It was a lovely bright morning ideal for cycling,
we parked the car at Reepham station where it is possible if you prefer
to hire a cycle for the day, but we had brought our own trusty steeds
which we managed to accommodate in the back of our old Saab 900, after
unloading our cycles we carried out a check on our single back pack, (which
we were to take turns carrying). Yes it was all there Crisps, Fruit, Sweets,
Drinks, and most importantly "The Puncture Repair Kit", we were
ready to go. But before we leave a brief history of Reepham station and
the line which once served it.
The first leg of our journey follows the original path of the Wroxham
to County School branch proposed by the East Norfolk Railway in 1878.
Principally as a ‘blocking line’ to try to discourage rival
companies who had interests in the district,
It was opened in stages: from Wroxham to Buxton Lamas in
1879, to Cawston in 1880, to Reepham in 1881 and County School in 1882.
As such it failed, and the line’s value depreciated only three years
later when the Eastern & Midlands Railway (later the M&GN) reached
Aylsham (North). Initially there were up to nine trains each way daily
on the GER line but within a few years this had fell to six, the line
was hardly a success although freight traffic was occasionally heavy with
cattle and later sugar beet from intermediate stations at Cawston and
Reepham. The Wroxham to County School line survived until 15th September
1952 when it was closed between Reepham and County School. Eventual survival
of the eastern section of the line was dependent on a link opened on 12th
September 1960 known as the Themblethorpe curve, built between the former
GER and M&GN lines close to the village of the same name. The curve
(which we will encounter on our journey) had the effect of reducing the
round journey from Norwich Thorpe to Norwich City stations from 64 to
40 miles with the journey via Cromer, Holt and Melton Constable no longer
necessary. Norwich City closed to passengers on 2nd March 1959 but continued
for freight purposes until almost 10 years later. When it closed on 3rd
February 1969 (the site became one of the City’s Industrial Estate’s),
the line was cut back to Lenwade where a ‘One Train’ single
line light railway continued until 3rd January 1983 to serve the Anglian
cement and Concrete works.
The whole line was finely taken up in the summer of 1984. At
Reepham remains of the railway are still very much in evidence the station
building and large goods shed are still intact and are used as business
premises, a pine furniture retailer operates from the old goods shed and
from the station building the cycle hire, museum and coffee and gift shop.
The up and down platforms and the road bridge to the East of the station
are also intact, although the road bridge which once carried the B1145
Reepham to Cawston road is now unused, the road was re-routed in an improvement
scheme.
We set off about 10.20 am in a westerly direction, after cycling for about
10 minutes we stopped to take in the view, the one thing which was most
noticeable was the total piece and quiet, miles from the road system and
the sound of traffic, I remember thinking we must do this more often it
really is worth making the effort.
We set off again and soon reached Themblethorpe curve, as we negotiate
the curve, leaving the GER track bed on our right we observe the first
signs of railway architecture on the M&GN route, this was the Themblethorpe
gate house (No. 21). After almost a complete U - turn we find ourselves
traveling along the old M&GN track bed (which ran from Melton Constable
to Norwich City, built by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway and opened in
1862), a little bumpier than the previous section nothing a good mountain
bike wouldn’t put right or maybe a sprung seat.
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