Norfolks disused railways-King's Lynn to Dereham
Welcome to the King's lynn to Dereham Railway remains page.
This line was open inbetween 1846 and 1968.
The part between Kings Lynn and Middleton Towers remains open as a freight line for silica sand trains from Sibelco uk to various places mostly in the Northern parts of the uk. For use in the glass industry.
The Kings Lynn to Dereham line ran before closure calling at
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Middleton Towers
East winch
Bilney | closed 1866
Narbrough and Pentney
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Swaffham
Sporle | closed 1850
Dunham
Fransham
Welding
Scarning | closed 1850
East Dereham
East Dereham station is still in use as private Heritage line. The mid Norfolk Railway.
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Kings Lynn station in 2020.
Kings Lynn platform 2 is where Dereham trains departed.
Platform 2 also Departed to Hunstanton.
Now this platform is used to Stable trains and for London King's cross departures.
The line to the left is where Dereham bound trains go.
Here there was 3 lines before 1969.As the original line to the left was for Hunstanton and the Dereham line would of been in the middle
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This part of the line is still in use for freight movements as far as Middleton Towers Sand quarry
Here we see the King's Lynn to Middleton Towers railway that is still in use in 2020.
This photo was taken from the foot bridge on the Hardwick industrial estate.
Thanks to Andy f for these of these pictures via Geograph.The first picture is of the Lynn Dereham line passing under the now dismantled bridge that carried the South Lynn to Gayton Road M&gnjr train to Fakenham.The last two is a farm crossing I take it just after the bridge https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/32299
The line in-between Middleton Towers and King's Lynn looking towards King's Lynn with empty sand hoppers waiting for a load at Middleton Towers Sibelco sand quarry
Middleton Towers station
Middleton Towers station Had one platform and was opened from 27th oct and called Middleton.On the 1st November 1924 the station was renamed Middleton Towers.
The line up to here is still use for freight use carrying silica sand from here to various sites mostly up north with class 66 trains.Middleton towers like most closed with the line in 1968
Short video of freight movment's at middleton towers.Sorry there no locomotive sound I was passing and only had phone to take these and the sound quality was very poor.
East winch Railway station in 2020
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After Middleton Towers we arrive at the next station East Winch as seen here.
Between Middleton and East winch there are no remains or paths left.
East winch had two platforms and a freight yard.
As seen here the station is been kept in amazing condition and one platform still remains.The goods yard is used as a industrial estate on the other side of the road but sadly the storage shed was destroyed by fire.East winch like all stations closed down in 1968
Here we see where the line would of ran after leaving East winch station Through a now small industrial area.There was a old railway storage building here until 2016 when sadly due to a fire the building was destroyed.
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Here we see a old crossing cottage left behind after closure inbetween East Winch & Narbrough & Pentney station.
Here we see from a distance where the line would of entered into the closed Bilney station.This station only served the line for 20 years from 27th oct 1846 to 1st august 1866.Luckly the building survived to this day and is now used as a private residence.The road you can see is the A47 what was built as far as I can see in 1981 12 years after closure
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Narborough & pentney railway station opened in 1846 with two platforms and a goods yard now used as storage and offices.The platforms still remain as do the Station building now used as a private residence.The station also closed in 1968
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Narborugh & Pentney Railway Station
Just after Narbrough & Pentney station Swaffham side we see the old engine sheds that survived closure.The yard looks like its used as caravan storage and the old engine shed as the offices
Here we see parts of the Narbrough bone mill/ Maltings not far from the goods shed and Narbrough Pentney railway station.
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This building is strictly not railway related but from looking at various sites online there was what looks like once a sidings here serving this company many years ago.
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To this day there are no Remains of the old sidings left at all in 2021
Next we come to Narbrough bridge remains code mid 2349 by chalk lane narbrough not far from Raf Marham
Narbrough railway walk.Taken from the public footpath that starts from the bridge remains and heads towards Swaffham.There is easy car parking here.
After the Narbrough walk the line went off to Swaffham mostly through Farm land and wooded area until it reached the A1122 I will be honest I have looked into this and I'm not sure if the road was here when the line was open or built after the closure.
After the A1122 the line crossed here thanks once again to railmaponline.The line would of ran over here and then through the after built Swaffham raceway .Then across the new built A47 junction Before approaching Swaffham.
Here we see where the line once ran after closure today there is no sign left at all of the railway.
After Swaffham raceway the line would of crossed the after built A47 bypass roughly over the slipway.After crossing the A47 the line would of ran under this bridge what I can make out this bridge used to take a road over the top.Sadly I could not find a bridge id number painted on here
After this old bridge remain the line continued to Swaffham as seen below.This part is easy to reach and not fenced off and used as a busy walk way After this bridge the path does enter someones private residence and the A47 so this is a far as you can walk.
Next a few yards down the path we come across this next bridge where the line crossed over the top and a road way underneath once again I could not find any bridge id number on here.
After the second Bridge along this walk we can see here as I walked to the next and final bridge at Swaffham.Here we see where the path is now and where the line used to run into Swaffham station.
Next along the line we come across this the final bridge before reaching Swaffham station MTD2360 road bridge that carries the West acre road.This bridge remain Still has part of the old signal left to as seen in the photographs below.
Not long after the bridge in the same cutting just by where the line would of ran I found this brick wall.Im guessing that this is a support to keep the bank from collapsing.At the top of this bank there are a few industrial units down a lane called bears lane.
Swaffham station
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Swaffham station opened on the 10th of August 1847
Swaffham was a junction station for the King's Lynn to Dereham line and also the Swaffham Thetford line via Watton.
Swaffham had two platforms and was closed in 1968 after the Lynn Dereham line closed.
The Thetford branch had already closed on the 15th June 1964
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Swaffham in the present day is hidden away and now used as what I could make out a social services centre and on the Sunday I visited a few hgvs were parked up for the weekend in the old station area.To the rear of the station one platform still remains and the area is used for industrial units.
Swaffham engine sheds also are also intact and used a a car repair unit amongst other trades.
After the engine sheds there is no trace at all of where the old railway was the next remain in Swaffham is from the Thetford branch and can also be seen on Norfolksrailwayremains on the Other Norfolks Railway page
Swaffham station year unknown credit to Geoffrey Skelsey via Wikipedia
Swaffham station 2020
Swaffham railway yard building remains on the lynn Dereham line
After we leave Swaffham we head out toward Dunham here we see the old line track bed viewed from the top of the bridge looking towards Swaffham from near Dunham.
Drone footage of the old line taken from Dunham looking towards Swaffham
Next we see the Bridge near Dunham with a unknown bridge code.The lynn Dereham line passed underneath this bridge.
Dunham station remains taken from the old bridge jut to the end of the platforms.
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Dunham like all opened in 1848 and closed in 1968 and had two platforms.
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In the present day Dunham is used as a private residence.
Fransham Station
Fransham station again like the rest opened in 1848 and closed in 1968
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Fransham Station had two platforms and a level crossing and after closure the station has been kept in amazing condition by the owners and they also have a few items of rolling stock in there garden.
MTD 2377 Bridge
Mtd2379 bridge at fransham just off the a47 near Dereham sign posted Beeston
Next Wendling station would of stood where the A47 now stands but in the present day there is no trace of the station at all as is was demolished for the construction of the A47 bypass
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Wendling had two platforms and after the closure of the next station Scarning in 1850 Wendling was the last station before reaching Dereham.
Dereham Station
Dereham Station
opened on the 15 February 1847
6 October 1969 Closed to passengers
12 September 1984 Closed as a coal depot
26 July 1997 reopened as the MidNorfolk railway
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Dereham had 4 platforms and a Locomotive shed and a turn table.
Dereham also had lines running off to Wymondham and wells.
With the Wymondham line used as part of the mid Norfolk Railway.
Dereham Station in 1996 credit to DiverScout at English Wikipedia
Dereham Station in 2020 now part of the mid Norfolk Railway
