Marriott's Way
Encyclopedia
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
(NCN) (Route1) and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders between Hellesdon
Hellesdon
Hellesdon is a thriving suburb of Norwich in the District of Broadland in Norfolk, England. It lies approximately 4 miles north-west of Norwich and has 11,177 inhabitants.- History :...
and Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
, Norfolk, England. It is 21 miles (34 km) long and is named after William Marriott, the chief engineer and manager of the Midland and Great Northern Railway
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...
system for 41 years.
Railway history
The path uses the trackbeds of two former railway lines, from ThemelthorpeThemelthorpe
Themelthorpe is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, north west of Reepham.It covers an area of and had a population of 65 in 27 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Broadland....
to Norwich and from Themelthorpe to Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
. The Themelthorpe to Norwich line was built in 1882 by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company which was taken over by the M&GN in 1893, as part of a line that ran to Melton Constable
Melton Constable
Melton Constable is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 518 in 225 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of North Norfolk...
. This line gave a through route to the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. The Themelthorpe to Aylsham line was completed in 1893 by the Great Eastern Railway
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...
to provide a link to its other lines at Wroxham
Wroxham
Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 1532 in 666 households. The village is situated within the Norfolk Broads on the south side of a loop in the middle reaches of...
and County School railway station
County School railway station
County School is a railway station approximately one mile north of the village of North Elmham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is part of a line being gradually restored by the Mid-Norfolk Railway from East Dereham to Fakenham.-History:...
close to North Elmham
North Elmham
North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
.
The lines were never profitable. Freight services were largely based on farm products and the line closed to passenger traffic in 1959.
In 1960 the two lines were joined by the so called Themelthorpe Curve
Themelthorpe
Themelthorpe is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, north west of Reepham.It covers an area of and had a population of 65 in 27 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Broadland....
(believed to be the sharpest bend in the British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
network). Its construction was keep open the important movement of concrete products from Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station was a railway station in North Norfolk, England. It was built by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company in 1882 and taken over by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893, to serve the small hamlet of Lenwade. Despite the settlement's size, the railway provided...
. Once concrete production ceased in 1985 the line was closed.
Route
Hellesdon railway station
Hellesdon railway station is a former railway station in Norfolk, England, which served the area of Hellesdon, today virtually an outer suburb of Norwich...
the way soon crosses the tiny River Tud
River Tud
River Tud is a tributary of the River Wensum, Norfolk in the East of England. The Tud's source is just south of East Dereham and it flows in an easterly direction for to its confluence with the Wensum below Hellesdon mill.-Course:...
at Costessey
Costessey
Costessey is a civil parish situated west of Norwich in Norfolk, England. The parish comprises two settlements: the long-established village of Costessey , and New Costessey , which developed during the first half of the 20th century and has become a suburb of Norwich...
. The tree lined River Wensum
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
can be seen to the east, as the path passes through the open country side of the Wensum Valley. The river is crossed by means of an A frame bridge (only three in Norfolk) before arriving at Drayton
Drayton, Norfolk
Drayton, Norfolk, is a suburban village in the county of Norfolk and district of Broadland north west of Norwich. It is situated on the A1067 road between Hellesdon and Taverham.- History :...
. The original Drayton railway station
Drayton railway station
Drayton railway station is a former station in Norfolk, England. Constructed by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in the 1880s, on the line between Melton Constable and Norwich, it was closed to passengers in 1959. It served the settlement of Drayton now on the outskirts of Norwich...
is now an industrial estate and the path follows a gravel path before crossing a minor road and entering a deep cutting to cross the busy A1067 road
A1067 road
The A1067 is an English A road entirely in the county of Norfolk. It runs from Fakenham Northern By-Pass to Norwich inner ring road .-A47 to A1067 Link Road:...
close to Taverham
Taverham
Taverham is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, in the UK. It is approximately 5 miles north-west of the City of Norwich. Taverham sits on the River Wensum.In 2001, Taverham had a population of 10,233...
. To the west is Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott is a residential area in Norfolk, England covering part of Taverham and Drayton parishes. Much of the housing was built in the latter part of the 20th century....
a large housing estate built in the late 20th century. The tranquil path passes through extensive mixed woodland of the Mileplain plantation to cross the Wensum below Attlebridge
Attlebridge
Attlebridge is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated about 8 miles north-west of Norwich, where the A1067 crosses the River Wensum....
. To the east of the way, the circular Winchs Way can be accessed which links to the Swannington
Swannington, Norfolk
Swannington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located approximately north of Norwich between the villages of Taverham, Felthorpe, Brandiston and Cawston....
and Alderford
Alderford
Alderford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, about ten miles north-west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of 1.80 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 43 in 16 households...
commons. After reaching a country lane the privately owned former Attlebridge railway station
Attlebridge railway station
Attlebridge railway station is a closed station in Norfolk, England. It was constructed by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in the 1880s on the line between Melton Constable and Norwich City. It was closed to passengers in 1959...
can be viewed. The way can be accessed close to a car park and picnic area. After passing through birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
woods the large industrial estate of Lenwade
Lenwade
Lenwade is a hamlet in the civil parish of Great Witchingham, Norfolk. Located in the Wensum Valley and adjacent to the A1067 road and being south-east of Fakenham and some north-west of Norwich.- Etymology:...
can be seen to the west of the way and water filled gravel pits to the east. Crossing the Wensum for the last time and close to the former Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station was a railway station in North Norfolk, England. It was built by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company in 1882 and taken over by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893, to serve the small hamlet of Lenwade. Despite the settlement's size, the railway provided...
now privately owned and on to Whitwell railway station
Whitwell railway station, Norfolk
Whitwell and Reepham railway Station, also known as Whitwell station, is a former station situated in Norfolk, England. The station closed in 1959 and is presently a notable stop on the Marriott's Way long-distance footpath...
. The (NCN) leaves Marriott's Way to follow a short cut along quiet lanes to Reepham. The way carries on to Themelthorpe and follows the 'curve' to the important stop of Reepham railway station
Reepham railway station
Reepham was a railway station in Reepham, Norfolk. It was opened in 1882 and closed to passengers in 1952 and finally shut to goods services in 1981...
where the preserved station and engineering shed can be found. Following an easterly course the path passes close by to the village of Cawston
Cawston, Norfolk
Cawston is a small village located approximately North of Norwich, off the B1149 main road to Holt. Nearby villages are Reepham and Aylsham.-Church of St Agnes:...
on the B1145 road
B1145 road
The B1145 runs for about through the county of Norfolk, England, between King’s Lynn and Mundesley. The road is an alternative route to the A47 between Kings Lynn and Norwich by way of the A1067 from Bawdeswell onwards.-History:...
and then crosses the B1149 road
B1149 road
The B1149 is the most direct route between the town of Holt and the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England. There is no direct A-road alternative...
. To the north, the way links to Blickling Hall
Blickling Hall
Blickling Hall is a stately home in the village of Blickling north of Aylsham in Norfolk, England, that has been in the care of the National Trust since 1940.-History:...
via Weavers Way
Weavers Way
For the Philadelphia co-op see Weavers Way Co-opThe Weavers' Way is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, England. It is 56 miles long and runs from Cromer to Great Yarmouth...
before reaching the end of the trail at Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
. Directly opposite is the Aylsham railway station
Aylsham railway station
This article is about the former Great Eastern Railway station. For the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway station, see Aylsham North railway station.Aylsham South railway station served the town of Aylsham in Norfolk from 1880 to 1981...
and the walking and cycling route the Bure Valley Path
Bure Valley Path
The Bure Valley Path is a long walking trail and cycling trail in Norfolk, England. It runs alongside the Bure Valley Railway, a heritage railway from Wroxham to Aylsham.- Route :The path passes through and close to following towns and villages.* Aylsham...
.
Ecology
While the railway line was in use trackside vegetation would have been partly controlled. The vegetation would have ben cut regularly or sprayed with herbicides, so that trains were not obstructed and to lessen the risk of fire. When the railway closed such management ceased and a wide variety of plants colonised the track, making it, today, a diverse habitat for wildlife.Today
In the Wensum Valley immediately above the flood plain between Hellesdon and Drayton over 100 hundred species of vegetation have been recorded including hawthorn, guelder rose, wild rose
Wild Rose
Wild Rose is the name given to certain flowering shrubs:*Genus Rosa:** Rosa acicularis, or Wild Rose, a rose species which occurs in Asia, Europe, and North America...
, blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, scrub oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
and broom
Broom (shrub)
Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae, mainly in the three genera Chamaecytisus, Cytisus and Genista, but also in many other small genera . All genera in this group are from the tribe Genisteae...
. Many wild flowers can be found such as shepherd's purse
Shepherd's Purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris, known by its common name shepherd's-purse because of its triangular, purse-like pods, is a small annual and ruderal species, and a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard family...
, ox-eye daisy, white campion
White Campion
Silene latifolia, or White Campion, is a dioecious flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to most of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa...
and meadow saxifrage
Saxifraga granulata
Saxifraga granulata is a flowering plant of the genus Saxifraga in the family Saxifragaceae.-References:...
. Closer to the river the soil becomes heavier and wetter and vegetation includes alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, elder
Elderberry
Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...
, marsh marigold and willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
. To the north of Drayton the way passes over a variety of soil types. On the chalky soils typical plants found are the sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
and chalk grassland species such as wild carrot
Wild carrot
Daucus carota is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia and naturalised to northeast North America and Australia; domesticated carrots are cultivars of a subspecies, Daucus carota subsp...
, self heal, bird's-foot-trefoil, knapweed and mullein
Mullein
The Mulleins are a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the figwort family . They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region.They are biennial or perennial plants, rarely annuals or subshrubs, growing to 0.5–3 m tall...
. On the sandy soils bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
and gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
are the more dominant species. Also, of note, are Lichens which are colonising many of the concrete structures and bridges along the track. Because of the variety of wild plants that are found, the way is an important area for insects, birds and small mammals.
Public works of art
Public access
The trail can be reached from NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
at St Crispins & Barn Rd roundabout A147 road, site of the former Norwich City railway station
Norwich City railway station
Norwich City railway station was located in Norwich, England and is now closed.-History:The station was opened in 1882 by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway, and later became the southern terminus of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line from Melton Constable...
by following the Railway Path (NCN) (Route 1) to Hellesdon
Hellesdon
Hellesdon is a thriving suburb of Norwich in the District of Broadland in Norfolk, England. It lies approximately 4 miles north-west of Norwich and has 11,177 inhabitants.- History :...
.