Melton Constable railway station
Melton Constable | |
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Lynn and Fakenham Railway | |
Pre-grouping | Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway |
Post-grouping | Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Eastern Region of British Railways |
Key dates | |
19 January 1882 | Opened |
December 1936 | Closure of Melton works |
6 April 1964 | Closed to passengers[1] |
28 December 1964 | Closed to freight[2] |
Melton Constable was a
History
Opening and early years
The Lynn & Fakenham Railway Act 1880 authorised the construction of a railway from Fakenham to Norwich via Melton Constable, followed by a second line east from Melton to North Walsham. The scheme had been born of a desire amongst North Norfolk landowners, including notably the 5th Marquis Townsend of Raynham Hall. It was intended by the original promoters to be a 'Farmer's Line'. The project was taken over by Wilkinson & Jarvis, civil engineers contractors who turned the branch line idea into a 'through' railway from Yarmouth and Norwich to King's Lynn. It provided a shorter route from North Norfolk to King's Lynn than that provided by the Great Eastern Railway. The Lynn & Fakenham Railway began services from King's Lynn railway station to Fakenham on 6 August 1880. The extension to Norwich was opened to traffic in December 1882. The connection to North Walsham was completed on 5 April 1883 thereby enabling through-running to Great Yarmouth over a line constructed by the Yarmouth & North Norfolk Light Railway, some three months after the Lynn & Fakenham Railway, the Yarmouth & North Norfolk and other small companies had merged to form the Eastern & Midlands Railway'
Both the Lynn & Fakenham and the Yarmouth & North Norfolk lines were built by Messrs Wilkinson & Jarvis of
Growth of Melton Constable
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From a population of 118 in 1881, Melton Constable grew rapidly with the arrival of the railway to reach a figure of 1,157 in 1911. The construction of a railway junction and establishment of a railway works transformed a small parish of 19 houses into what became known as the "Crewe of North Norfolk".[5] Due to its central location on the M&GN, Melton Constable became, after King's Lynn, one of the two main centres from which the M&GN was controlled; it was the line's engineering nerve centre from where an extensive 14-acre (57,000 m2) locomotive works operated over 180 miles (290 km) of track, building and repairing locomotives and catering for the civil engineering needs of the line.[6] All M&GN traffic from and to the west had to pass through Melton Constable where trains were divided or made-up before proceeding west, where goods trains were shunted and assembled.[7]
To attract and retain workers to such an isolated location, the railway company engaged a contractor to construct housing in the nearby parish of
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Melton_Constable_railway_station_2028242_4dd2f542.jpg/220px-Melton_Constable_railway_station_2028242_4dd2f542.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Melton_Constable_6_63_copy.jpg/220px-Melton_Constable_6_63_copy.jpg)
Station buildings
The station buildings were located close to the great hall at Melton Constable Hall made famous by its use in the film The Go Between. The land on which the station was built on had been donated by Lord Hastings who was in return provided with a specially-appointed waiting room with an adjoining short platform.[12] Other than this private platform, the station was equipped with a single 800 feet (240 m) island platform with through tracks on either side.
Access to the platform was via a covered staircase which descended from an adjacent road overbridge to reach a long, single-storey station building containing the booking office and refreshment room. At the eastern end of the platform, there was a single-storey brick public waiting room and toilet block, which was subsequently rebuilt with an outer casing of concrete blocks. The main station building was constructed using yellow brickwork, with the exterior woodwork painted in a two-tone green and cream colour when the London and North Eastern Railway took over operation of the M&GN. The platform was largely covered by a long canopy supported by metal spandrels bearing the initials "CNR", a reference to the failed Central Norfolk Railway scheme. A trap door on the platform surface led to the station cellars.[13]
The station and junctions were controlled by two
Locomotive Works
The works were situated to the south of the main station buildings and opened in 1883. It was principally a locomotive repair establishment, with the stock accessing the works via a headshunt connection beside the Melton to Norwich line. William Marriott and his workforce carried out several major rebuilding operations at the works, including the reboilering of the M&GN's 4-4-0 and 0-6-0 engines, progressively enlarging them. Up to 12 engines could be housed in the works' three-road engine shed which was situated between the passenger station and the works.[15] Part of the works was dedicated to the large scale production of concrete mouldings which were innovatively used by Marriott in the construction of signals and building blocks. The works closed in 1936 resulting in a significant reduction of activity at Melton Constable.[16]
Decline and closure
Operation of the M&GN was taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway on 1 October 1936 which transferred all locomotive operations to its
Present and future
Melton Constable is today a rather smaller village with around 500 inhabitants. The station was demolished in 1971, to be replaced by a telephone exchange. Two of the ornamental spandrels that held up the station roof are incorporated into the bus shelter on the B1354 Briston Road. The land of the old railway works is now an industrial estate and the sidings an artisan bakery, but a number of the old buildings have been retained.
The Norfolk Orbital Railway has long-term plans to restore the line to Melton Constable.[23][24][25]
References
- ^ Butt, R.V.J., p. 158.
- ^ Clinker, C.R., p. 94.
- ^ British Railways Atlas (1947) p. 18.
- ^ Joby, R.S., p. 28.
- ^ "The Insider's Guide and History of Melton Constable in Norfolk, 2007". Archived from the original on 26 January 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ^ Clark, M.J., p. 38.
- ^ Joby, R.S., p. 28.
- ^ Joby, R.S., p. 29.
- ^ North Norfolk District Council, "Melton Constable Conservation Area: Adoption of Character Appraisal and Management Plans", June 2008.
- ^ Jenkins, S.C., p. 87.
- ^ Clark, M.J., p. 38.
- ^ Adderson, R. and Kenworthy, G., Melton Constable to Yarmouth Beach, Plate 8.
- ^ Jenkins, S.C., p. 83.
- ^ Jenkins, S.C., p. 87.
- ^ Jenkins, S.C., p. 85-87.
- ^ Jenkins, S.C., p. 89.
- ^ Clark, M.J., p. 6.
- ^ Adderson, R. and Kenworthy, G., Melton Constable to Yarmouth Beach, Plate 6.
- ^ Joby, R.S., p. 39.
- ^ Adderson, R. and Kenworthy, G., Branch Lines Around Cromer, Plate 3.
- ^ The Insider's Guide and History of Melton Constable in Norfolk, 2007.
- ^ Oppitz, L., p. 30.
- ^ Could any closed East Anglian railway lines be reopened as the government seeks to ‘reverse Beeching?’
- ^ WATCH: Keeping plans to bring back the railway on track
- ^ Full Steam Ahead
Bibliography
- Adderson, R.; Kenworthy, G. (2007). Branch Lines around Cromer. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-901706-26-0.
- Adderson, R.; Kenworthy, G. (2007). Melton Constable to Yarmouth Beach. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-906008-03-1.
- Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Sparkford, Somerset: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
- Clark, M.J. (1990). Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway; Railway World Special. Shepperton, Walton-on-Thames: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1900-2.
- Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977. Bristol: Avon-AngliA Publications & Services. ISBN 0-905466-19-5.
- Jenkins, Stanley C. (1991). The Melton Constable to Cromer Branch. Headington, Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-419-9.
- Joby, R.S. (1985). Forgotten Railways: Vol. 7 East Anglia. Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-25-9.
- Oppitz, Leslie (1999). Lost Railways of East Anglia (Lost Railways). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 1-85306-595-1.
External links
- Melton Constable station on navigable 1946 O. S. map
- http://good-times.webshots.com/album/568383821UaWnym?vhost=good-times
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Hindolvestone Line and station closed |
Midland and Great Northern Norwich Branch |
Holt Line and station closed | ||
Thursford Line and station closed |
Midland and Great Northern Yarmouth Line |
Corpusty and Saxthorpe Line and station closed | ||
Holt Line and station closed |
Midland and Great Northern Cromer Branch |
Terminus | ||
Future services | ||||
Holt Line and station closed |
Norfolk Orbital Railway | Thursford Line and station closed |