This photograph was taken shortly after 4th May 1964 and all services had been withdrawn. The last train carried in coal and took away a sugar-beet harvest. There were five passenger workings each way on the Thetford branch and a daily goods worked from Lynn to Roudham Junction. (Tim Chant). Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk. You meander through Cranberry Rough where on either sideyoure surrounded by water and wetland, dykes and pools. 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. [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. The 56-lever Tyers 4" frame controlled extensive goods facilities on both sides of the line with the crossing gates being operated by a wheel. The turntable line was reached from the signal box by way of west-facing points. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). tokeep up to date with 4 different tips every month for enjoying what Norfolk has to offer. 35 - 55. The equivalent down working called at 7.52pm. I expected to see a few Pingo ponds, but nothing like as many as there were. All of the other services called at all stations if required to do so. 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. Throughout its life there was little change in the number and frequency of passenger trains on the branch. The line north of Watton closed finally on 19 April 1965. The line closed on 15 June 1964. There was no Sunday service. Steam-hauled passenger services ceased in 1955 when newly arrived diesel multiple units began work out of Dereham, where the steam engine shed closed at the same time. The 15km trail would create a new link between . 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. Rose (NAU), 22 September 1986. The Fairlie Steam Carriage was instead successfully tested in July 1869 at the, "Fairlie's Steam Carriage. By the 14th and 15th centuries Swaffham had an emerging sheep and wool industry. Cross the busy road and head for the path for cyclists and walkers only. The pace and physical demands on our walks is more Rob Bell than Bear Grylls. The railways were all closed as part of the Beeching Axe, though the possibility of rebuilding a direct rail link from Norwich to King's Lynn via Swaffham is occasionally raised. 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. The Thetford branch saw a more moderate increase. 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. Place. A proposal has been made to re-purpose the former railway line between Watton and Swaffham. 10 Minute Walk From Wells Town . 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. When you reach the A47, cross it (very carefully) and aim for the lane opposite and slightly to the right, passing beneath the wind turbine on your left. 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 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. ', 'The UK's specialist club for exploring old railways: it organises walks throughout the country for varying ages and abilities, usually on disused railways but occasionally on an old canal or even Roman road. which plays at Shoemakers Lane. Until 1968 the town was served by Swaffham railway station on the Great Eastern Railway line from King's Lynn. The view over the lake is beautiful and youll probably catch sight of the resident swan just beneath the hide. by dislodging some masonry or mortar from the arch below. Sunday saw two trains, both late in the day, the first activity being at 4.32 pm from Swaffham. This was the old site of the Stow Bedon railway line (part of which youll walk on towards the end). Follow the lane over a bridge over a disused railway line and past Grange Farm, to eventually reach the A47 once more. Generally, you should have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to manage 7 or 8 miles at about 3 miles per hour. Here a deep depression had to be filled and compacted and an embankment formed to carry the railway. 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. Trains began running on the Lynn & Dereham Railway on 10 August 1847 after the line was extended from Narborough. [12], One of the ballast quarries created during the construction of the railway through Watton was converted into a leisure park and bathing lake known as Loch Neaton. 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. The stationmasters house was an unassuming, two-storey structure of pale cream brick under a hipped roof with a tall central chimneystack. An exhibition of Carters work in Egypt can be seen in the town museum, which also serves as the tourist information centre. Its a fantastic sight full of water violets and trees in swamps. 2. Route map drawn by Alan Young. Of the intermediate stations only Dunham and Narborough had definite stops. Coal and other produce not locally available arrived by train. Swaffham Belt Path. It would construct a line to reach a west-facing junction with the former Lynn & Dereham Railway, now part of the Great Eastern, close to Swaffham. Harry Carter, the grammar school's art teacher of the 1960s, was responsible for a great number of the carved village signs that are now found in many of Norfolk's towns and villages, including Swaffham's own sign commemorating the legendary Pedlar of Swaffham,[6][7][8] which is in the corner of the market place just opposite the old school's gates. Eastwards towards Dereham they ran, at first, only as far as Sporle from 26 October 1847: Sporle to Dereham opened on 11 September 1848. There was also a theatre, which entertained such august personages as Horatio, Lord Nelson and his family (and his mistress, too, according to the records). As regards tickets issued for travel, Mr T C F Vollacott wrote a short history of the two railways. 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. 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.'. 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. There are still rumours of a puma-like black cat wandering around Norfolk[15] and Cambridgeshire.[16]. 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. Follow the path through the hedge and walk straight ahead where you'll then come to another small fence and steps which take you down to the disused railway. Overview. 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. Pretty much everywhere you walk, theres water! 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. 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. Beyond the barrier the line is a cycleway and footpath, about a mile long, ending abruptly at a metal fence near the A47 Swaffham bypass. [23] The height of the attraction's popularity was in 2016, when 22,000 people visited the centre and 8,000 climbed the turbine. . This produces a lot of information which doesnt lend itself easily to a short rubric that we can publish in our magazine. The road was not, however, constructed. 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. Occasionally, our area groups organise long weekends or even entire weeks of walks, so that members can enjoy a railway walking holiday in different parts of the country. Temperature extremes in the Swaffham-Marham area range from 34.8C (94.6F) in August 1990, down to 16.7C (1.9F) during February 1956. They had very impressive horns though and were a lovely sight!! Set off on this walk from Tennyson Ave and follow the Swaffham . 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. 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. The pedlar returned to Swaffham, and found the treasure. Last walked on 23 July 2016, A circular walk from Turbine Way, Swaffham; heading west from Swaffham along Shouldham Lane, turning south then east from Town Farm along Shoemakers Lane to reach the centre of Swaffham, heading east by the churchyard and then to the southern end of Swaffham by streets, joining Dulgate Lane to head north on tracks and paths until the route of an old railway line is reached, turning west on this route and continuing on paths and roads back to the start. The 1953 steam-worked timetable shows six through trains with no extra services to or from Watton. 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. Our walks are split roughly 4:1 between walks over official railway paths and walks over old trackbeds which are privately owned. A transport companys premises are on the site of the engine shed. 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. Passing through Thetford Forest between Stow Bedon and Hockham Heath the trackbed is a Permitted Public Path before once more being obliterated by agricultural activity towards the site of Roudham Junction. 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. Of the cattle yards and shed there is no trace: they lie under a scaffolding companys yard. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Shoemakers Lane. At the end of this road, turn right along London Street to return to the town centre and car park. 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. 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. 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. Eventually a shopkeeper asked him why he was waiting, and the man told of his dream. 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. The path crosses the dismantled railway and, after about a mile (1.6km) of peaceful traffic-free walking, comes out on the North Pickenham Road. This article is about the town in Norfolk. These two busy routes provide Swaffham with a large volume of passing trade and travellers, especially at weekends and during the summer months. 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. Travelling south from Swaffham there were stations at Holme Hale, Watton, Stow Bedon, Wretham& Hockham and Roudham Junction. 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. The last passenger service, the 9.21 pm from Thetford to Swaffham, ran on 12th June 1964 and was formed of a two-car diesel multiple unit with driver David Grant of Dereham in charge, carrying, it was reported locally, seventy passengers. 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. The first of these began operation in 1999[19] and the second in 2003. By 1882 the station was a much busier place. I really enjoyed this next section of the walk. For Swaffham Bulbeck in Cambridgeshire, see. The British Railways Board published Dr Richard Beechings report The Reshaping of Britains Railways on 27 March 1963. [24] In 2008 the energy company Ecotricity took over the management of the site[25] and in 2012 the visitor centre was renamed the Green Britain Centre. [25] A proposal to convert the building into a leisure centre was considered by BDC but ultimately abandoned. Parking is normally possible at various places in Turbine Way but near the junction with Brocks Road may be preferable. The market cross here was built by George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford and presented to the town in 1783. A little bit further on I another found a sign as well as some interesting long horned cattle. Norfolk prides itself on its wealth of historic houses, the most famous beingSandringham, where Her Majesty the Queen and her family spend Christmas. A Gannett Company. 1st Class singles were white, 2nd rose, 3rd green and parliamentary buff coloured. The new route running. Watton station has also been demolished and the site redeveloped, although a level crossing gate survived on Church Road as late as 1983. 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. Opened in 1875, the Watton and Swaffham Railway -also known as the Crab and Winkle line - connected the towns with Thetford in one direction and King's Lynn in the other. Send us photos or a comment about this route. I had the joy of watching a kite scanning the area and seeing the sun glistening on the water. It is situated 12 miles (19 kilometres) east of King's Lynn and 31 miles (50 kilometres) west of Norwich. Swaffham has a Non-League football club Swaffham Town F.C. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 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. Market-goers returned on the 5.20pm from the city, changing at Dereham. 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. Two sidings shunted from the east lay on the north side of the running lines and there was a long one on the south side. Rose (NLA), 16 June 1995.Overbridge north of North Pickenham village still marked RJS 2409 14 miles 15 chains.The embankment remains in part to the east.E. [23] The centre hosted the 2008 British BASE jumping championships; contestants jumped from the roof of the observation deck. Norfolk Health, Heritage and Biodiversity Walks Project, '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. The Swaffham Pedlar also appears in the hand-carved Swaffham town sign. The engines were housed in a shed at Watton. BRIDGE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), RAILWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD), RAILWAY TRANSPORT SITE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD). She is thought to be the ancestor of every pure greyhound alive today. In this vast open landscape, it is easy to appreciate the power of the wind. We also offer Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path walking holidays, as well as The Wherryman's Way and Short Break Walking Holidays. One of the most prestigious events in the days of the Regency was the annual hare coursing hosted by the Swaffham Club. 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. The clue is in the name! 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. Timetables from Alan Young . If you want to see what's in store for you before you go, why not check out the video below! 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. 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. 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. Beyond it the spans of the Sporle Road bridge have gone although its abutments are partially present. On 21 July 1879 agreement was reached to lease the line to the Great Eastern Railway for 999 years, commencing on 1st March 1880. Editors' Code of Practice. In 1897 it was fully absorbed into the Great Eastern Railway and became part of the London & North Eastern Railway at grouping of the nations railways on 1 January 1923. contact the editor here. A little further north a brick overbridge is intact crossing Hale Road. Walk from the gracious town of Swaffham to the ancient Peddars Way. Swaffham Raceway, a former greyhound track, hosts stock car racing. 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]. See full article Mar 2023 - Travel Routes in Somerset Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 39 min to complete. 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! It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and . 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. 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. He had a fine hound called Czarina, who regularly chased hares across the heaths surrounding Swaffham. Five Down trains ran throughout, supplemented by an 8.03 am Watton departure to Swaffham (the first up train made a long stop at Watton so may have detached a unit there to form the extra train). Last walked on 16 May 2015, A circular walk from Turbine Way, Swaffham; heading west from Swaffham along Shouldham Lane, turning south then east from Town Farm along Shoemakers Lane to reach the centre of Swaffham, heading east by the churchyard and continuing north-east on streets, paths and Sporle Road until the route of an old railway line is reached, turning west on this route and continuing on paths and roads back to the start. Rose (NAU), 18 May 1983.Roudham Junction to Stow Bedon - trackbed removed but greybrick overbridges remain.Underbridges mostly removed.Overgrown despite section Cranberry Roughs - Stow Bedon being marked as road on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map. Time for a picnic lunch at Killamarsh station, Derbyshire, on the former Great Central Railway during one of the clubs 40th anniversary walks in September 2018. The 1932 LNER Working Timetable showed a steady flow of passenger and goods traffic at Swaffham. Carry on along the track, passing more Pingos, and more open common land. It was vested into the GER in 1897, becoming part of the London and North Eastern Railway on 1 January 1923. This trail is great for running and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Under the proposal, the former Watton-Swaffham railway line would be repurposed to become a walking and cycling link. Swaffham railway station was located in Swaffham, Norfolk. Nowadays, the station site is occupied by a small housing estate called The Sidings, which is as predictable as any name in such a location. Common. Thompson Water is actually a man-made lake which was created in 1845 along a tributary of the River Wissey, and has nothing to do with the Pingos! Oxburgh Hall is a glorious place to visit. For more information on what we can offer on our Norfolk Walking Holidays, click here, Foxley Norfolk, Norfolk Wildlife Trust Bluebell Wood Spectacular. Takes 50 minutes from Airport (Train and walk). There were only 70 passengers on the final stage of the journey. We do not publish these resources on the Internet, but they are available to walk leaders from our Secretary, who can supply them on a CD. The turbines were originally associated with the EcoTech Centre, a visitor centre which was opened in 1999. Swaffham Walking routes starting in Turbine Way, Swaffham. The idea has been suggested as part of Breckland Council's 'Future Breckland' project . ", "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? They point out that similar links have been created along other disused railway lines across the country, such as the 13-mile Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which hosts some 2.5 millionjourneys per year. [note 1] Instead locomotives were obtained from Manning Wardle & Co. Continue up the hill and bear left, (leaving the Peddars Way which bears right). In the summer of 2006, location filming was done in the town for the ITV1 series Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry. One of the places they met was the handsome Assembly Rooms built between 1776 and 1778. 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. The line to Kings Lynn became single track immediately after leaving the station area. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Experience a V shaped wood, an ancient ice house, an extraordinary church interior and a beautiful lake. It was the junction for lines to King's Lynn, Dereham, and Thetford. 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! Some of these ponds were stagnant, others had pretty water The new walkand cyclepathwould include a connection to the Peddars Way, which would enable walkers to branch off towards the north Norfolk coast. 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. I walk you around the trail in 10 minutes! Turn right along the lane to head back into town. quite exciting because you come across the first Pingo pond fairly A large wooden door from the rear yard may be original and is intact. 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. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. 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. They were joined by a second-hand rebuilt 3ft 6in gauge locomotive whose. It is now fairly clear. The Junction box was taken out of use at this time. Its a remarkably handsome house with a high gatehouse and surrounded by a wide moat. Railway Ramblers is very fortunate to have voluntary walk leaders who are prepared to undertake this work for the benefit of members. About 8km to the north of Swaffham can be found the ruins of the formerly important Castle Acre Priory and Castle Acre Castle. 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. If you enjoy walking holidays, then you may like to walk the "Ice Age To Royalty" Norfolk Stately Homes walk. These were 0-6-0 tank locomotives with 3-foot driving wheels and 11-inch cylinders. 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. 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. The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which runs between Sheringham, Cromer and Norwich. From this distance in time we can only speculate about why this was scheduled. 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. The pedlar set off home with great haste, discovered the treasure and donated his money to the towns church. Practice varies from one area to another: some produce a large newsletter which covers an entire year in advance, while others issue newsletters more frequently. Our walks are open to all members from any area of the club. 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. Drive from Kent to Swaffham. [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. 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. This Castle Acre circular walk is a dog friendly 6 mile stroll along the picturesque River Nar, open countryside and woodland passing Castle Acre Priory, Walsingham Circular Walk is a perfect excuse to visit Walsingham Priory, walk through the historic village and follow in the footsteps of the famous pilgrims, Foxley Norfolk, home to one of the most spectacular bluebell woods in UK run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. This trail is great for running and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.

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