Massingham railway station
Encyclopedia
Massingham railway station is a now closed railway station in North Norfolk
. It was situated at Little Massingham
and was on the line between King's Lynn
and the Norfolk Coast and served the villages of Little and Great Massingham
and Harpley. It was eventually closed when most of the rail routes were shut down by British Railways, and much of the network in Norfolk
disappeared.
in the 1880s, it later was managed by the London and North Eastern Railway
until nationalisation in 1947 when it came under the control of British Railways for the final twelve years of service.
A driving force behind the building of the Lynn & Fakenham railway line was the Reverend Joseph Lloyd Brereton
of Little Massingham
. Supporters of the project used to meet at his rectory in the 1870’s. As a result of their endeavours the line was built from Lynn to Massingham and the station and line was opened on the 16th August 1879. Later the line was extended and continued onto Fakenham opening on the 16th August 1880.
This is a view of the station some thirty years after the trains first ran and a prominent feature is the criss-cross fencing which was found all over the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway.
This was abbreviated to (M&GN), interpreted by many as meaning the Muddle & Get Nowhere Railway. Massingham was also the only station between South Lynn and Fakenham to have a footbridge. When the line was closed the main ticket office and waiting rooms and the stationmaster’s house were converted into two houses.
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
. It was situated at Little Massingham
Little Massingham
Little Massingham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the northern boundary of Great Massingham.It covers an area of and had a population of 74 in 37 households as of the 2001 census....
and was on the line between King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and the Norfolk Coast and served the villages of Little and Great Massingham
Great Massingham
Great Massingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It has a primary school , a village shop, a pub , a village hall and a church . It is also notable for the number of ponds in the village - two large ones in the village centre and more in the outskirts...
and Harpley. It was eventually closed when most of the rail routes were shut down by British Railways, and much of the network 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...
disappeared.
History
Originally opened by the Midland and Great Northern Joint RailwayMidland 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...
in the 1880s, it later was managed by the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
until nationalisation in 1947 when it came under the control of British Railways for the final twelve years of service.
A driving force behind the building of the Lynn & Fakenham railway line was the Reverend Joseph Lloyd Brereton
Joseph Lloyd Brereton
Prebendary Joseph Lloyd Brereton, , was an educational reformer and writer, who founded inexpensive schools for the education of the middle classes. Through his work and writings he influenced others to make similar foundations.-Life:Brereton was born on 19 October 1822 at Little Massingham...
of Little Massingham
Little Massingham
Little Massingham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the northern boundary of Great Massingham.It covers an area of and had a population of 74 in 37 households as of the 2001 census....
. Supporters of the project used to meet at his rectory in the 1870’s. As a result of their endeavours the line was built from Lynn to Massingham and the station and line was opened on the 16th August 1879. Later the line was extended and continued onto Fakenham opening on the 16th August 1880.
This is a view of the station some thirty years after the trains first ran and a prominent feature is the criss-cross fencing which was found all over the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway.
This was abbreviated to (M&GN), interpreted by many as meaning the Muddle & Get Nowhere Railway. Massingham was also the only station between South Lynn and Fakenham to have a footbridge. When the line was closed the main ticket office and waiting rooms and the stationmaster’s house were converted into two houses.