NHER 13578 (Monument record) - Eastern Union Railway Norwich Extension (Norwich to Diss)

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Summary

The Norwich to London via Diss railway line was considered of crucial importance to Norwich during the 19th century, when despite lines being built across the country, Norwich risked remaining unconnected to the capital. A connection via Cambridge was opened in 1845, but in 1849 a direct route through Diss and Ipswich was opened under the name Eastern Union Railway. The construction of this line involved the erection of an iron bridge across the road in Diss, as well as a multi-arched viaduct at Harford Bridges. Communities along the line such as Mellis, Tivetshall, Forncett, Flordon and Swainsthorpe were all served by their own stations, and the line originally terminated at the Norwich Victoria station, a building adapted from its forerunner the New Adelphi Theatre. The constituent railway companies and their lines were amalgamated into Greater Eastern Railway in 1862. As a result, Norwich Victoria was closed in 1916 and the trains diverted into Thorpe Station. The post-war period of nationalisation also saw the closure in 1966 of a number of the small stations, including Flordon, Forncett, Tivetshall, Burston, Mellis and Finningham. In the 1980s the closure of the British Rail coal depot at Queen's Road, Norwich also saw the final closure of the now defunct Victoria Station, the site of which is now occupied by Sainsburys.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TM19SE
Civil Parish	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	BURSTON WITH SHIMPLING, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	CAISTOR ST EDMUND, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	DISS, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	FLORDON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	FORNCETT, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	GISSING, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	GREAT MELTON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	NEWTON FLOTMAN, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	STOKE HOLY CROSS, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	SWAINSTHORPE, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	TIVETSHALL ST MARGARET, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	WACTON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Full Description

Later Great Eastern. Opened 1847-9 from Haughley.
Norwich Victoria-Trowse Upper Junction (spur to Trowse Lower Junction, now main line)-Harford Sidings (long disused, though once reinstated for scrapyard railway)-Swainsthorpe-Florden-Forncett Junction-Forncett- Tivetshall (junction and watertroughs)-Burston-Diss (with goods yard)- county boundary. Now used as main line but most stations gone.
The water troughs were the first to be laid by the GER, in order to make the Norfolk Coast Express non-stop, in 1896
Just after Flordon station was a mineral branch into Ballast Plantation pit - traces remain.
Context 1 at 2279 0533 Lakenham parish: Lakenham Viaduct. Brick, six arches, red brick with yellow brick trimmings slightly squat.
Seen E. Rose (NAU), 1976.

(S1) states viaduct by Locke, Bruff and Brassey 312ft (95m) long, six arches of 42-45ft (12.8 to 13.8m) spans, 25 degrees skew, 40ft (12m) high. The 'yellow bricks' are Suffolk whites.
E. Rose (NAU), 13 January 1997.

Signal box from Swainsthorpe moved to Wells and Walsingham light railway February 1987.
See (S2).
E. Rose (NAU), 23 February 1987.

Newspaper cuttings in file (S3), (S4), (S5), (S6).

By 1987 the station was demolished as other stations had better access routes. The site is now a supermarket and the line has been pulled up, although most of the old bridges remain.
NIAS records (S7)
W. Arnold (HES), 17 January 2011.

Associated Sources (15)

--- SNF48858 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1998. TG2407/ACB - ACJ.
--- SNF49212 Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
--- SNF68520 Monograph: Anderson, R. & Saunders. D.. 1999. Rediscovering Railways: Norfolk Past and Present.. March.
--- SNF66660 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. The rise and demise of a grand old rail line. 20 April.
--- SNF81653 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Business to be boosted by Boudicca. 2 September.
--- SNF98435 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2013. Tracks to the past where rail and pleasure mingled. 25 February.
--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
--- SNF8804 Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1> SNF6666 Monograph: Labrun, E.A.. 1994. Civil Engineering Heritage, East and Central England.. p 122-3.
<S2> SNF3363 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1987. New home for rail signal box. 23 February.
<S3> SNF3237 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1977. [Photograph of the ruins of Swainsthorpe station]. 21 January.
<S4> SNF3822 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1984. New bridge work. 30 January.
<S5> SNF1093 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. Bridging new railway era. 19 February.
<S6> SNF282 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1986. Parting of ways for crossing keepers. 13 January.
<S7> SNF57617 Archive: NIAS. Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society Records.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (3)

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (2)

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Record last edited

Jan 15 2026 3:25PM