HEACHAM TO WELLS

In the early days of the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton railway, the line was initially planned to extend towards Holme, passing through Thornham. From there, it would turn eastward towards Brancaster and then continue to Burnham Market and Wells.

Additionally, plans were then made to extend the railway to Cromer and Norwich, but none of these came to fruition. This alternative route would have required the line to pass through the newly developed town of Hunstanton, which could have upset hotel and tourist attraction owners. Furthermore, it would have had to cross a chalk ridge just after the station, making construction very difficult and expensive.

John Sutherland Valentine, the engineer responsible for the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton railway, ultimately selected a different starting point, two miles away from Hunstanton at Heacham. As a result, it was agreed that the new branch line would begin at Heacham station and run eastward towards Wells. This connection would also grant access to Dereham, Fakenham, and Wymondham via a connection at Wells station. The purpose of this route was to create a more straightforward and cost-effective railway.

On the 23rd of June 1864, the line was given royal assent.

The total cost of the railway would be £100,000, £20,000 more than the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton railway, which at the time cost £80,000 to build. The Hunstanton branch was also regarded as a low-cost railway. However, the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton railway required less extensive infrastructure since it was built on relatively flat land, unlike the West Norfolk branch. The West Norfolk branch proved more challenging to construct than the Hunstanton branch, requiring cuttings, bridges, and other engineering works along the route. In contrast, the Hunstanton branch required less engineering. For instance, Docking station was approximately 250 feet above sea level, while Wells and Heacham were only 20 feet above sea level.

This challenging elevation also necessitated powerful locomotives.

By October 1864, construction had begun, and by January 1866, the line was completed. However, due to the Board of Trade inspector's request for more signalling and other issues, the line opened on 17 August 1866.

In the early days of the railway, it showed slow growth and usage.

The stations along the line were relatively simple, with Holkham and Stanhoe being basic stations without goods lines and just one platform. Docking and Burnham Market, however, had goods yards and station masters’ houses.

After World War II, the Lynn to Hunstanton branch regained popularity as many tourists returned to normal and took holidays along the Norfolk coast. However, the Heacham Wells line never achieved significant success; some stations were located far from the villages they served, and the line also had numerous crossings that required housing for staff, wages, and maintenance. BR said the line was unprofitable even long before the Beeching report. British Rail closed the line on Saturday, 31 May 1952, operated by a Class 4-4-0 engine driven by A.W. Dowdy from Wells. The line officially closed on the second of June.

Many locals hoped the line would remain open as a diversionary route.

The line remained open for freight use, except for a special pilgrim passenger service from Kettering to Walsingham. This would be the last passenger train on this route.

In 1953, Norfolk was hit by floods that damaged the line between Holkham and Wells. British Railways deemed this section unprofitable due to the significant cost required to repair the washed-away track. In 1955, the line just past Burnham Market was lifted, and a buffer stop was installed at Burnham Market station. Stopping any chances of this staying open as a diversionary route. The remaining 11 miles, 43 chains of the line between Burnham Market and Heacham continued to operate for another 11 years for freight before closing entirely in 1964.

Until the end of its passenger services, the line remained one of the last where travellers could experience gas-lit clerestory coaches pulled by Victorian locomotives.