HOW TO RUN A RAILWAY - NORFOLK STYLE

CARRIAGE SIGN AT WELLS

Way back in the 1950s, this country was criss-crossed with Railway lines. They went everywhere, until one day a certain Dr Beeching, who knew all about these things because he had been a director of ICI, came up with a plan to hack the network to bits – which duly happened.

One of the lines removed wended its way across the North Norfolk Coast, and rejoiced under the evocative name of the Poppy Line. Since a certain part of the male members of this country have a “thing” about railway trains, sections of the old Poppy Line were saved, and have been restored and put into use as tourist Attractions.

The old line from Wells-next-the-Sea, to Walsingham, via Whighton and Wharham St Mary (you can see why the W on Norfolk typewriters wore out so quickly) was one of these. One man (it’s always one man, isn’t it?), whose name is Lt Commander Roy Francis had the drive and determination to convert the 4¼ mile line to 10¼” gauge, and, by dint of working from 1979 to 1982, completed the longest line of that size in the world.

It runs today across some beautifully understated English Countryside and offers a unique flashback in time for the many people who take the 30 minute journey. The pictures below show Today’s driver and guard, Benedict and Eric, who escort you onto the train and take charge of you as you wend your way inland. Polite, enthusiastic, happy, knowledgeable and very keen – you wonder what they have got that their equivalents on Monday’s 7.42am to London Euston haven’t.

The engine seen here is a modern One-off Garrett 2-6-0 0-6-2 design, built specially for the line in 1986, and very beautiful she is too. She shares the duties with a Diesel, very reminiscent of Toby The Tram Engine, and named, very poetically, Weasel.

All in all, a super day out, very evocative of times past, and a true demonstration that you can run a railway that is on time and is a pleasure to ride on.

"NORFOLK HERO" LEAVING WELLS STATION

"NORFOLK HERO" APPROACHING WALSINGHAM

SWING ROUND 180 DEGREES AND YOU SEE WHY IT'S CALLED THE "POPPY LINE"

ERIC THE GUARD, A GEORDIE WHO FONDLY REMEMBERS THE LNER STEAM TRAINS

THE PASSENGERS SEEM TO BE ENJOYING IT ALL!

LEAVING WALSINGHAM TO RETURN TO WELLS

DRIVER BENEDICT REVERSES SLOWLY TO COUPLE UP THE TRAIN

DRIVER BENEDICT GETTING READY TO SET OFF

DRIVER BENEDICT WELCOMES US TO HIS TRAIN

COALING UP FOR THE RETURN JOURNEY

Tags:

wells,
walsingham,
railway,norfolk

LITTLE WALSINGHAM - RELIGIOUS CENTRE

Little Walsingham, in North Norfolk, is one of the most intriguing villages in the country. 950 years ago, the widow of a Norman Knight had a vision of the Virgin Mary in the village, and a shrine was built there. It soon became one of the most important religious centres in the country, with an Augustan Priory and a Franciscan Priory being constructed there in the 12th Century. It became a major site for pilgrimages, rivalling Canterbury in some ways, with every monarch from Henry III (1226) to Henry VIII (1511) visiting the site, Henry VIII apperently walking the last mile bare-foot.

However, Henry VIII subsequently decreed the destruction and burning of the buildings and the image of Our Lady of Walsingham, but, in spite of this the village continued to prosper for the next 300 years, with many new Georgian buildings being erected. This prevailed until in the Victorian era, when hard times befell it, and the buildings became very derelict and tumbledown.

And so it remained until in 1921 a zealous priest, one Rev Alfred Hope Patten set about rebuilding and renovating the place. Because there was almost no money to do this, it ended up being renovation fortuitously using whatever was left there, rather than replacement. Hence the unique and very harmonious way the village looks today.

So what’s survives today is a thriving religious centre which is now visited by literally hundreds of thousands of people each year. The village still feels old, with medieval and Georgian facades aplenty. Little new building, apart from the main church which was burnt down and replaced in the mid 30s, has been constructed, which keeps a real sense of yesteryear there.

The pictures below are a small selection of images taken over the last couple of days, showing the mainly religious and medieval thread which runs through the place

Most definitely worth a visit.

DAFFODIL FIELD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE

HINGE ON THE DOOR OF THE VILLAGE PUMP

FOUR CONTRASTING BUT SYMPATHETIC BUILDING STYLES

WE HAVE LIFT OFF!

PRIEST PUTTING PALMS ON HOUSE DOORS

- IT'S PALM SUNDAY TODAY

MEDIEVAL HOUSES IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE

CEMETARY AND CHURCH

NOT EVERYWHERE IS RESTORED!

HISTORY IN THE STREET NAMES

REFLECTION IN CAR BOOT-LID

ONE OF THE VILLAGE GIFT SHOPS

Tags:

little walsingham,
walsingham,
norfolk,
photographs,
village,
england