NHER 13601 (Monument record) - Route of Thetford, Watton and Swaffham Railway (later Great Eastern)
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Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Location
| Map sheet | TL89NE |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ROUDHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | GRISTON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | HOCKHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | HOLME HALE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | NORTH PICKENHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | OVINGTON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | SAHAM TONEY, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | SPORLE WITH PALGRAVE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | STOW BEDON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | SWAFFHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | THOMPSON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | WATTON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | WRETHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
| Civil Parish | ASHILL, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
Map
Full Description
Now closed.
Roudham Junction - Wretham and Hockham - Stow Bedon (siding) - Watton (with siding) - Holme Hale (siding) - Swaffham Junction.
Section each side of Stow Bedon station taken up, part of trackbed covered by farm buildings at Griston where there remains a crossing keepers cottage and shed.
Stow Bedon station has been totally removed.
E. Rose (NAU), 21 July 1982.
Watton station gone, but at Church Road crossing cottage and gates remain.
Rest of track as far as Saham Toney removed, bridges all gone.
E. Rose (NAU), 18 May 1983.
Roudham Junction to Stow Bedon - trackbed removed but greybrick overbridges remain.
Underbridges mostly removed.
Overgrown despite section Cranberry Roughs - Stow Bedon being marked as road on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map. Stow Bedon station retains only a few buildings which may not have been connected with railway.
E. Rose (NAU), 22 September 1986. (See below)
Line immediately south-east of Swaffham Junction is an overgrown cutting so small that it would be hard to believe it were a railway were it not for the overbridges.
E. Rose (NAU), May, 1988.
The section southwest of Stow Bedon mentioned above is now a footpath.
At 9350 9491 is a crossing house of two storeys, grey brick skin over clay lump, now derelict.
E. Rose (NAU), 1 June 1988
This building was demolished in 1993, the foundations being left as seats for walkers.
Two very ornate iron columns at White Hall, Carbrooke, in the form of lotus flowers, are said to have come from Watton station.
E. Rose (NLA), 16 June 1995.
Overbridge north of North Pickenham village still marked RJS 2409 14 miles 15 chains.
The embankment remains in part to the east.
E. Rose (NLA), 18 February 2002.
Holme Hale station is preserved intact, including a signal to the east. Further east, a high arched bridge over a road remains.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 January 2005.
Associated Sources (1)
- --- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
Site and Feature Types and Periods (4)
Object Types (0)
Related NHER Records (0)
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Record last edited
Feb 17 2026 2:41PM