Wissington, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Wissington in Norfolk
is the site of British Sugar's largest refinery in the UK
, it is also the largest in Europe
. There has been a sugar factory there since 1925; however none of the rest of the village remains, other than the name. British Sugar has opened the UK's first bioethanol plant here.http://www.britishbioethanol.co.uk/IsolatedStorage/94175874-67b5-4c33-9f38-380233f14049/ContentAssets/Documents/Bioethanol/Media/Wissington%20Breaking%20Ground%20release%20270106.pdf
, and was also served by the Wissington Light Railway. This railway had been built in 1905, and opened in 1906, for the benefit of local farms. It left the Denver
(on the Great Eastern mainline, the Fen Line
), to Stoke Ferry
Railway at Abbey Junction, which was located near Station Farm. The line then crossed the river, and continued for some 10 miles (16.1 km) to a terminus at Poppylot. The line was unusual, in that it was not authorised either by an Act of Parliament
or by a Light Railway Order. The owners of the factory leased the line, and built another 8 miles (12.9 km) of track, which ensured that sugar beet could reach the plant in sufficient volume to make it efficient.
In addition to the railway transport, three tugs, named Hilgay, Littleport and Wissington, were used to transport goods from the factory to King's Lynn and coal from King's Lynn to the factory in a fleet of 24 steel barges. The Ministry of Agriculture deemed that the factory was of strategic importance during World War II
, and took responsibility for it from March 1941. They drafted in Italian prisoners of war to refurbish the railway, and to construct the first roads to the factory. River traffic ceased in 1943. After the war, the Ministry bought the railway in 1947, and ran it themselves. In 1957 they closed the lines to the south of the factory, as most sugar beet was by then delivered to the factory by road, with the final section to Abbey Junction closing in 1965. One of the steam engines is now preserved on the North Norfolk Railway
.
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
is the site of British Sugar's largest refinery in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it is also the largest in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. There has been a sugar factory there since 1925; however none of the rest of the village remains, other than the name. British Sugar has opened the UK's first bioethanol plant here.http://www.britishbioethanol.co.uk/IsolatedStorage/94175874-67b5-4c33-9f38-380233f14049/ContentAssets/Documents/Bioethanol/Media/Wissington%20Breaking%20Ground%20release%20270106.pdf
History
When the factory was built in 1925, there was no road access to it. It was located on the south bank of the River WisseyRiver Wissey
The River Wissey is a river in Norfolk, eastern England. It rises near Bradenham, and flows for nearly to join the River Great Ouse at Fordham...
, and was also served by the Wissington Light Railway. This railway had been built in 1905, and opened in 1906, for the benefit of local farms. It left the Denver
Denver railway station (Great Eastern)
Denver railway station was a station in Denver, Norfolk on the Great Eastern Railway route between King's Lynn and Cambridge, commonly known as the Fen Line. It was also the beginning of a small branch to Stoke Ferry.-History:...
(on the Great Eastern mainline, the Fen Line
Fen Line
The Fen Line is a railway in the United Kingdom that runs between the cities of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk; the line is so called because it runs through The Fens. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05...
), to Stoke Ferry
Stoke Ferry railway station
Stoke Ferry is a closed railway station in Norfolk. It was the terminus of a 7¼ mile branch line from Denver which opened on 1 August 1882 and finally closed to all traffic in 1965.-History:...
Railway at Abbey Junction, which was located near Station Farm. The line then crossed the river, and continued for some 10 miles (16.1 km) to a terminus at Poppylot. The line was unusual, in that it was not authorised either by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
or by a Light Railway Order. The owners of the factory leased the line, and built another 8 miles (12.9 km) of track, which ensured that sugar beet could reach the plant in sufficient volume to make it efficient.
In addition to the railway transport, three tugs, named Hilgay, Littleport and Wissington, were used to transport goods from the factory to King's Lynn and coal from King's Lynn to the factory in a fleet of 24 steel barges. The Ministry of Agriculture deemed that the factory was of strategic importance during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and took responsibility for it from March 1941. They drafted in Italian prisoners of war to refurbish the railway, and to construct the first roads to the factory. River traffic ceased in 1943. After the war, the Ministry bought the railway in 1947, and ran it themselves. In 1957 they closed the lines to the south of the factory, as most sugar beet was by then delivered to the factory by road, with the final section to Abbey Junction closing in 1965. One of the steam engines is now preserved on the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country...
.