Hunstanton railway station
Encyclopedia
Hunstanton was a railway station which served the seaside town
of Hunstanton
in Norfolk
, England
. Opened in 1862, the station was the northern terminus of the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line immortalised by John Betjeman
in the British Transport Film
John Betjeman Goes By Train
. The station closed with the line in 1969.
and principal landowner, who gifted land and investment towards the construction of the line. The station was equipped with two long island platform
s which could take excursion train
s with up to a thousand people aboard, and its seafront location meant that passengers were discharged directly on to the promenade and pier. Long-stay holidaymakers came and left on Saturdays, whilst day-trippers generally came on Sundays in a constant stream of trains at ten-minute intervals. Many stayed at the towering Sandringham Hotel which was conveniently situated at the end of the platforms.
The single-track line into Hunstanton ran almost straight into the station, with beach huts and bungalows on the left and rolling hills to the right. Nearer the seafront the line crossed South Beach Road on the level, before entering the station whose twin island platforms diverged outwards in a roughly triangular arrangement, covered by Great Eastern
flat-topped canopies. As well as its four main terminal roads, there were five goods sidings to the east of the platforms which also served as carriage sidings at the height of the Summer season; the sidings converged into a single headshunt
which led southwards to Hunstanton Gas Works. In addition, a long siding on the eastern side of the station served cattle docks and an end-loading bay.
Having reached its peak in the mid-1950s, passenger numbers began to decline following the closure of railway lines such as the Midland & Great Northern
which had the effect of destroying a whole range of connections to Hunstanton. In addition, through services from Liverpool Street station
were withdrawn from 1959, leaving Hunstanton with a DMU
service to and from King's Lynn
. By 1966, services to London had been reduced to one working on weekdays, together with two up and one down on Summer Saturdays. Although the line did not figure in the Beeching Report, a survey carried out by British Rail
in the mid-1960s revealed that 90% of traffic in the region was generated by only 100 stations. This led to the implementation of the "basic railway" concept whereby stations became unstaffed, signal box
es closed and the line was singled.
At Hunstanton, the removal of most of the sidings and stabling facilities meant that through-locomotive excursion trains could no longer be run. As fewer and fewer passengers were using the line, British Rail announced that the line was losing £40,000 per year and would close from Monday 5 May 1969. The last train ran at 9.05pm on Saturday 3 May from King's Lynn, and was packed with around 250 passengers, a similar number waiting at Hunstanton to mark the occasion.
The site of the station is now a large car and coach park, leaving the former coal shed as the only remaining trace of the railway. This was converted into an art gallery with help from West Norfolk Council, opening its doors for the first time in May 2008. The first exhibition celebrated the King's Lynn to Hunstanton railway line with a display of memorabilia and photographs. The Sandringham Hotel, commandereed by the War Office
during the Second World War, was purchased by Hunstanton Urban District Council in 1950 for use as offices; it was subsequently demolished in April 1967.
The "Hunstanton Masterplan", a report commissioned by West Norfolk Council to examine the options for regenerating the town, was published in September 2008. Prepared by Building Design Partnership
, it considered the possibility of reopening the line from King's Lynn, but ultimately rejected the idea on the basis that (1) some trackbed has been lost to residential development, (2) the costs of construction would be substantial, and (3) there was no guarantee that the line would be financially viable. The study recommended instead the improvement of bus services between the towns.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
of Hunstanton
Hunstanton
Hunstanton, often pronounced by locals as and known colloquially as 'Sunny Hunny', is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash....
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Opened in 1862, the station was the northern terminus of the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line immortalised by John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
in the British Transport Film
British Transport Films
British Transport Films was an organisation set up in 1949 to make documentary films on the general subject of British transport. Its work included internal training films, travelogues , and "industrial films" promoting the progress of Britain's railway...
John Betjeman Goes By Train
John Betjeman Goes By Train
John Betjeman Goes By Train is a 1962 short documentary film made by British Transport Films and BBC East Anglia. The 10 minute long film features future poet laureate John Betjeman as he takes a memorable journey by train from King's Lynn railway station to Hunstanton railway station in Norfolk,...
. The station closed with the line in 1969.
History
The building of the line to Hunstanton coincided with the rising popularity of North-West Norfolk as a destination for holidaymakers who were arriving in large numbers. Hunstanton itself had been promoted as a seaside resort by Henry Styleman Le Strange (1815-1862), lord of the manorLord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
and principal landowner, who gifted land and investment towards the construction of the line. The station was equipped with two long island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s which could take excursion train
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
s with up to a thousand people aboard, and its seafront location meant that passengers were discharged directly on to the promenade and pier. Long-stay holidaymakers came and left on Saturdays, whilst day-trippers generally came on Sundays in a constant stream of trains at ten-minute intervals. Many stayed at the towering Sandringham Hotel which was conveniently situated at the end of the platforms.
The single-track line into Hunstanton ran almost straight into the station, with beach huts and bungalows on the left and rolling hills to the right. Nearer the seafront the line crossed South Beach Road on the level, before entering the station whose twin island platforms diverged outwards in a roughly triangular arrangement, covered by Great Eastern
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
flat-topped canopies. As well as its four main terminal roads, there were five goods sidings to the east of the platforms which also served as carriage sidings at the height of the Summer season; the sidings converged into a single headshunt
Headshunt
A headshunt is a short length of track, provided to release locomotives at terminal platforms, or to allow shunting to take place clear of main lines.- Terminal Headshunts :...
which led southwards to Hunstanton Gas Works. In addition, a long siding on the eastern side of the station served cattle docks and an end-loading bay.
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
which had the effect of destroying a whole range of connections to Hunstanton. In addition, through services from Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
were withdrawn from 1959, leaving Hunstanton with a DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
service to and from King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
. By 1966, services to London had been reduced to one working on weekdays, together with two up and one down on Summer Saturdays. Although the line did not figure in the Beeching Report, a survey carried out by British Rail
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
in the mid-1960s revealed that 90% of traffic in the region was generated by only 100 stations. This led to the implementation of the "basic railway" concept whereby stations became unstaffed, signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es closed and the line was singled.
At Hunstanton, the removal of most of the sidings and stabling facilities meant that through-locomotive excursion trains could no longer be run. As fewer and fewer passengers were using the line, British Rail announced that the line was losing £40,000 per year and would close from Monday 5 May 1969. The last train ran at 9.05pm on Saturday 3 May from King's Lynn, and was packed with around 250 passengers, a similar number waiting at Hunstanton to mark the occasion.
Present day
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
during the Second World War, was purchased by Hunstanton Urban District Council in 1950 for use as offices; it was subsequently demolished in April 1967.
The "Hunstanton Masterplan", a report commissioned by West Norfolk Council to examine the options for regenerating the town, was published in September 2008. Prepared by Building Design Partnership
Building Design Partnership
Building Design Partnership is a firm of architects and engineers employing over 1200 staff in the UK and internationally.-Foundation:The firm was founded in 1961 by George Grenfell Baines with architects Bill White and John Wilkinson, quantity surveyor Arnold Towler and eight associate partners:...
, it considered the possibility of reopening the line from King's Lynn, but ultimately rejected the idea on the basis that (1) some trackbed has been lost to residential development, (2) the costs of construction would be substantial, and (3) there was no guarantee that the line would be financially viable. The study recommended instead the improvement of bus services between the towns.