Construction is underway, with additional pages being added across the line.
Follow our social media accounts for updates.
To navigate through the route, kindly use the navigational list below that corresponds to each part of the route.
Alternatively, you can continue scrolling past the navigation list to delve deeper into the history of the Lynn Hunstanton line, complete with Google Map coverage.
Home
King’s Lynn to North Wootton
North Wootton to Wolferton
Wolferton to Dersingham
Dersingham to Snettisham
Snettisham to Heacham
Heacham to Hunstanton
Hunstanton Terminus
MY GOOGLE MAPS COVERAGE
King’s Lynn to Hunstanton Railway Past & Present
Great Eastern Railway
1862–1969
King’s Lynn to Hunstanton Railway History
King's Lynn was situated 16 miles away from Hunstanton, and it was one of the places that benefited from the railway boom of the 1800s. The railway line was built in 1846 to Ely, and there was another line to Dereham that opened as far as Narborough in 1846 and to Dereham in 1848. The brambly line to March via Wisbech from the Watlington junction and the M&GN at South Lynn was also being planned. Hunstanton became a famous seaside resort for holidaymakers, and it needed a railway line to promote travel to the town. Henry le Strange started planning for a railway in the 1840s, and in 1861, the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway business was incorporated. The line cost 80 thousand pounds and was completed in only ten months. Sadly, Henry le Strange died before the line opened and never managed to see his line run. When the line was first opened, it was a single-lined railway with passing points at stations along the route. However, by the 1900s, most stations and the line had been altered somehow. In the 1890s, the risk of running a royal train along a single line was not seen as practical, so the line between King's Lynn and Wolferton along the six-and-a-half-mile route was doubled. The rebuilding of both North Wootton and Wolferton stations was done, and they remain the same to this day. The line between Wolferton and Snettisham was doubled soon after, and the short part in between Snettisham and Heacham remained a single railway line with a passing point at Heacham. Hunstanton saw tremendous growth due to the railway, and in 1937, it had four platforms that were all lengthened to carry longer trains in the summer months. During its peak, trains could have been running at ten-minute intervals during the busy summer months with direct trains from London and trains from the Midland Great Northern joint railway. In 1948, the railways were nationalized, and the government looked into unprofitable lines across the UK. Dr. Richard Beeching was brought in to look into non-profitable lines across the UK. The Heacham Wells branch was one of them, and it stopped services to passengers on 2nd June 1952 before Dr Beeching even took office. The Hunstanton line was not on any list from the Beeching cuts as it remained profitable and was not on the closure list from the Beeching report. However, in March 1967, the line was made single-lined to King's Lynn, and the stations and signal boxes were unstaffed. All trains leaving King's Lynn had a single-line token key. Hunstanton lost most of its platforms and frequent service, and with car use increasing, BR said the line was losing £40,000 a year. It stopped London through services, slashing 80% of its revenue overnight. The M&GNJR had closed, stopping trains coming in from the North and Midlands, and the M&GN having closed in 1959. All the line relied on now was local use, with a cheaper bus service that could also drop and pick passengers up closer to their homes. It's also been said that due to the railway not always serving local villages in busy periods and that the local services on busy summer days were not used as the express trains were given priority, the local villagers turned to the bus service, feeling cut off from their railway service. Private car ownership was also on the increase, making the line less essential and needed. The Queen also consented to King's Lynn becoming the new royal station. The line closed in May 1969, and the Hunstanton terminus was packed with people to mark the occasion. Many have said the line was profitable but closed due to the British railways' mismanagement.
After 107 years, On May 5th, 1969 at 10:16 pm, the last train departed from Hunstanton station to King's Lynn, leaving behind hundreds of spectators as its red tail lights vanished into the darkness.
Never to return
Time Line
1846 Henry Le Strange wanted to promote Hunstanton into A holiday resort
27th October 1846, the Lynn Ely Railway opened.
1846-1848 The Lynn to Dereham line opened
On the 1st of August 1861, Parliament granted the Lynn & Hunstanton railway a royal assent.
& The Lynn Hunstanton railway was born.
The first part of the construction began on the 13th of November, 1861.
The line's appointed engineer was John Sutherland Valentine.
Before the railway was finished, chairman Henry Le Strange died of a heart attack before he could see his railway finished.
Ten months after construction started. The railway was finished costing £80.000.
The board of trade inspection took place in September 1862, passing the line for use.
A little just after noon on Friday, October 3rd 1862, the first train steamed into service.
The initial service provided three return trains from Lynn to Hunstanton, leaving Lynn at 9.05. 12.25 and 3.25. The return journeys left Hunstanton at 10.20, 2.00 and 4.45.
In February 1862, the royal family purchased the Sandringham estate, making Wolferton the closest station to Sandringham.
Wolferton became known as the royal station.
In 1866 The West Norfolk branch from Heacham to Wells next to the sea was opened.
1871 King's Lynn's current station was built.
1874 The Lynn Hunstanton railway company and the West Norfolk railway company
joined to form.
The Hunstanton and West Norfolk railway.
In 1890 the line was sold to Great Eastern railways.
The line became known as the King's Lynn to Hunstanton Great Eastern railway.
As the line got more use, the line was doubled between King's Lynn and Wolferton in 1898.
Between 1884 and 1911, 645 Royal trains used Wolferton station.
1936, King George V's body was taken from Wolferton To London to be laid in state.
1937 The platforms at Hunstanton were extended due to extended traffic.
Holiday traffic was at its peak, with up to 6 trains an hour arriving in the morning. And they were departing back home at night time in busy periods.
1948 Britain's railways were nationalised.
The 1950s Saw the line's use decline.
1952 The body of King George VI was taken by railway from Wolferton to London.
1952 31st May saw the West Norfolk branch close to passengers.
1953 Saw the West Norfolk branch line damaged between Holkham and Wells due to the 1953 floods.
1958-December Diesel units took over steam train operation.
1959 28th February, the M&gnjr closed, stopping many connections to the line from South Lynn.
1960's The government became worried about some of Britain's railway lines making little or no profit.
1960-November saw through London to Hunstanton trains stop running.
Car use increased even more, making the railways less popular.
1961 Dr Richard Beeching was appointed to reshape Britain's railways.
1963 March 27th, the nicknamed Beechings axe report was released.
The King's Lynn to Hunstanton line was not on the list for closure and was still seen as a profitable line.
The line was recommended to be used as a simple unstaffed railway.
1964 Saw The King's Lynn to Hunstanton lines freight withdrawn.
1964 Saw the last remaining part of the West Norfolk branch closed to freight.
1966 The Last royal train left Wolferton.1966 June the 6th, the line started running as a basic railway.
1967 One whole line was removed, making the single line track the entire route.
King's Lynn used a single-line token.
1967 Hunstanton railway station was made into a single platform.
£25,000 Investment was made in 1967 with half-barrier electric crossing barriers installed at all level crossings.
1967 I Saw the Sandringham Hotel at Hunstanton pulled down.
British rail claimed the line was losing £40,000 a year.
Before announcing the closure of the King's Lynn to Hunstanton railway.
British rail offered the Queen the royal waiting rooms at Wolferton.
She declined. It was agreed
King's Lynn would be Sandringham estate's new
local railway station.
Starting the way for the closure of the line.
1969 The last day arrived.
09:05 pm Saturday the 5th of May, the last train left King's Lynn
10:16 pm The last train returned from Hunstanton.
With a wreath on the front saying.
Goodbye Hunstanton railway
1862 To May 3rd 1969
Is this really the end?
In March 1971, Hunstanton once again heard the sound of a train, but sadly was a class 03 0-6-0 shunter with the demolition crew ripping up the old line for scrap. In a few weeks, the line demolition team reached Snettisham. Soon after the whole line had disappeared, all that remained were the stations that were sold off the following year.
After 107 years, the King's Lynn Hunstanton Railway was no more.
Kings Lynn to Hunstanton Railway 3rd October 1862-5th May 1969
The Route
The Hunstanton Branch started at King's Lynn, with most services departing from Platform Number 2. Leaving King's Lynn, the Hunstanton-bound train passed one of two signal boxes, an engine shed, and vast goods sidings, before crossing Tennyson Avenue level crossing and the second signal box called King's Lynn Junction. The Hunstanton Branch turned left, while the Dereham branch went straight ahead, and the London Ely Cambridge line turned right, after passing King's Lynn Junction signal box. After going under a footbridge and passing King Edward VII and Gaywood Park schools, the line headed towards the Gaywood Road crossing and continued past the North Lynn Housing estate. Once the line passed through North Lynn, it curved slightly to the right towards North Wootton through marshland, approaching North Wootton Station. Before entering North Wootton, there was a level crossing and a small goods yard just before the station. Leaving North Wootton station, the Hunstanton-bound trains crossed a level crossing at Gatekeepers Lane at North Wootton before heading off to their next destination, the Royal Station Wolferton. Between North Wootton and Wolferton, the line passed through marshland, only crossing the River Babingley. Approaching Wolferton Station, passengers first saw St. Peter's Church to the right before crossing over the first crossing at Wolferton, then crossing over a field before passing the second crossing with the fantastic built Signal box and railway houses, and the station master's house. After the level crossing, the train arrived at the Royal Wolferton station. This station was unlike any others on the line, built to very high standards for a Royal arrival. Once leaving the Royal Wolferton station, the train line curved slightly right through heathland, passing the old Wolferton Cliffs and headed towards Dersingham Station. The line now started to curve slightly to the left before going straight into Dersingham Station. Before arriving at Dersingham, passengers would have seen a small goods yard. Once left Dersingham, the train crossed the station road level crossing with the Alexandra Hotel and the railway workers' houses seen to the right. The line went straight between Dersingham and Snettisham, crossing over a level crossing at Ingoldisthorpe. Just after Ingoldisthorpe level crossing, the line started to curve to the left, approaching Snettisham Station. Once at Snettisham Station, the train left for its next stop, Heacham. Passengers at Snettisham would have seen a goods yard and a large granary as they left Snettisham Station. Leaving Snettisham Station, the trains carried on a gentle curve shortly before going on a straight trajectory, crossing the Beach road level crossing and following the beach road for a short time before bearing right, leaving the road behind and heading off through a cutting towards Heacham. Just before the crossing here at Snettisham Beach Road, the line went into a single-track configuration to Hunstanton, with a passing point at Heacham. Here, between Snettisham and Heacham, passengers would have had their first sight of the Norfolk coastline a long way off in the distance. The line now straightened up and headed off towards Heacham station, passing level land and through fields, with Ken Hill visible in the near distance. Before arriving at Heacham, the line crossed the South Beach road level crossing. It then approached another level crossing at Heacham North Beach before arriving at Heacham station, where there was a passing loop to allow the trains from the single line to pass. Heacham also had a platform for trains to Wells Next to Sea, the West Norfolk branch. Trains left Heacham on a straight trajectory to Hunstanton, passing the West Norfolk Junction to the right with a line off to Wells Next to Sea. Passing through fields, the train came to its next crossing, the South Beach Road crossing here at Hunstanton. The train was shortly going to arrive at Hunstanton's station, passing an engine shed, a turntable, and extensive sidings that were used to stable passenger coach trains arriving from all over the country during the railway's heydays. The train would now arrive at one of Hunstanton's many platforms that housed trains from all over the country, bringing holidaymakers into Hunstanton's seaside town.
Please click below for part one
