The Queen's Lost Railway: Rediscovering the King's Lynn to Hunstanton Line

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  • @thomasthornton2002
    @thomasthornton2002 4 роки тому +37

    13:44 “Today there is nothing”
    the narration is always great on these videos but that one really hit home

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +4

      I must admit I was quite deliberate in trying to convey the railway's desolation in Hunstanton!

    • @noeldunford4955
      @noeldunford4955 4 місяці тому

      This railway needs to be reinstated now

  • @epj900
    @epj900 4 роки тому +58

    It always strikes me how unobtrusive the railways where(are) compared to roads, and how little impact they have on the countryside. Thanks for another great video

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +15

      I totally agree - railways always seem like part of the landscape, whereas roads feel like a blight on it!

    • @neiloflongbeck5705
      @neiloflongbeck5705 4 роки тому +4

      That's not exactly true ask any pilot. You can follow many long gone railway lines from the air, especially where the old boundaries have been left in place. If you're not a pilot you can do this on Google maps satellite view.
      Railways were a scar on the landsacpe until they stopped keeping the embankments clear of trees, leading to the problems every autumn with leaves on the line.

  • @dominustaker1651
    @dominustaker1651 2 роки тому +19

    Shockingly, many including myself are calling apon the government to reinstate the line. Not only would it drastically decrease traffic on the A149, but would also help those get to places such as Cambridge or London.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому +3

      I've heard of this worthy campaign - best of luck to you!

    • @VickersDoorter
      @VickersDoorter Рік тому +3

      East Anglia has suffered significant economic and cultural decline over the last six decades due to the loss of a number of key lines; the Wisbech-March route being but one ( having attended Wisbech Grammar School in the 1970s, I know full well). Had the sky-rocketing billions wasted on HS2 been put into a countrywide network restoration programme, the entire country would be far better off and road traffic reduced. These characterful far reaches of East Anglia would certainly enjoy a much-needed resurrection.

    • @lordgemini2376
      @lordgemini2376 Рік тому +3

      @@VickersDoorter In due time, both can and should be achieved. It is equally important to reopen these lost railways as it is to build a modern High Speed Line to alleviate capacity and increase journey times between the natiions biggest cities and thus increasing service frequency to many of the smaller towns that still have stations. We shouldn't be calling for a cancellation of HS2 at this point but additional investment on top of it.

    • @None-zc5vg
      @None-zc5vg Рік тому

      @@lordgemini2376 They can't simply be "reopened", they have to be rebuilt, and the land often has to be repurchased at modern-day prices. and there's no longer the supply of plentiful/disposable Irish slave labour to do all the spade work for next to nothing.

  • @julieroberts3815
    @julieroberts3815 Рік тому +3

    Great to learn about the Kings lynn to Hunstanton railway line. But its a pity the narrator kept on saying Hunstan line instead of Hunstanton

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  Рік тому

      Glad you enjoyed the film, could I urge you to read the pinned comment RE: pronunciation, which explains things

  • @michaelgamble296
    @michaelgamble296 4 роки тому +17

    When I stayed with my Granny in Rosebery Avenue, Gaywood, Kings Lynn, during the War, she and I used often to go by bus to Kings Lynn and get a train to Hunstan. We always called it that for that was what all the locals called it. It was the nearest Holiday town from Kings Lynn and was very popular. Sometimes we went by double-decker bus - but that was quite scary going round 'Onion Corner' - where a double-decker bus had overturned a little time before! Where the bus came in to Hunstan at the top end of the town there is what seemed to me a vertiginous drop down to the Station, the cliff top and beach. One popular past-time was digging up Cockles on the beach and shrimping in the many pools there. The tall cliffs are very colourful - pity you didn't swing your camera around to shew the stripey red and white tall cliffs! Also the beach is strewn with huge boulders broken from the cliffs, which accounted for the many pools there. It's a huge beach when the tide is out - but beware! when the tide comes in again it does so with amazing rapidity! There used to be a Pier at Hunstan and from it one could gaze across the Wash (where King Charles lost his Jewels) and see the 'Boston Stump' - the tower of the church in Boston. Long gone are the huge tangles of barbed wire from the war-time, along with the Pier and, sadly, the Railway. It should never have closed.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +3

      Thank you for your remarks which brought the past back to life in a way my films never can.

    • @pamelaspooner8335
      @pamelaspooner8335 4 роки тому +2

      I believe you mean King John, not Charles.

  • @michaelhogan5920
    @michaelhogan5920 4 роки тому +28

    Having retired to Kings Lynn 4 years ago and worked on the railways for 30 years this was so informative, just like all the other videos you have done, and long may they continue.

  • @tigglepig
    @tigglepig 4 роки тому +22

    I enjoyed this a lot. The drab car park in Hunstanton that replaced a busy station and an attractive hotel was sad to see.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +7

      Really glad you liked the film - and yes, it is a dispiriting sight to see the situation today!

  • @Hammondfreak
    @Hammondfreak 4 роки тому +3

    Great video of a lost and well loved line. My family moved to Heacham from London in 1963 and I regularly used the railway to Lynn and Huns'ton. In the summer there were some steam trains with 12 carriages, full of holidaymakers coming to the caravan parks in Heacham. Every two weeks they would go home and a new influx would arrive. Diesel traction soon took over and in the winter months DMU's took me to and from college in King's Lynn. From our house I could see the train coming from Sunny Hunny and would sprint to the station to catch it just in time. The steam trains were just magical. It was a tragedy when we lost this railway. Old Norfolk people tend to ignore the middle consonant of a place name thus Huns'ton, Snett'sam, Ingle'sthorpe and Ders'nam. However, conversely, they will call someone by their middle name rather than their first. I still don't quite understand this nor why this beautiful line was closed in 1969.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Thank you for sharing your vivid memories of this line, wonderful!

    • @Hammondfreak
      @Hammondfreak 4 роки тому +1

      You are very welcome and thank you for posting it.

  • @jaundicedoutlook7247
    @jaundicedoutlook7247 4 роки тому +33

    "...replaced with this less elegant structure." now theres an understatement lol. Excellent stuff yet again. Many thanks. That was just the ticket after a very long day at work. Excellent music also, although I must admit I do prefer the Wendy Carlos version.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed it - I had her version in mind and lines from A Clockwork Orange throughout the making of this one! So glad you enjoyed the film.

  • @phunter192
    @phunter192 4 роки тому +5

    Having spent a lot of my childhood at my Grandparents house, Crossing Keepers house at Wolferton. I have great memories of the railway. My Grandfather worked the signalbox at Wolferton as it closed. Thank you for the wonderful film, which i'm sure I shall come back to frequently.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +3

      I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the film and that it stirred those wonderful memories!

  • @PaulB-justme
    @PaulB-justme 4 роки тому +5

    Having known someone who retired to Heacham, and being a lifelong steam railway enthusiast, I have spent many happy days exploring the stations and sights of the Kings Lynn to Hunstanton railway back in the late 1980's and early 90's. Your film is a lovely reminder of those days - thank you ever so much!

  • @Faulty720
    @Faulty720 3 роки тому +2

    One of the goods bays including a wooden buffer stop still remains at Hunstanton as does the old refreshment and waiting room which is now a pub. There is also a small museum and piece of track and a signal have been erected with info boards.

  • @alanstebbings2886
    @alanstebbings2886 3 роки тому +3

    Love you've used the local pronunciation and missed the tan out of Hunstanton
    Happy memories of my childhood of day trips from Cambridge

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      Thank you - yes this was how John Betjemen pronounced it and that was good enough for me!

  • @stephenphillip5656
    @stephenphillip5656 2 роки тому +1

    A well researched and presented video, thank you.
    On 8th September 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd passed away peacefully at her private residence Balmoral, Aberdeenshire. She was 96 & had reigned for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.
    Rest In Peace your Majesty, reunited with Philip & forever in our thoughts. Thank you Ma'am ...thank you for everything.

  • @shinvelcro
    @shinvelcro 4 роки тому +7

    That was great, nicely shot & the silence save for the wind & whistles really helped add the feeling that it is all gone now.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Thank you - yes, the quiet really helps with the atmosphere! Really glad you enjoyed the film.

  • @andrewholloway231
    @andrewholloway231 4 роки тому +14

    Beautifully filmed, wonderfully narrated. I enjoyed this. Thank you very much.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed it Andrew! You know how I value your opinion on my films, so I'm happy it didn't disappoint - wishing you a Merry Christmas!

  • @GamingJamesGames
    @GamingJamesGames 4 роки тому +10

    This is the kind of History Class I like.

  • @michaelpilling9659
    @michaelpilling9659 4 роки тому +12

    Absolutley brilliant. Thank you so very much for making this remarkable film. Superb camera work and a wonderful commentary.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      So very kind of you to say so, thank you. Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New year.

  • @RediscoveringLostRailways
    @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +65

    You can help me ever so much by giving the film a *like* by hitting *subscribe* and by *sharing* it widely. Might you consider supporting my channel even more? www.buymeacoffee.com/rediscovering *HunSTAN* vs *HunSTANton* - Like many, I always thought it was Hun-STAN-ton and I know that this pronunciation is, today, most common. According to this website, the town is also 'known locally as "Hunston"' (www.visitwestnorfolk.com/plac... - moreover, this is how John Betjeman pronounces it in his marvellous film concerning this line, which you should watch as it inspired me (tinyurl.com/ybry2pff).
    So there we are. May I suggest we lighten up and move on? After all, this channel is happy to share the sentiment of Hunstanton's motto: "Alios delectare juvat"

    • @norfolksdisusedrailways4353
      @norfolksdisusedrailways4353 4 роки тому +6

      People asked me where did you go
      To school hunstan in my Norfolk accent mate.or sunny hunny 😂😉

    • @ukar69
      @ukar69 4 роки тому +6

      Norfolk is full of place names that are pronounced differently to how they're spelt. Case in point - Happisburgh!

    • @lewis72
      @lewis72 4 роки тому +5

      I've never heard Hunstanton be called Hun'ston before.
      I've known many people from there and have always heard it called Hun-stan-ton for decades, as well as on the local news and radio.

    • @christopherbrown8205
      @christopherbrown8205 4 роки тому +2

      Thank you for the explanation. I was wondering.

    • @TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels
      @TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels 4 роки тому +1

      Thanks for posting. The locals always pronounce Norfolk place names in that way, but in this case it had never occurred to me. Such a shame to see so much of the old line gone, but a lovely video. Have a great Christmas yourself.

  • @PopsCoffee
    @PopsCoffee 4 роки тому +6

    What a superb video! Thanks so much for making it with such loving care and thorough research. It meant a lot to me as I occasionally travelled with my mother on that line in the 1940s, when visiting my father - a soldier in World War II, who was among those guarding the coast near Hunstanton.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the film and that it stirred some remarkable memories - thank you for your kind words

  • @LewisCollard
    @LewisCollard 4 роки тому +12

    So good! As someone that has lived in the Lynn area for many many years I'm glad that you found remnants (like those nice fence posts) that even I have never seen. Keep up your fantastic work!

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Thank you so much! I missed a platelayer's hut between Snettisham and Hunstanton, which I'm kicking myself over!

  • @Gary0557
    @Gary0557 3 роки тому +1

    Fantastic that some of these stations have been preserved.

  • @rogerrabbit6185
    @rogerrabbit6185 4 роки тому +2

    Great memories. I recall around1950 attending a one week Boy Scout Jamboree at the Sandringham estate. We boarded our train at great Chesterford with much stuff going into the guards van and then heading off for kings Lynn.. and then on to Sandringham station where a large contingent of boy scouts disembarked along with many tents, tent poles, pots and pans. etc. Once we had been organised into some semblance of a scout troop, we then proceeded to march to Sandringham, no doubt singing all the way. The weather in July was just perfect. Great Vlog.

  • @jjskn93
    @jjskn93 4 роки тому +8

    Abit of a sad one. Puts me in mind of the Mumbles railway. Thankfully it's overshadowed by how well done you're videos are. I very much like how elegantly you narrate them. I look forward to more.
    Also I wouldn't worry to much about how locals call a place vs how emmits do it. There's never a right answer. Haha

  • @philclennell
    @philclennell 4 роки тому +4

    Another lovely piece of work - much as we now expect - and nice to hear the music of Purcell making a solemn and regal appearance. Most suitable for a defunct railway!

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      I had the piece in mind when making the film and its worked rather well! Thanks for your ongoing support and wishing you a very happy Christmas.

  • @chrimbo90
    @chrimbo90 4 роки тому +4

    A wonderful virtual ramble through the countryside!

  • @nouvalari
    @nouvalari 4 роки тому +3

    Another exceptional film, proving that even with modern technology, there are those who excel with delivery, accuracy and content.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      That's really very kind of you to pay my films this compliment - it means a lot. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

  • @tominnis8353
    @tominnis8353 Рік тому +1

    Yet another polished film. Thank you.
    I've watched the excellent 'John Betjemen Takes the Train' many times and have explored much of this line whist staying at Heacham station old waiting room! Indeed, how sad to see Hunstanton as it now is.

  • @AlistairQuinn
    @AlistairQuinn 3 роки тому +2

    It's lovely seeing Wolferton! My Great-Grandad Barrett used to walk the line and roll out the red carpet for the royals, my Great Uncle used to Chauffeur them too. I remember going to see Mr Skillings in the station masters house in the 70's after the line had been shut.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      Wonderfully evocative memories! How splendid to have such a close personal connection to the goings on at this remarkable station!

  • @johnhorne4891
    @johnhorne4891 Рік тому +2

    I went to Hunstanton, by train, in the summer of 1953 and stayed on a caravan site near the Gasworks and had to cross the line via a Level Crossing in order to reach the sea. However my biggest lasting memory of that holiday was seeing railway carriages lying on there sides in some windings just before the station as a result of the nude East Cost floods earlier that year.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  Рік тому

      Those are some very striking memories, no wonder they remain with you, thanks so much for sharing!

  • @kesterdeoliveira2200
    @kesterdeoliveira2200 2 роки тому +2

    We used to go to Hunstanton on holiday when I was vert young and I remember the wonderful hotel at the end of the line. It was horrible to visit later and see that hideous building that replaced it.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому +1

      Wonderful memories. Yes the new building where the hotel once was is such a carbuncle.

  • @HenrysAdventures
    @HenrysAdventures Рік тому +2

    Another very interesting video. While I think its unlikely to reopen, at least it seems like not to much of the trackbed has been built on.

  • @timdaugherty5921
    @timdaugherty5921 4 роки тому +8

    What a wonderful video! Love how they preserve the old stations)

  • @dmi60
    @dmi60 4 роки тому +2

    This was a trip down memory lane. Two days shy of my 9th birthday along with about 250 others I traveled on the last scheduled passenger train from Hunstanton to Kings Lynn with my grandad. I’ve still got the ticket and press cutting from the Lynn News and Advertiser with an article and photo of the event.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      I'm so pleased my film complemented your remarkable memories of this line and its last day. Many thanks for taking the time to comment.

  • @tomburton8239
    @tomburton8239 4 роки тому +3

    Great vid - THANKS. Wolferton station is a delight to visit. You can drop in and walk around (sensitively, private residences). Get chatting with the guy who looks after it, and he’ll show you his workshop (amazing!) and scrap books (showing photos of numerous Victorian and Edwardian royalty being met at the station and escorted by mounted cavalry up the road to Sandringham.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      I'll be up there like a shot once the weather is good again - thanks so much for your kind words about my film!

  • @ianr
    @ianr 4 роки тому +9

    As always, superb photography, narration, music and research. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
    Have a good Christmas & New year. 🙂

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +2

      I always welcome the opinion of my subscribers especially those who have been with me for some time - thank you and same to you!

  • @kohedunn
    @kohedunn 3 роки тому +1

    Absolutely marvelous.... I wish it were still there...

  • @daystatesniper01
    @daystatesniper01 4 роки тому +6

    Yep another great upload ,nice to see so many of the station buildings still standing as well

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Most kind of you - thank you! It is pleasing to see them still standing isn't it - it makes a rare change! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

  • @ashleydoak9357
    @ashleydoak9357 4 роки тому +2

    What an absolutely beautiful video massive fan of your work 👏 👌 🙌

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      That's really very kind of you to say so, thank you. Have you subscribed? If not there's more to enjoy!

  • @xr6lad
    @xr6lad 2 роки тому +1

    Sadly; not only have we lost the railway; we’ve lost the Queen. RIP 2022.

  • @Byzmax
    @Byzmax 4 роки тому +9

    Wonderful as usual. Really look forward to these films you do..

  • @roystudds1944
    @roystudds1944 4 роки тому +3

    Your video popped up as a suggestion on my home page this morning and I couldn’t resist having a look. What a delightful way to start the day! Wonderful pictures and superb commentary. Have subscribed and look forward to seeing your other videos. Fantastic research. Always read the comments when I watch any videos, just a shame others don’t before they have to add their own. Happy Christmas and a better 2021 to you.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      I'm so glad that you have found my channel and thank you so much for your kind words and subscription. Please have a rummage through my films and let me know what you think. Agreed RE: people's comments - they see these as opportunities to broadcast rather than converse. Thank you again!

  • @DavidFisher-e8e
    @DavidFisher-e8e Рік тому +1

    What a delight,and most informative are all your program's keep up the good work.

  • @jameswright7284
    @jameswright7284 2 роки тому +1

    Can't believe I didn't realise I was on a former station site the many times I've visited Hunstanton.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому

      Glad to be of service, though given how there's next to nothing left, don't reproach yourself!

  • @revjonathan3166
    @revjonathan3166 4 роки тому +2

    Thankyou for this video. I remember as a boy in the 1960's going through Kings Lynn from Wisbech Station and then to Hunstanton. I also remember as a Boy Scout, camping at Wolverton. My parents had a holiday caravan based at the Snettisham Caravan Park. Many of my happiest days were spent in this whole area.This video brought me to tears. Thankyou so much for making it available. Oh, by the way, I have never heard Hunstanton, spoken as Hunston.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      The pronunciation was news to me too (see my pinned comment). Really glad you enjoyed the film and that it stirred some remarkable memories. A number of people on here have commented with regards to the scout meetings at Wolferton, so I imagine some of your contemporaries have seen this film also! Thanks again for your kind words.

  • @weerwolfproductions
    @weerwolfproductions 3 роки тому +1

    If you ever get to journey north, there's an old railway that went from Aberdeen up the Dee valley. When i lived near Banchory i used to walk the old track bed through the woods to go to the town's centre. This is over 20 years ago, and by that time already several houses had been build on part of the track closer to the town. I have no idea how much of it still remains. The royal family used to travel the railway on the way to Balmoral.
    It's a shame so many railways got taken out when no one could forsee their demand returning in these times.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      I'd be delighted to check this one out (Scotland is my favourite place to holiday!).

  • @daipayanmajumder1186
    @daipayanmajumder1186 4 роки тому +4

    Excellent as always, and also the foggy weather was a perfect fit for this documentary. Enjoyed it very much!

  • @jacquelinearcher1158
    @jacquelinearcher1158 Рік тому +1

    Oh it breaks my heart to see this line closed…shame it was never saved for a tourist line as they did in Paignton Dartmouth line..it would make a wonderful attraction….gone but not forgotten.thank you

  • @Ericbryanmr
    @Ericbryanmr 4 роки тому +2

    My grandad took me to Wolferton on our way up to Blakney on Boxing day 2018. I seem to remember a sign saying "Private Residence, No Entry", am i mistaken? Or has it since become a museum? Wikipedia seems to indicate that it was once a museum, but became a private building after the owner died and his son no-longer wished to continue the failing business.
    It was a really nice lasting relic of what once was, sitting at the edge of the fields in the shadow of the woods, a stones-throw away from Sandringham.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Yes someone else mentioned that the museum might well have closed. What a shame this would be and I'm sorry I was too late to visit!

  • @ypsilon5277
    @ypsilon5277 4 роки тому +1

    Have just discovered the video...Wonderful architecture and a superb narration....so sad to see what was the back bone of English life......thank you.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      So pleased you enjoyed the film, do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series!

  • @zulkiflijamil4033
    @zulkiflijamil4033 3 роки тому +1

    Hello, a well documented and excellent video and photos. Thank you for sharing.
    🏆🥇⭐👍

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      Very kind of you to say so, thank you - so glad you enjoyed the film!

    • @zulkiflijamil4033
      @zulkiflijamil4033 3 роки тому

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways
      Actually, I had stayed in King's Lynn in Sep 1980 - August 1982; for my A levels at NORCAT but nowadays its called College of West Anglia
      so used to travel to London Liverpool Street from Kings Lynn. That time the train service is called British Rail. Among other stations I had went to include Sheffield, Edinburgh Waverly Station and Glasgow.
      Stations which i had remembered i passed through not went to were Ely, Downham Market, Cambridge, Doncaster, York, Newcastle. It was a great experience for me. Down memory lane.

  • @mirutanable
    @mirutanable 4 роки тому +7

    first time hearing the use of chains as a measurement before.... i guess you learn something new every day.... still one hell of a great vid to watch and i look forward to more

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Yes, I must admit I don't know how long a chain is!!

    • @johnhewlett4872
      @johnhewlett4872 4 роки тому +4

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways 22 yards or roughly 20 meters. It is the length of a cricket pitch and is still used on the UK railways as a unit of measure

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      @@johnhewlett4872 Wonderful! Thank you so much for clearing that up! Most kind.

    • @Pesmog
      @Pesmog 4 роки тому +1

      Our local cricket club and I suspect many others still use a 22 yard chain to mark out the pitches at the start of the season.

    • @AtheistOrphan
      @AtheistOrphan 4 роки тому +3

      Network Rail still uses chains as a unit of measurement. Take a look at any railway bridge and you’ll see a plate attached to it stating the distance to the line’s terminus as ‘32 M 23 Ch’ for example.

  • @stephenbrasher
    @stephenbrasher 3 роки тому +1

    The Sandringham Hotel was "replaced by a less elegant structure". A very polite way of putting it. :)

  • @andrewcox8889
    @andrewcox8889 4 роки тому +4

    You do a super job with these. Excellent research. Narrative is interesting. Pulling the past together with the present. As a third generation Canadian Railroader I find the parallels in railway history between the UK and Canada fascinating.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +2

      Thank you kindly! To get the approval of a railway insider is all the more flattering. Thank you again.

    • @margotishrn
      @margotishrn 2 роки тому

      I would love to see the line pass through Wolferton.... On the same alignment

  • @vicsams4431
    @vicsams4431 2 роки тому +1

    A well-researched and enjoyable video of one of the most sad losses to the British railway scene. This line should never have closed. Alas I was only 3 years old when it closed, and my parents never took me on it.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому

      Many thanks indeed - great shame this one closed!

    • @vicsams4431
      @vicsams4431 2 роки тому

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways I have heard wild pipe dreams of this line reopening, but I think the improved A149 road is on part of the old trackbed. It would have made sense with the road traffic, as you say, to keep the line, especially in the holiday periods, and for royal train traffic. Even if it was worked as a heritage line with volunteer staff. Sadly back then, they never had a PSO (Public Service Obligation) Grant for rural routes to stay open on hardship / environmental grounds. Plus Beeching, Marples, Barbara Castle etc. never counted the fares TO the branch lines they closed, just the fares generated ON the branch itself. If counting all the tickets sold from say, London, hardly any railway would have shut, even on economic grounds. But the objective was to close lines, and BR obeyed their political masters, who held the purse strings. I think of those that died during construction of these abandoned railways, the lives ruined by loss of employment and loss of public transport. Only 50 years later, when our roads are total gridlock, do people have regrets. Well done for highlighting what we are missing.

  • @davidw2942
    @davidw2942 4 роки тому +2

    Thank you for a wonderful production.
    I was born in Kings Lynn and my brother and I have often talked about the old railway to Sunny Hunny though I never got chance to travel on the line.
    All the best.

  • @craigboii9022
    @craigboii9022 3 роки тому +2

    You’ll think I’m lying but my great great grandad drove George VI down to London, so glad this was on my page this was so good 👍

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      No cause to believe you're lying, I think that is a really remarkable connection to have - thanks for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed the film!

  • @daviddent8822
    @daviddent8822 4 роки тому +2

    Thank you for your reply I hope to see a video on the branch in the future. Passenger services ceased in 1951, but goods continued until 1966 and the branch was I believe used for some film and tv work.

  • @tango6nf477
    @tango6nf477 3 роки тому +1

    Having watched this excellent video my finger hovered over the subscribe button not sure whether to press or not. This was no reflection on the video, rather that the video left me so sad, sad at the waste and short sightedness of previous generations in destroying this line and I knew that by watching more of your videos I would experience the same. Anyway I pressed it because this was quite the best one on the subject that I have seen so thank you and I look forward to viewing the rest. Happy new year.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      I'm really glad you decided to join - thank you. Yes, some of these films can be rather sombre, but I hope that isn't always a deterrent! once again, many thanks.

  • @7chill87
    @7chill87 3 роки тому +2

    Excellent and very interesting film. I was born in Lynn and lived in Heacham until I was 10. I have memories of walking along the former railway lines, which could be accessed by the playing field. My nan used to live on Station Road in a strange wooden house, which was partly comprised of a couple of old railway carriages. I remember being thoroughly confused by this as a child 😂!
    The way in which Hunstanton and Snettisham were pronounced made me smile, as that's how my dad does it, albeit in a slightly ironic way as it's relatively rare now.
    I hope you do a film on the branch from Heacham to Wells. I went to school in Wells and the cross-country course started at the old cutting in the grounds of the school.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the film and thank you for sharing your wonderful memories - particularly intrigued by the house made of carriages!

  • @cheeseysponge944
    @cheeseysponge944 3 роки тому +2

    I went to Wolverton its lovely I go there once a year

  • @vladekcirin6080
    @vladekcirin6080 3 роки тому +1

    Another moving, sensitive look at the past/present. Brilliant - very well done indeed. Thank you for your care and attention to detail.

  • @petecollins4925
    @petecollins4925 4 місяці тому +1

    Having just found your channel from the Southwold line video I was intrigued to see this one covering another of my favourite destinations. I'm usually at Hunstanton for two long weekends every year and never realised that the railway actually ran through where the holiday park we stay at is nowadays. In fact, looking at the area on Google maps it's not much more than a stone's throw from where the station would have been. Must take a little diversion next time that I drive up there to have a look at Wolferton station. Thanks for another excellent video, subscribed.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 місяці тому

      Thank you so much for your subscription and I absolutely endorse the idea of exploring parts of this wonderful line!

  • @Clivestravelandtrains
    @Clivestravelandtrains 4 роки тому +1

    Thanks - I must book a stay at the holiday home in Heacham now you've given them a free plug! I try to visit East Anglia once a year to visit my cousins in Lowestoft, only missing this year due to lock-down, and am always looking for somewhere new to stay en route. By the way, in Hunstanton there's a small café on a corner, and if you want a cake with your coffee, you go to the bakers' shop next door and order your cake. It is then placed on a plate and passed through a mysterious hatch into the café! I love these little quirks of life.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Glad to be of service - I swear I saw the B&B up for sale recently, though I could be mistaken...

    • @Clivestravelandtrains
      @Clivestravelandtrains 4 роки тому

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways I found their website -really good. Hopefully I can base myself there for a few days in 2021!
      www.oldstationheacham.com/

  • @MrThedelivered
    @MrThedelivered 4 роки тому +4

    Always look forward to your vids, and again not disappointed.
    Thank you

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      So very kind of you to say so - thank you. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas indeed!

    • @MrThedelivered
      @MrThedelivered 4 роки тому

      You too, have a good christmas friend.

  • @Westwoodii
    @Westwoodii 4 роки тому +2

    Good to see this much-lamented line join the rolling stock of your definitive videos. A shame relatively little remains of it, aside from the gems like Wolferton. Some good natural habitat in former cuttings etc though, as at 11:33. A little silver lining, at least!

  • @arthurdeth7646
    @arthurdeth7646 4 роки тому +2

    The best video I've seen so far on this lost railway. Professionally produced and very informative. Well done.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the film, vthough I would submit that John Betjemen's film (see the pinned comment) is the superior product! Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series.

  • @JOYOUSONEX
    @JOYOUSONEX 4 роки тому +2

    Well done. I love videos like this even though they always make me sad. What once was, is no more.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Thanks so much for your comment! Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series.

  • @tobyrosoman7438
    @tobyrosoman7438 4 роки тому +3

    Thank you for another Great Video, packed with interesting details

  • @hythekent
    @hythekent 4 роки тому +2

    Thank you very much for this delight. A fascinating presentation

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Very kind of you to say so! Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series!

  • @treywalden7033
    @treywalden7033 2 роки тому +2

    My nan has a carvan a bit further up j never new therr was this much history to this littil railway

  • @davidmilne5122
    @davidmilne5122 4 роки тому +1

    Very enjoyable, if a little sad at the end. Good to see the railway and station buildings still standing with their heritage still intact. Your comment at Hunstanton about the hotel being ""replaced with this less elegant structure" is a masterclass in understatement!

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed it - thank you for taking the time to comment. Yes, I think tact is the best policy in these situations!

  • @stevedoubleu99B
    @stevedoubleu99B 4 роки тому +1

    Very nice piece of work. Great that so much still survives.

  • @bryannewman5012
    @bryannewman5012 4 роки тому +4

    A superbly made video, very enjoyable. Thank You.

  • @rwm2986
    @rwm2986 4 роки тому +1

    Thank you. Travelled the line once (in each direction) in the early 1960s on the way to and from Scout Camp at Thornham. Steam hauled from Liverpool Street to Kings Lynn and DMU to 'Sunny Hunny.' Those were the days!

  • @GretchenDawntreader
    @GretchenDawntreader 3 роки тому +1

    I see there's Rails to Trails in England as well. On Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA there used to be a rail line running all the way out to Providencetown at the tip of the Cape, this is long since gone but was made into a bike trail, which is lovely since it is railroad flat and connects all the touristy towns and national seashore parks.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      Sounds wonderful - yes a good number of former railways here in the UK have been made into very fine cycle paths!

  • @stephenharper9961
    @stephenharper9961 4 роки тому +4

    I can't wait to visit to see this line myself looks amazing

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому +1

      You should! Though as the video says, huge portions of it are on private land, so one can only walk portions of it at a time, but there is still much to see and enjoy.

    • @stephenharper9961
      @stephenharper9961 4 роки тому

      Yes I can imagine it is, and I noticed a holiday park, what is the name of the holiday park??

  • @paulbuckberry7683
    @paulbuckberry7683 4 роки тому +1

    As they say, ‘every day is a school day’!. I have lived local to the Wash all my life and I’ve never known it referred to as ‘Hunstan’ but always either ‘Hun-stan-ton or ‘Sunny-Hunny’. Nice video, very much enjoyed it. Thank you.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Thanks so much - I only referred to it as Hunston for the reasons expressed in the pinned comment. I know this pronunciation is outdated now. Really glad you enjoyed the film!

    • @paulbuckberry7683
      @paulbuckberry7683 3 роки тому +1

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways As I say ‘ every day is a school day’. I work in Wisbech, so took the opportunity to ask a person at work who I know lives north of Kings Lynn. Absolutely, yes, it’s know locally as ‘Hunstan’!!.

  • @wentonmastermind
    @wentonmastermind 4 роки тому +1

    Beautiful railway architecture - and no trains. Same old story. Once again, thank you so much for your hard work - and hard slog in walking the line. I live in Toronto and so I can not see myself visiting this line...

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Many thanks indeed and no slog at all :) I'm glad you can enjoy these trips from the comfort of your fine country.

  • @mikeuk4130
    @mikeuk4130 4 роки тому +1

    Brilliant film which makes me want to go to explore all those lovely buildings and locations. Perhaps that will take the place of Christmas.

  • @andrewboyd8073
    @andrewboyd8073 3 роки тому +1

    I always have a hobby alternate history projects involving trouist railroads made out of abandoned railroads here in the US.
    Your videos inspired me to do likewise with British routes, and the one in this video is one I can definitely envision as a successful heritage railway.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому +1

      So pleased that you found my film, enjoyed it and that it has offered some inspiration! Many thanks indeed!

    • @andrewboyd8073
      @andrewboyd8073 3 роки тому

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways On that front, you even gave me an idea to have the Great Central Main Line used as a freight-only route.

  • @greateasternj69
    @greateasternj69 4 роки тому +3

    I historically accurate and informative video on this lost railway. I did watch an older video on this line that was done back in 2007 when the signal box at North Wootton was still in it's original place. It was located on the other side of the road and the land of a local scout group.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Really glad you enjoyed the film - I should have liked to have seen that signal box, but I'm glad it found a new home!

  • @brothermoto1964
    @brothermoto1964 4 роки тому +2

    Enjoyed that. My birth place to my first holiday destination.

  • @pulsereading
    @pulsereading 2 роки тому +2

    Well done your pronunciation of local villages is perfect. Did you live in the region? I recall as a small child rushing up the bank at Heacham to see the steam train en route to Hunstanton. My family had strong links to Snettisham until the 1980s . Thanks for the enjoyable memories!

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому +3

      Thank you! I've come in for a lot of flak for the pronunciation, but I took my cue from John Betjemen whose film about this line inspired me. Really glad it stirred some happy memories!

  • @telemachus53
    @telemachus53 4 роки тому +1

    I walked the path beside the old track bed from Dersingham to Snettisham and was amazed at the pains the builders took to maintain the old station at Dersingham. Not so in Snettisham where not much of the old station remains. Except for the granary where I had a well earned cuppa. Apparently they had to move the signal from the line to behind the granary so it shouldn't "spoil" someone's back yard. Now if I had a signal in my garden... Many thanks for a great vid!

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      A lovely walk - and agreed about the signal and Dersingham station! Thanks ever so much for your comment!

  • @j.b.w.
    @j.b.w. 3 роки тому +1

    Excellent choice of music (funeral of Queen Mary), considering the line's history. Great video as always.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      Thank you - yes this was my first and only choice of music for this one - it seems most appropriate!

  • @saltleywsc
    @saltleywsc 4 роки тому +4

    Another superb film !

  • @Silver_Turtle
    @Silver_Turtle 3 роки тому +1

    This popped into my recommended file, for whatever reason I don't know. I'm glad it did; it was informative, interesting, albeit a little sad -- that line SHOULD be recreated. Others have stated that it would alleviate traffic congestion, and also for its history as the "shortcut" to Sandringham. Kudos to all involved from Illinois, USA.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      I'm so glad you enjoyed my film and thank you for your comments and thoughtful remarks. Always happy to hear from an American cousin! Do consider subscribing and enjoy my other films in the series 🙂

  • @whyyoulidl
    @whyyoulidl 3 роки тому +1

    Thank you again RLR; a lovely way to round off xmas day (well, actually boxing day as it's almost 3.30am!) Really appreciate the quality photography, editing, soundtrack and your commitment to local history by way of our (once) extensive railway network. Looking forward to more :-)

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  3 роки тому

      My pleasure and thank you for taking the time to say such nice things about my work 🙂

  • @josho1994
    @josho1994 10 місяців тому +1

    They need to reinstate the line! Would make my life a hell of a lot easier. Can't believe they removed it!

  • @truebrit3578
    @truebrit3578 3 роки тому +1

    Thank you for this excellent video. One of my first memories as a child is taking the train to Hunstanton to go on a summer holiday with my parents. For one reason or another, and despite an interest in British Railways I’d never read much about the line. Your video helped me a great deal.

  • @pjorgensen1661
    @pjorgensen1661 4 роки тому +3

    Nice video!!
    As usual
    Greetings from Stockholm 🙂

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Mange tak! With best wishes

    • @PiousMoltar
      @PiousMoltar 4 роки тому +1

      Oi you Scandinavians keep your eyes off our precious East Anglian lands!
      King Edmund will not be forgotten!
      :P

  • @johnmulligan7609
    @johnmulligan7609 4 роки тому +1

    Fantastic,loved it . I lived on the estate for 12 or so year just up the road from wolferton at West Newton and later Flitcham, Fantastic memories.

  • @EandEFC
    @EandEFC 4 роки тому +1

    Fantastic video walked the line a few years back so great to bring back happy memories

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      I'm so glad it did so. Thank you so much for your kind words about my film. Wishing you a very happy Christmas.

  • @lamiaitaly2549
    @lamiaitaly2549 4 роки тому +1

    Thank you. Wonderful video - I’ve enjoyed all of them

  • @DMWill65
    @DMWill65 4 роки тому +1

    Another triumph, as your videos become more and more sophisticated and informative. Looking forward to the next adventure 👍

  • @timkearsley
    @timkearsley 4 роки тому +2

    what a superb film sad as the line would save us being stuck in tailbacks on a visit to the seaside in the summer and would im sure have a been a viable concern as the poopy line is from Holt to Sheringham now

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Really glad you liked it - and agreed - the traffic it could take off the roads in the summer months would be considerable!

  • @dazt103
    @dazt103 4 роки тому +2

    Brilliant video again. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Really well filmed and narrated👍
    I live on the site of a former railway. Actually its 4 railways... A complex interwoven mass of lines.. Hardly any of it remains now. Blows my mind each time I compare the old OS maps against today.. Such a waste.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  4 роки тому

      Whereabouts are you? sounds fascinating!

    • @dazt103
      @dazt103 4 роки тому

      @@RediscoveringLostRailways
      Springs branch area nr Wigan.
      The area was once a busy, concentrated mix of lines, mainly serving coal mining, iron works, cotton mills etc..
      Wigan also once had 3 stations in the town centre.
      As I live in the area I've found it really interesting trying to locate the old routes on the ground, comparing todays images to how it used to look.

  • @grahamjordan1040
    @grahamjordan1040 2 роки тому +2

    As a boy I remember going to sunny hunny on the train, should never have been taken up and the line should be reinstated as travel by car and parking is a pain and far to expensive the council are killing Hunstanton

  • @oddities-whatnot
    @oddities-whatnot 2 роки тому +1

    Another wonderful video. So relaxing to watch, and so sad that so much of the railways have gone. Im glad some of the buildings survived on this line but the ending where its just a car park, how depressing. Holiday makers parking up will have no idea of the history beneath their feet.

    • @RediscoveringLostRailways
      @RediscoveringLostRailways  2 роки тому +1

      Thank you indeed! Yes there's little left to determine the railway's whwreabin Hunstanton...