A Brief History of the Watton and Swaffham Railway - also known as the Bury and Thetford (Swaffham Branch) Railway 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. 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. These were 0-6-0 tank locomotives with 3-foot driving wheels and 11-inch cylinders. 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. The line north of Watton closed finally on 19 April 1965. Eastwards towards Dereham they ran, at first, only as far as Sporle from 26 October 1847: Sporle to Dereham opened on 11 September 1848. This type of risk is remote, which is probably why the premiums for Civil Liability insurance are usually reasonable. A Swaffham circuit | AA RatedTrips.com I really enjoyed this next section of the walk. The new route running. Swaffham (/swfm/) is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District and English county of Norfolk. Northwell Pool Walking And Running Trail - Swaffham, England | Pacer An evening train ran from Thetford to Lynn. 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. Roudham Junction to Watton closed completely. 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. which plays at Shoemakers Lane. As regards tickets issued for travel, Mr T C F Vollacott wrote a short history of the two railways. Turn left to continue along this road, past a few cottages until it turns into a track straight ahead. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 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. Five trains left for Dereham, one more on each of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 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. Apr 2023 - Watton-Swaffham railway line could become 15km walking link stations on the Watton & Swaffham Railway click on the station name: 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. They were joined by a second-hand rebuilt 3ft 6in gauge locomotive whose. The current building, dating from 1454, is built on the foundation of the original church. 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. 3rd class returns were green and buff. Steam locomotives worked out of Swaffham engine shed, a sub-shed of Norwich Thorpe (shed code 32A in BR days). Today, typically of many agricultural areas crossed by closed railways, some of the former trackbed has been ploughed and is indistinguishable from surrounding fields. [11], The Swaffham Museum is a small, independent social history museum for Swaffham and the surrounding villages in Norfolk from the Stone Age to the modern. He asserted that he did not know whether the Watton and Swaffham company had ever issued its own style of ticket: all that he found bear the name of the working company. The timetable for 1866, nine years before the line through Watton opened, shows that Swaffham saw four up and four down trains each weekday and one each way on Sundays. The view over the lake is beautiful and youll probably catch sight of the resident swan just beneath the hide. A short way beyond that a steel girder carrying the line over Low Road survives. That on the south (up) side housed the main station buildings, the station yard and public access from the town. Biddle (Victorian Stations, 1973) notes the plain ogee gables and lozenge-latticed windows which betokened a delightfully cosy simplicity entirely fitting in north Norfolk. Just after Swaffham, the line split into two, one branch heading south to Thetford, and the other east towards Dereham. 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. Our walks are split roughly 4:1 between walks over official railway paths and walks over old trackbeds which are privately owned. It would . Many of Norfolks towns have a particular charm and a strong sense of community. 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 Thetford branch closed on 15 June 1964, and the station closed to passengers on 9 September 1968. The largest remaining block of ancient wood in Norfolk, Roydon Common circular walk is a lovely 5.5 mile amble over the open heath land, along a stretch of disused railway and the countryside of North Norfolk, Felbrigg Hall walks are countryside and woodland walks. Where the island platform is an ugly and untidy business park. Then with a S-Train to Dsseldorf main Station. The cheapest way to get from Swaffham to Sheringham costs only 11, and the quickest way takes just 46 mins. The cottage has a 27 HD TV and a Blu-Ray DVD player; WiFi is available. In this vast open landscape, it is easy to appreciate the power of the wind. 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. We have developed resources to help our walk leaders design and plan railway walks ranging from straightforward events over official railway paths to walks which require negotiation with landowners. Another famous local was Howard Carter, the eminent 20th-century Egyptologist who discovered Tutankhamuns tomb in the Valley of the Kings and is rumoured to have died as the result of the boy-king curse. Parking is normally possible at various places in Turbine Way but near the junction with Brocks Road may be preferable. People who join our taster events must intend to join the club. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. 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. 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. All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Tripadvisor Swaffham - Wikipedia [10], Two more Manning Wardle tanks, and two Sharp, Stewart and Company 0-4-2 tender locomotives were added by September 1876. It had an authorised capital outlay of 80,000. The line ran from Thetford, via Watton to a junction with the Lynn and Dereham Railway at Swaffham and was completed in 1875. 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! 1st Class singles were white, 2nd rose, 3rd green and parliamentary buff coloured. The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. [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. RailwayRamblers - Exploring old railways An exhibition of Carters work in Egypt can be seen in the town museum, which also serves as the tourist information centre. This trail is great for running and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk. Latterly Class 03 diesel shunters were to be found working goods turns on the branch. Although not a large town, Watton has a long-established market having received its Charter in 1204 allowing a market to be held on Wednesdays. 'Lists as many accessible disused railways that have been converted to Greenways as we can find. The latter are often the most interesting walks, but they take a lot of time, effort and skill to arrange. Route map drawn by Alan Young. This photograph was taken shortly after 4th May 1964 and all services had been withdrawn. The line closed on 15 June 1964. 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. 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. To help you find the best hikes and walks around Swaffham, we've reviewed our full collection of trails and routes in the region. Watton-Swaffham railway line could become 15km walking link 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?
