NHER 13584 (Monument record) - Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (Norwich to Cromer via Holt), North Norfolk Railway

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Summary

This is the route of a 19th century railway from Norwich to Cromer via Holt. The section from Norwich to Melton Constable opened in 1882, with the extension to Holt opened in 1884 and the continuation to Cromer opened in 1887. All but the Cromer to Sheringham section (which is now part of the Bittern Line) closed to trains in 1964. The stretch between Sheringham and Weybourne reopened as the North Norfolk Railway in the 1970s, with the Weybourne to Holt section added during the 1980s. The Norwich to Reepham section is now part of the Marriott's Way, a footpath and cycle track. 19th century stations, signal boxes, bridges and embankments survive in a number of locations. In 2009 the station at Whitwell (Reepham) reopened.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TG12NW
Civil Parish ATTLEBRIDGE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish DRAYTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish FOULSHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish GREAT WITCHINGHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish GUESTWICK, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish MORTON ON THE HILL, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish REEPHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish SWANNINGTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish TAVERHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish THEMELTHORPE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish WESTON LONGVILLE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK
Civil Parish BEESTON REGIS, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish BRININGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish BRINTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish BRISTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish CROMER, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish HINDOLVESTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish HOLT, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish KELLING, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish LETHERINGSETT WITH GLANDFORD, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish MELTON CONSTABLE, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish RUNTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish SHERINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish STODY, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish UPPER SHERINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish WEYBOURNE, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK
Civil Parish COSTESSEY, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Opened in part 1882. Norwich City to Cromer Beach. Part preserved as North Norfolk Railway.
Unique A-frame bridges. Some preserved station buildings. For full details and newspaper cuttings (S1-S11) see file.
E. Rose (NAU), 2 June 1982.

Architects drawings (pre 1992) (S12) of Context 3 as large rolled plans.
E. Rose (NAU).

October-December 1999. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of site clearance and groundworks on land between Barker Street and Heigham Street, near the site of Norwich City Station.
See NHER 62383 for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 10 November 2017.

Cromer signal box (NHER 47908) and signals (NHER 47589) listed 2000 (S14).

For tank traps in the trackbed see NHER 40318, NHER 42682 and others listed in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 25 November 2005.

June 2006.
The section from Norwich to Melton Constable opened in 1882, with the extension to Holt opened in 1884 and the continuation to Cromer opened in 1887. All but the Cromer to Sheringham section (which is now part of the Bittern Line) closed to trains in 1964. The stretch between Sheringham and Weybourne reopened as the North Norfolk Railway in the 1970s, with the Weybourne to Holt section added during the 1980s. The Norwich to Reepham section is now part of the Marriot's Way, a footpath and cycle track. 19th century stations, signal boxes, bridges and embankments survive in a number of locations.
See full details in file.
D. Robertson (NLA), 8 June 2006.

Also see NHER 53976 for information about Whitwell Station, which was recently restored and reopened in 2009.
S. Howard (NLA), 2 August 2010.

3 July 2010.
Concrete milepost exists in a Cromer garden.
See (S15) for details.
E. Whitcombe (NLA), 4 August 2010.

2010.
A signal box was restored and installed at the Holt Station stop on the Holt-Sheringham section, now the Poppy Line heritage railway.
See (S16).
E. Whitcombe (NLA), 5 August 2010.

Norwich City Station, previously recorded within this record, is now recorded under NHER 62383.
H. Hamilton (HES), 10 November 2017.

  • --- *Rolled Plan: Large Plan Exists.
  • --- Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1997. TG0820/F - G.
  • --- Article in Serial: Tuddenham, E.. 1964 June. The MGNR Route to Cromer.. Railway World.
  • --- Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
  • --- Correspondence: 2000. Correspondence regarding NHER 13584.
  • --- Designation: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1975-?. Norfolk Archaeological Unit Recommendation for Listing. Recommendation. NHER13584.
  • --- Fiche: Exists.
  • --- Monograph: Adderson, R. & Kenworthy, G.. 1998. Branch Lines Around Cromer..
  • --- Monograph: D. I. Gordon. 1977. A Regional History of The Railways of Great Britain, The Eastern Counties.. Vol V, pages 182, 188, 192..
  • --- Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 444.
  • --- Newspaper Article: 1993. Eastern Daily Press. 29 December.
  • --- Newspaper Article: 1994. Eastern Daily Press. 4 August.
  • --- Newspaper Article: 1997. Eastern Daily Press. 19 April.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1979. Stall has a nice line in books. 30 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1984-1985. [Articles on the move and rebuilding of a footbridge at Weybourne station].
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1984. [Articles on the maintenance work of the line between Sheringham to Weybourne]. 6 January.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. Pullman luxury for disabled. 7 February.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1987. [Articles on the 'Poppy' Line to celebrate 100 years of a North Norfolk Railway]. 27 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. For Victorian away-days. 22 September.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Line closure still regretted. 27 February.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Old rail hut back on line. 15 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Railway enthusiasts gain nation restoration award. 15 February.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Railway fans erect bridge. 20 November.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. untrained team work to repair express giant. 12 December.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1990. Saving touch for old coaches. 23 November.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. [Photograph of Norwich City Station before being destroyed in 1942]. 14 May.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1994. Rocket helps fuel turnaround in finances - Tourist railway is on line to profits. 28 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1995. Sign of peace at the station. 19 August.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. 'Surgery' to help put wheels back in motion. 30 September.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. Railway steams into a profit. 6 August.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. Stations 'left to rot' claim angers Railtrack. 19 February.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. A box of delights for steam railway. 3 November.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. Steamy return of grand old lady. 1 March.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2000. Concern for heritage rail stations. 24 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2000. Profits down but rail line steams along. 22 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. Plan to rebuild station roof. 4 January.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. Railway expansion plan. 16 May.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2008. Harsh modern times hit heritage railway. 18 December.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009-2010. [Articles on the re-joining of the Bittern Line to Norwich].
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Cosy little abode is on track to become a museum piece. 11 June.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Group on track to discovering rail history. 31 December.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. The road to nowhere. 20 July.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2012. Working hard above their station. 21 March.
  • --- Photograph: BCD5.
  • --- Photograph: CQX 8.
  • --- Photograph: JJM 28-31.
  • --- Photograph: KWQ 28-31.
  • --- Publication: 1987. Railway World. December.
  • --- Publication: Mackley, D.. 2000. Norwich Trams. map plate before 79.
  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • --- Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 03 SW 11.
  • --- Recording Form: [various]. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey Recording Form. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Unpublished Contractor Report: Network Archaeology. 2002. Bacton to Kings Lynn Proposed Gas Pipeline. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment. Network Archaeology. 179.
  • --- Unpublished Document: Correspondence.
  • <S1> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1975. 'Poppy Line' drawing nearer. 11 June.
  • <S10> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. [Articles on the Wensum Junction signal box].
  • <S11> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. Hidden assets. 21 October.
  • <S12> Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
  • <S14> Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entries 1380342 and 1380343.
  • <S15> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Keeping railway history on track. 3 July.
  • <S16> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Poppy Line celebrates award again. 9 July.
  • <S2> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1975-1977. [Articles on the sale and movement of Singing Kettle transport café].
  • <S3> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1975. Big bang to come. 23 October.
  • <S4> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1977. Soon back on right lines. 21 January.
  • <S5> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1977-. [Articles on the collection of engines collected by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society].
  • <S6> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1978. Holiday task for beet factory veteran. 18 March.
  • <S7> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1979. Old bridge spans new pastures. 30 July.
  • <S8> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1981. [Articles on the movement, repaired and restoration of workshed from the Old Norwich City Station].
  • <S9> Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. [Articles on the opening of the line between Weybourne to Holt].

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Record last edited

Oct 9 2025 4:31PM

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