Snettisham railway station
Encyclopedia
Snettisham was a railway station on the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line which served the village of Snettisham
, a few miles north of King's Lynn
in North Norfolk
, England
. Opened in 1862, the station closed along with the line in 1969.
, enabling the local mussel
s to be brought in there rather than King's Lynn
or Boston
. However, the coming of the railway actually put pay to these ideas by eroding the local coasting trade which was hit by severe gales in the 1870s.
Snettisham station was equipped with up and down platforms and its platform buildings were constructed out of the local Carstone. Four sidings diverged from the main line to the north of the main station, serving respectively a small goods yard, a goods shed, the local coal merchants and Messrs Vynne & Everitt's granary. Goods traffic consisted of mainly coal and agricultural produce such as grain, bagged manure and vegetables. On the up side of the line was an 18-lever standard Great Eastern
signal box
. Snettisham was initially considered important enough to boast its own stationmaster, but this post was later abolished leaving the station with a staff of 4/5; in the station's later years one of the signalmen, Gerry Kendall, created a topiary
on the up platform which marked out the station's name.
In 1962 the poet laureate John Betjeman
visited Snettisham station as part of a 10 minute documentary film
detailing the journey from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton. The film was a collaboration between BBC East Anglia
and British Transport Films
.
Following closure in 1969, the main station building became a private residence, while the adjacent engine shed and granary are used by a furniture dealer. In the garden of nearby "Granary Cottage" stands the buffer stop which was originally at the end of Vynne & Everitt's siding. In 2004, the signal box was moved to Hardingham
on the Mid-Norfolk Railway
.
Snettisham
Snettisham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located near the west coast of Norfolk, some south of the seaside resort of Hunstanton, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
, a few miles north of 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....
in North Norfolk
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:...
, 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 closed along with the line in 1969.
History
Although essentially a minor passing place on the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line, when the proposal for a railway line between King's Lynn and Hunstanton had been first mooted, the possibility of building a new harbour at Snettisham had been discussed. This, it was said, would provide a safe haven for trading and fishing vessels on the eastern side of The WashThe Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
, enabling the local mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s to be brought in there rather than 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....
or Boston
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
. However, the coming of the railway actually put pay to these ideas by eroding the local coasting trade which was hit by severe gales in the 1870s.
Snettisham station was equipped with up and down platforms and its platform buildings were constructed out of the local Carstone. Four sidings diverged from the main line to the north of the main station, serving respectively a small goods yard, a goods shed, the local coal merchants and Messrs Vynne & Everitt's granary. Goods traffic consisted of mainly coal and agricultural produce such as grain, bagged manure and vegetables. On the up side of the line was an 18-lever standard 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...
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...
. Snettisham was initially considered important enough to boast its own stationmaster, but this post was later abolished leaving the station with a staff of 4/5; in the station's later years one of the signalmen, Gerry Kendall, created a topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
on the up platform which marked out the station's name.
In 1962 the poet laureate 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...
visited Snettisham station as part of a 10 minute documentary film
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,...
detailing the journey from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton. The film was a collaboration between BBC East Anglia
BBC East
BBC East is the BBC English Region serving Norfolk, Suffolk, north Essex, Cambridgeshire, northern and central Hertfordshire, most of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of Buckinghamshire.-Television:...
and British Transport Films
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...
.
Present day
Hardingham railway station
Hardingham railway station is a railway station in the village of Hardingham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is periodically served by heritage services operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway on the line from East Dereham to Wymondham, but the station is generally closed to the...
on the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
.
See also
- Railways in NorfolkRailways in NorfolkRailways have played an important part in the history and development of the English county of Norfolk. It currently has thirty open National Rail stations, through there were once well over a hundred....
- King's Lynn to Hunstanton line