Setchey Oil fields Railway.

The English Oil Fields company was established in 1918. In 1920, construction of the Setchey Oil Fields commenced, with the Clarke’s Drove siding railway connecting the site to the King’s Lynn to Ely line. The railway line had already been constructed in 1919 and was used in the construction of the oil fields. Initially, plans were made to connect the site to the M&GNJR and to a pipeline to King’s Lynn Docks, but these plans never materialised.

The oil fields never achieved commercial success and ceased operations in 1926 because of low sulphur levels, leaving the entire project unfinished. It is said that for every 20 tonnes of shale extracted, about 3 gallons of oil were produced.

The English Oil Fields company remained on the site and eventually closed it in 1966.

Today, the land is used as the Garage Lane industrial estate, with only a few buildings remaining, including the old engine sheds and some adjacent buildings. Beneath the engine sheds, full-gauge railway tracks were discovered under the concrete floor, and it is believed they still exist. In Carter Cabin’s yard, now Alegco’s yard, by the entrance, you can also see some standard-gauge railway tracks. There are other railway track remains in the yard. These tracks have since been covered with new tarmac near the entrance, while the track in the yard remains.

If you have any photos of the tracks, please share them, and I will give you full credit.

The car sales site on the A10 by the Garage Lane estate was the location of the main offices. Whilst the site of Beers of Europe was the main centre of the works.

The route of the old railway line remains unobstructed and runs along the side of the industrial site, passing a waste management yard.

The puny drain remains, with a concrete bridge passing over it, but all the pits have long been filled in.