[note 1] Instead locomotives were obtained from Manning Wardle & Co. Goods traffic continued on the line as far as Watton until 19 April 1965 and Swaffham lost all of its goods trains in 1966. 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. As you venture out in to the rural surrounds of the town, you will have the opportunity to explore the fascinating remains of castles, churches and priories, to learn more about Breckland's natural environment and discover how this has influenced land-use and communities throughout the ages.'. I skirted the pond and quickly found a well-trodden track which I followed. Light railway steam locomotive for use on branch lines. Watton station has also been demolished and the site redeveloped, although a level crossing gate survived on Church Road as late as 1983. Disused Stations:Swaffham Station The main line saw a big increase in services: eleven up trains bound for Lynn stopped at Dunham, one more ran only to Swaffham where a change for Lynn was offered. This area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the pollen and the plant remains in the peat which is below all this wetland. contact the editor here. Here youll find a string of quaint villages and small towns Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea and Cley next the Sea are 21st-century favourites, whileSheringham and Cromer are classic examples of a good old-fashioned seaside resort where grand Victorian hotels look out to sea. 2. [23] The height of the attraction's popularity was in 2016, when 22,000 people visited the centre and 8,000 climbed the turbine. 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. Reepham and the Marriott's Way | AA RatedTrips.com Additional information Trackways on former railway line Open farmland Under control and on lead through town OS Explorer 238 Dereham & Aylsham [13], Swaffham is one of the many locations for The Man Who Became Rich through a Dream folk tale (Aarne-Thompson type 1645). The 15km trail would create a new link between Watton and Swaffham, whose railway line closed in 1965. 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. The Watton town plan includes a separate proposal to regenerate the area around the loch,potentially including the provision of new car parking, toilet facilities and a cafe. It is now fairly clear. The view over the lake is beautiful and youll probably catch sight of the resident swan just beneath the hide. Country town and its surrounding farmland, Lead required in town, and under strict control on the lanes, OS Explorer 236 King's Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham, Car park in centre of Swaffham, by Market Cross. Walk on the pavement along Station Road until you see Sporle Road on your right. There was no Sunday service. (Jeff Vinter). [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. 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. The Market Place and twin churches lie to the right, while the car park is just a short distance ahead along Station Road. Probably the last steam train to be seen at Swaffham was on 31 March 1962 when the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society ran a final steam excursion along several East Anglian lines. It would cost somewhere between 3.3 and4.75m to be built and it would take between five and eight years to finish the project. One, the 8.25 am from Swaffham, ran through to Ely: there was no corresponding down service. Kent to Swaffham - 4 ways to travel via train, bus, and car - Rome2rio The pedlar set off home with great haste, discovered the treasure and donated his money to the towns church. He took up office around the turn of the 20th Century and stayed in post until after Grouping in 1923. Streetmap Nat.Grid: TF 817 095 GPS: Lat,Long 52.6535,0.6851 what3words: seated.clerk.corded Railway Station to Swaffham, Kings Arms. If you want to see what's in store for you before you go, why not check out the video below! One of the most prestigious events in the days of the Regency was the annual hare coursing hosted by the Swaffham Club. By 20 September of that year the Eastern Region had published proposals to close the Thetford to Watton Branch, allowing two months for consultation and objections. 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. It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and . Find out more about our monthly newsletterhere, Email: suzy@explorenorfolkuk.co.ukTel: +44 (0) 7765 668188Address: Explore Norfolk UKPalgrave HouseSporleKing's LynnNorfolkPE32 2EN, Booking FormEnquiry FormTerms and ConditionsFrequently Asked QuestionsPayment Page, Copyright© explorenorfolkuk.co.uk; 2013- All Rights Reserved, If you enjoy walking holidays, then you may like to walk the. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Swaffham Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Swaffham, Norfolk, England. For example, since the rail replacement bus service between Maiden Newton and Bridport (Dorset) was withdrawn in 2015, anyone tracing that route which is only partially open to walkers anyway will find no public transport at all between Maiden Newton and the outskirts of Bridport. It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and Thetford. 2h 19m. . Cross the busy road and head for the path for cyclists and walkers only. Watton-Swaffham railway line could become 15km walking link 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 new walkand cyclepathwould include a connection to the Peddars Way, which would enable walkers to branch off towards the north Norfolk coast. 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. To a passer-by on the A1065 north of the town centre there is no indication that a railway once crossed the busy main road. It was formed of the Watton and Swaffham Railway, founded in 1866 as an independent venture by the Thetford and Watton Railway Company. Beside the cycleway the substantial black-brick wall that lay alongside the sidings is largely intact, still preventing the adjoining land slipping onto the railway. [17] A wood carving of the Pedlar of Swaffham is also in the church. Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between. Like many of East Anglias railways it was agriculture that generated much of the goods traffic. The walks are dotted all around Norfolk depending on where there is something fascinating to visit, be it a priory ruin or castle ruin, a stately home, windpumps or lighthouses and more. Set off on this walk from Tennyson Ave and follow the Swaffham . Rose (NAU), 1 June 1988This building was demolished in 1993, the foundations being left as seats for walkers.Two very ornate iron columns at White Hall, Carbrooke, in the form of lotus flowers, are said to have come from Watton station.E. However, it helps to ensure that our walk leaders do not overlook anything, and there is much to be said for that. [12], Swaffham was struck by a tornado measuring F1 on the Fujita scale and T2 on the TORRO scale on 23 November 1981 during the 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak. 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. 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. 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. Swaffham railway station was located in Swaffham, Norfolk. [26], As with the rest of the British Isles and East Anglia, Swaffham experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. In this vast open landscape, it is easy to appreciate the power of the wind. Rose (NLA), 18 February 2002.Holme Hale station is preserved intact, including a signal to the east. It was vested into the GER in 1897, becoming part of the London and North Eastern Railway on 1 January 1923. Civil Liability insurance should not be confused with accident insurance: it does not cover members for accidents, but for things such as any damage that our visit might cause to private property, unlikely though that is. Its quite a long walk, but I would highly recommend it. I expected to see a few Pingo ponds, but nothing like as many as there were. We also have a useful Walk Template (see links below). Early tickets had serial number and date on the face, right and left sides respectively: later ones had the serial number twice on the face and the date on the back. [27] In 2021 the building was sold to manufacturer Flexion Global for use as their headquarters. On 7 July 1869, the company had obtained an additional Act that allowed its trains running powers on Great Eastern tracks from Roudham Junction to Thetford and to form a junction with the Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford Railway at Thetford. On Wednesday only market-goers bound for Watton were catered for by a 1.20 pm departure from Swaffham: it set out on its twenty-minute return journey at 3.15 pm. The line closed on 15 June 1964. The Sharp locomotives being scrapped in 1891 and the tank engines in the late 1880s.[11]. See full article Mar 2023 - Travel Routes in Somerset The view from the hide overlooking Thompson Water. Get your free copy of the "Quick Guide To Norfolk Beaches". As the glaciers retreated, they left hard masses of ice which eventually had soil over them. Most send out two newsletters per year. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Also known as kettle ponds, these pingos date back to the ice age, and Pingo is the Eskimo word for hill. These two turbines have since been joined by an independent development of a further eight turbines at the village of North Pickenham, three miles from Swaffham. Parking is normally possible at various places in Turbine Way but near the junction with Brocks Road may be preferable. It was closed to passengers on 15 June 1964 and to freight on 19 April 1965. I have done it quite a few more times and each time I love it more than the last time! This type of risk is remote, which is probably why the premiums for Civil Liability insurance are usually reasonable. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which runs between Sheringham, Cromer and Norwich. Swaffham Walking routes starting in Turbine Way, Swaffham. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Shoemakers Lane. Download your free copy of the "Quick Guide To Norfolk Beaches" and join our newsletter tokeep up to date with 4 different tips every month for enjoying what Norfolk has to offer. Bearing left, walk down the slight incline, and at the bottom of the hill you'll see another sign on the left hand side pointing to the left. They are all around the Norfolk Coast. And they pointed to the 18-mile Camel Trail in Cornwall, used byaround 400,000 people each year and generatingroughly 3m of expenditure in local businesses. Some steam turns continued on goods trains on the remaining lines to Kings Lynn and Dereham until Norwich Thorpe shed closed to steam on 2 April 1962. Climb to a junction and then turn left along White Cross Road. Swaffham - Wikipedia The eastwest A47 Birmingham to Great Yarmouth road now avoids the town, using a northerly bypass opened in 1981. Rails were removed soon after. Carry on along the track, passing more Pingos, and more open common land. He travelled to London, and waited for several days on the bridge. 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. For Swaffham Bulbeck in Cambridgeshire, see. That on the south (up) side housed the main station buildings, the station yard and public access from the town. [33] Peter Kingdom's office is Oakleigh House, near the town square (formerly the house of the Head Master of Hamond's Grammar School), with the coastal scenes filmed at Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast. Its construction was delayed and complicated due to difficult land at Neaton, just north of Watton. Swaffham railway station - Trainstation | RouteYou From there easily with the Metro to Heinrich-Heine-Allee (Altstadt) go upstairs and walk to the river rhine Promenade. (Tim Chant). On the main line there were six passenger trains in each direction plus one more on each of Tuesday and Saturday, these being market days in Lynn and Norwich respectively. Opposite them was a two-road engine shed, opened with the line and entered by way of a locomotive turntable. These were 0-6-0 tank locomotives with 3-foot driving wheels and 11-inch cylinders. The church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is one of only a few churches that have angels carved in wood instead of stone around the top of the walls. Thirteen down trains stopped: one came from Thetford via Watton. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please 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. The last train to Thetford left at 7.16pm and arrived back at Swaffham at 10.01pm. Latterly Class 03 diesel shunters were to be found working goods turns on the branch. The turbines were originally associated with the EcoTech Centre, a visitor centre which was opened in 1999. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 39 min to complete. After the first kilometre or so along Procession Road, we have lost the historic route of the Roman road, which we won't regain until after Castle Acre. Explore Norfolk UK has put together a special package to take in this Pingo Trail, as well as visiting Oxburgh Hall and taking a countryside walk around the area and Sandringham House, again with another lovely circular walk. The up platform was linked to the down side platform by a footbridge at the east end of the station. . Steam-worked passenger trains ceased running through Swaffham at the end of the 1955 summer timetable after which all services was operated by DMUs based at Dereham. About 8km to the north of Swaffham can be found the ruins of the formerly important Castle Acre Priory and Castle Acre Castle. It has five galleries exhibiting local history and local geology as well as an Egyptology room about Howard Carter and the Ancient Egyptians, celebrating the centenary year of Howard Carter discovering the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. The latter are often the most interesting walks, but they take a lot of time, effort and skill to arrange. Swaffham to Wells-next-the-Sea - 2 ways to travel via taxi, and car The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. See article Watton-Swaffham railway line could become 15km walking link | Eastern Daily Press (edp24.co.uk) (Jeff Vinter) [9] Carter was a distant cousin of the archaeologist and egyptologist Howard Carter[10] who spent much of his childhood in the town. Length 3.2 kmElevation gain 24 mRoute type Out & back Child Friendly Walking Running 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 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. is very dog friendly, as I wanted to discover walks that didn't require much road walking or time on leads. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Anyone who is concerned about risk can arrange their own, personal insurance cover, but in practice our walks are no more dangerous than any other walk, and probably a lot less dangerous than some other outdoor pursuits, such climbing or even cycling. '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). This had happened since Great Eastern Railway days, providing evidence of low numbers of passengers using the lines smaller stations. Turn right here and head back in the direction of Swaffham. Eight up trains left for Lynn, including that off the Thetford branch. We tend to be a bit slower than a typical Ramblers group because we stop to examine structures and artefacts along the way. Some integration had happened and one train ran through from Lynn to Thetford, going forward to Bury, except on Mondays. See other stations on the Lynn - Dereham line: Middleton Towers, East Winch, Pentney & Bilney, Narborough & Pentney, Sporle, Dunham, Fransham, Wendling, Scarning & Dereham (EAR Station), To see the other Via Airport sky train to Airport railway Station. Both companies lines were double track at that point although each became single less than 100yd beyond the junction. This was established by Lord Orford, a nephew of the writer Horace Walpole, in 1786. The idea has been suggested as part of Breckland Councils Future Breckland project, for which a plan covering each of the districts five market towns has been produced. Closure notices were served for the Lynn & Dereham line in 1968 and it closed to passengers with effect from 9 September 1968, with the last trains running on Saturday 7 September. Browse all of the details of each route below and explore more of the nature around Swaffham. An exhibition of Carters work in Egypt can be seen in the town museum, which also serves as the tourist information centre. Swaffham to Sheringham - 3 ways to travel via train, taxi, and car Eventually you reach a very quiet tarmac lane. Sometimes, our own walk leaders were there to take some archive photographs. 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. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. The route either side of Stow Bedon station has been removed, and the station site levelled. A little further north a brick overbridge is intact crossing Hale Road. There is a Pingo Trail sign at the top of the hill so it's quite easy to see! 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 Bury and Thetford (Swaffham Branch), also known as the Crab and Winkle Line,[1] was a railway line in England. Editors' Code of Practice. 3rd class returns were green and buff. The new route running. The line to Kings Lynn became single track immediately after leaving the station area. 1974-1988. In the summer of 2006, location filming was done in the town for the ITV1 series Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry. [10], Two more Manning Wardle tanks, and two Sharp, Stewart and Company 0-4-2 tender locomotives were added by September 1876. Not shown in the tables, a train for Norwich and its market left on Saturdays only at about 8.40am. The North Norfolk Railway (NNR) - also known as the "Poppy Line" - is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal towns of Sheringham and Holt. The turntable line was reached from the signal box by way of west-facing points. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Common. Theres a small bird watching hide overlooking Thompson Water surrounded by lots of bird feeders hanging from the trees, and its definitely worth stopping at, not least to rest your legs! There were only 70 passengers on the final stage of the journey. A sign erected by Breckland Council marks the entrance to the former station yard at the back of which the station building and adjoining house are intact but much altered since closure of the line. 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. . Swaffham Raceway, a former greyhound track, hosts stock car racing. The Leeds engines were 0-6-0 tanks with three-foot driving wheels. (Image: Ian Burt). The Fairlie Steam Carriage was instead successfully tested in July 1869 at the, "Fairlie's Steam Carriage. The Thetford branch closed on 15 June 1964, and the station closed to passengers on 9 September 1968. [23] The council subsequently put it up for rent or sale and discussed exchanging it with Swaffham Town Council in return for 5 acres (2.0ha) of building land. Most of the Pingos that were in the Brecks area have now disappeared due to the land being ploughed up for farming, so the ones remaining are historically, ecologically and internationally important for the wildlife. Apr 2023 - Watton-Swaffham railway line could become 15km walking link Notes: Swaffham station had two passenger platforms. The lake used to be dominated and almost completely covered with a plant called Water Soldier, and although it provided ideal habitat for a lot of wildlife, it also takes the oxygen out of the water. It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and Thetford. Even with a walk over an official route, theres a lot to consider, including lunchtime and transport arrangements: its no good reaching the lunchtime pub after the kitchen has closed, or the end of the walk after the last bus has gone. 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. Swaffham Station signal box was at the east end of the Up platform, alongside the footbridge, controlling the station area with the crossing gates being hand-worked. Find the travel option that best suits you. The name of the town derives from the Old English Swfa hm = "the homestead of the Swabians"; some of them presumably came with the Angles and Saxons. The Pingo Trail Walk - Explore Norfolk UK 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. The Swaffham Pedlar also appears in the hand-carved Swaffham town sign. The tale tells of a pedlar from Swaffham who dreamed for several consecutive nights that if he waited on London Bridge he would eventually hear good news. The Pingo Trail walk is a really extraordinary and fascinating walk in Mid Norfolk, just north of Thetford in the heart of The Brecks. Follow the lane over a bridge over a disused railway line and past Grange Farm, to eventually reach the A47 once more. Legend has it that the fabulous Tudor windows of the north aisle of the Church of St Peter and St Paul were paid for by Chapman. Timetables from Alan Young . 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. Walking routes starting in Turbine Way, Swaffham. Theoretically, a group of 20 or so walkers passing over an old railway bridge might, just conceivably, weaken the structure, e.g. There was a smaller building, little more than a shelter, on this platform facing the south platform; the pent roof of this structure sloped upwards towards the platform face and its angle was continued by the timber awning. 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. 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. Swaffham railway station - Wikipedia Tickets for travel from intermediate stations, except at Watton, were issued by the guard. On the west side of Swaffham Market Place are several old buildings which for many years housed the historic Hamond's Grammar School, as a plaque on the wall of the main building explains.