SNETTISHAM BEACH SHINGLE PITS

There is very little historical information about the narrow-gauge railway that once operated at Snettisham Beach. Historic maps do not indicate its presence as such; however, some show a track, but it's hard to determine if it's a railway or a concrete track.

However, I have discovered what appear to be remnants of an old railway on the jetty, as well as traces of track near the Snettisham Beach Caravan Park. Additionally, there may be parts of the track and a disused concrete path, which once supported the railway, located on the opposite side of the road from the caravan parks.

These could be part of the military gunnery school, given that dragon's teeth reinforcements were found in the area.

The shingle pits at Snettisham are believed to have been established in the 1920s by The Etna Stone and Shingle Co Ltd, and operations continued until 1959. Much of the shingle extracted from this site was used by the military to construct runways and other military buildings. It is said that a significant portion of this material was transported via the jetty, which still stands today, while other transport methods included road transport along concrete tracks evident throughout the Snettisham area.

Twenty years of normal shingle excavation were taken in three years during the start of World War II.

During World War II, the military (Royal Air Force) requisitioned the entire area, setting up a gunnery range. The US Army Air Forces operated a gunnery school there, and the location also housed a low-security prisoner of war camp.

Furthermore, there is a concrete path leading from the shingle pits to Dersingham Railway Station. This path shows no signs of a railway and was constructed in 1941-42 by the War Agriculture Executive Committee, reportedly with the help of prisoners of war.

When I photographed the area in 2025, I found remnants of an old track near the Snettisham Beach Caravan Park, along with a hut that might have been part of the shingle works. The old jetty still remains, with what appear to be parts of the track on top. The former shingle pits were flooded during the 1953 floods and were subsequently sold to the RSPB, which now manages the area as a habitat for various wild birds. Meanwhile, the concrete paths left behind sustained significant damage during the 1953 floods.

Many caravans and beach huts now also reside in the beach area.

All information on this website is sourced from many sites across the web and may or may not be correct, as there is very limited information available on this subject.

All photographs were taken by me, and any information given with the photographs may also not be correct.