repurposed to become a walking and cycling link. The name is still used today. There were no bay platforms: the line to the rear of the down platform formed a loop used for goods traffic. The line to Kings Lynn became single track immediately after leaving the station area. Oxburgh Hall is a glorious place to visit. 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 type of risk is remote, which is probably why the premiums for Civil Liability insurance are usually reasonable. Swaffham railway station when part of the Eastern Region of British Rail Until 1968 the town was served by Swaffham railway station on the Great Eastern Railway line from King's Lynn. This page is not available in other languages. These were 0-6-0 tank locomotives with 3-foot driving wheels and 11-inch cylinders. Today, typically of many agricultural areas crossed by closed railways, some of the former trackbed has been ploughed and is indistinguishable from surrounding fields. The cheapest way to get from Kent to Swaffham costs only 44, and the quickest way takes just 2 hours. Like many of East Anglias railways it was agriculture that generated much of the goods traffic. It was given to the town by Lord Orford in 1783. Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between. Swaffham (/swfm/) is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District and English county of Norfolk. The authors of the Watton and Swaffham town plans say however that the new link could generate some300,000 trips per year, increasing footfall into local businesses and boosting the area's economy.

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