Norwich City railway station

Coordinates: 52°38′04″N 1°17′16″E / 52.63445°N 1.28768°E / 52.63445; 1.28768
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Norwich City
Station in the early 1900s.
General information
LocationNorwich, Norwich
England
Coordinates52°38′04″N 1°17′16″E / 52.63445°N 1.28768°E / 52.63445; 1.28768
Platforms4
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyLynn and Fakenham Railway
Pre-groupingMidland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Post-groupingMidland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Key dates
2 December 1882Opened
2 March 1959Closed to passengers
24 February 1969Closed to freight
Norwich Branch
(Up arrow To Cromer)
Melton Constable
Hindolvestone
Guestwick
Whitwell & Reepham
Lenwade
Attlebridge
Drayton
Hellesdon
Norwich City

Norwich City railway station was located in Norwich, Norfolk, England and was closed in 1969.[1]

History[edit]

The remains of the bay platform in 2009.

The station was opened in 1882 by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway,[2] and later became the southern terminus of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (MG&N) line from Melton Constable. The station became well-used, with services to Cromer and through-carriages to a range of destinations including Peterborough and Leicester.

The station was badly bombed in the Baedeker raids of 1942[3] when the main building was largely destroyed. Thereafter, the station operated from "temporary" buildings constructed on the site.[4] Later in the war, in 1944, a B24 Liberator bomber of the USAF clipped the tower of St Philips Church and then was deliberately steered to crash into the station's sidings and coal yards to avoid the surrounding houses. The pilot and crew were all killed.[5]

The station was closed to passengers on 2 March 1959 along with most of the Midland & Great Northern system, although the station remained in use for goods traffic until 1969.[4]

Location[edit]

The old Norwich City station stood where a roundabout is situated on the Inner link road A147, which links Barn Road with St Crispins Road close to Anglia Square.[6][7] The present Norwich railway station is about 1 mile away, to the southeast.

Recent news and developments[edit]

The amateur group Friends of Norwich City Station (FONCS) has been set up to preserve what is left of the station and surrounding buildings. Current work is focused on the platform area. The Platform 1 wall has been discovered and the bay area has been cleared of undergrowth. The hope for the future is to uncover all the railway related parts to the area and turn it into a memorial garden. They are also documenting all those who served the station. Interpretation boards will be erected, some illustrating old photographs of the site. M&GN benches are hoped to also accompany these.[8]

Former services[edit]

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Terminus   Midland and Great Northern
Norwich Branch
  Hellesdon

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ British Railways Atlas.1947. p.18
  2. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  3. ^ Norfolk history Retrieved 23 April 2011
  4. ^ a b Storey, Neil R. (2015). The little book of Norwich. Stroud: The History Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-7509-6142-4.
  5. ^ McPherson, Stuart (10 April 2019). "Lady Jane". The Mile Cross Man. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
    Scorza, Darin. "Dooley Crew - Assigned 753rd Squadron - September 9, 1944". 458th Bombardment Group (H). Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  6. ^ Norwich Evening News 24
  7. ^ http://www.peterboggis.co.uk/Cycle_rides/Cyclemap3btext.jpeg[bare URL image file]
  8. ^ News report Retrieved 23 April 2011

External links[edit]