Wolferton railway station
Encyclopedia
Wolferton was a railway station on the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line which opened in 1862 to serve the village of Wolferton
in Norfolk
, England
. The station was also well-known as the nearest station to Sandringham House
, and royal trains
brought the royal family
to and from their estate until its closure in 1969. After spending some time as a museum, the station is now preserved in private hands. The signal box and part of the station are listed buildings, Grade II*.
as a private residence for the young Prince of Wales
. The eventual residence, Sandringham House, was only 2¼ miles from the site of the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway's projected Wolferton station, and the directors much welcomed this unexpected development. The royal patronage of the station prompted its reconstruction in 1898 when extensive Tudor-style
platform buildings were constructed at a cost of £8,132, including the royal waiting rooms on the down platform which were fitted out with oak-panelling
, couches and easy-chairs. The up platform's buildings are similarly impressive, even including a small clocktower. Both platforms are equipped with standard Great Eastern
platform canopies, and the ornate platform lamps are topped with miniature crowns.
A 40-lever brick
and sandstone
signal box
was situated to the south of the platforms, controlling the northern extremity of the doubled section between Wolferton and King's Lynn
, while the single-line section north was controlled by electric train tablet. The goods yard was on the down side and was served by three sidings; four more sidings were to be found on the up side. The station's facilities also included a spacious carriage dock, an ornate goods and coal storage building and a small gas works which provided sufficient gas to light the entire station.
Traffic mainly consisted of produce from the royal estate which included farms producing corn, vegetables and flax. Coal for Sandringham House and the outlying villages was also a regular source of traffic. Royal traffic to one side, Wolferton served a relatively rural area (population 234 in 1901) and was never a busy station except during Sandringham House parties. Prior to announcing the closure of the line in 1969, British Rail
had enquired as to whether the Queen
would be interested in purchasing the royal waiting rooms, which may have become expensive to maintain. She declined, but agreed that King's Lynn would be Sandringham House's nearest railhead, thereby opening the way to the line's closure.
, and the drive from Sandringham House to Wolferton led directly to the line. The twenty-first birthday of Prince Albert
on 3 June 1886 saw a special royal train bring the Sayer's Circus to Wolferton; after the performance, one of the elephant
s could not be reloaded back on to the train, and was tied to a lamppost which it promptly uprooted, before demolishing the station gates and then calmly boarding its truck.
Royal trains bound for Wolferton departed from St. Pancras station (the City being traditionally barred to Royalty except on special occasions) and was routed via Tottenham to the Great Eastern Railway's Cambridge line
. Typically, a royal train departed St Pancras at 12.20pm, arriving at King's Lynn
at 2.32pm, before leaving three minutes later for the ten-minute journey to Wolferton. The Edwardian period
saw Wolferton at its zenith as European royal families and heads of state were regular visitors. The station also saw at least three royal funeral processions: Queen Alexandra in 1925, King George V
in 1936 and King George VI in 1952. On 11 February 1952 the body of King George VI, who had died at Sandringham on 6 February, was taken to King's Cross and thousands lined the Cambridge main line to pay their respects. The last royal train to call at the station was in 1966; it had latterly been associated with the traditional Christmas
and New Year
holidays at Sandringham.
The station and contents went unsold, although the vendor did manage to dispose of a stash of 450 original London and North Eastern Railway
posters which had been collected by his father during the 1920s and 1930s and stored beneath a trap door in the royal waiting room. These were also offered for sale and reached £98,000 at auction.
Comment on above: In July 1997 we stayed in the waiting room for a week. At that time the waiting room was being rented as self catering holiday accommodation.
Wolferton's former signal box, by now Grade II listed, was itself offered for auction on 14 May 1989, the signalling mechanism would be sold separately. In 1990, citing ill-health and the need to pay death duties, Hedly-Walker auctioned the station's contents for around £100,000 and asking £250,000 for the station building. The station was sold to Nigel Stonebridge who refurbished the station and converted it into a 3-bedroom private home, It was put on the market for £500,000 in 2001. As of 2008, the station remains in private hands and is not open to the public.
Wolferton
Wolferton is a village in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some 3 km west of the village of Sandringham, 12 km north of the town of King's Lynn and 60 km north-west of the city of Norwich....
in Norfolk
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station was also well-known as the nearest station to Sandringham House
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
, and royal trains
British Royal Train
The Royal Train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the British Monarch, other members of the Royal Family, and their staff. The train enables members of the Royal Family to carry out busy schedules over an extended period, in a secure environment which minimises disruption and...
brought the royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
to and from their estate until its closure in 1969. After spending some time as a museum, the station is now preserved in private hands. The signal box and part of the station are listed buildings, Grade II*.
History
In February 1862, a large estate at Sandringham was purchased in SandringhamSandringham, Norfolk
Sandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the village of Dersingham, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
as a private residence for the young Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. The eventual residence, Sandringham House, was only 2¼ miles from the site of the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway's projected Wolferton station, and the directors much welcomed this unexpected development. The royal patronage of the station prompted its reconstruction in 1898 when extensive Tudor-style
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
platform buildings were constructed at a cost of £8,132, including the royal waiting rooms on the down platform which were fitted out with oak-panelling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
, couches and easy-chairs. The up platform's buildings are similarly impressive, even including a small clocktower. Both platforms are equipped with standard Great Eastern
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
platform canopies, and the ornate platform lamps are topped with miniature crowns.
A 40-lever brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was situated to the south of the platforms, controlling the northern extremity of the doubled section between Wolferton and King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
, while the single-line section north was controlled by electric train tablet. The goods yard was on the down side and was served by three sidings; four more sidings were to be found on the up side. The station's facilities also included a spacious carriage dock, an ornate goods and coal storage building and a small gas works which provided sufficient gas to light the entire station.
Traffic mainly consisted of produce from the royal estate which included farms producing corn, vegetables and flax. Coal for Sandringham House and the outlying villages was also a regular source of traffic. Royal traffic to one side, Wolferton served a relatively rural area (population 234 in 1901) and was never a busy station except during Sandringham House parties. Prior to announcing the closure of the line in 1969, British Rail
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
had enquired as to whether the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
would be interested in purchasing the royal waiting rooms, which may have become expensive to maintain. She declined, but agreed that King's Lynn would be Sandringham House's nearest railhead, thereby opening the way to the line's closure.
Royal use
The station was to play host to numerous royal trains: no fewer than 645 called there between 1884 and 1911. Public attention was focused on Wolferton on 10 March 1863 when it was used for the wedding special of the Prince of Wales who was to make the station's royal waiting room a focal point for the Sandringham Estate. The station played host to luncheon parties during shootsHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, and the drive from Sandringham House to Wolferton led directly to the line. The twenty-first birthday of Prince Albert
Prince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
on 3 June 1886 saw a special royal train bring the Sayer's Circus to Wolferton; after the performance, one of the elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s could not be reloaded back on to the train, and was tied to a lamppost which it promptly uprooted, before demolishing the station gates and then calmly boarding its truck.
Royal trains bound for Wolferton departed from St. Pancras station (the City being traditionally barred to Royalty except on special occasions) and was routed via Tottenham to the Great Eastern Railway's Cambridge line
West Anglia Main Line
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines which run from London Liverpool Street, the other being the Great Eastern Main Line. It runs generally north from London, through the towns of Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End station before reaching Cambridge,...
. Typically, a royal train departed St Pancras at 12.20pm, arriving at King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
at 2.32pm, before leaving three minutes later for the ten-minute journey to Wolferton. The Edwardian period
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
saw Wolferton at its zenith as European royal families and heads of state were regular visitors. The station also saw at least three royal funeral processions: Queen Alexandra in 1925, King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1936 and King George VI in 1952. On 11 February 1952 the body of King George VI, who had died at Sandringham on 6 February, was taken to King's Cross and thousands lined the Cambridge main line to pay their respects. The last royal train to call at the station was in 1966; it had latterly been associated with the traditional Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
holidays at Sandringham.
Post-closure
Shortly after its closure, Wolferton was sold in 1967 by British Rail to railwayman Eric Walker for £5,600. He reopened the royal waiting room in 1977 as a museum to display his 6,000 item collection of royal and historical memorabilia. Walker died in 1985 and his son, Roger Hedly-Walker, wanted to sell the station, ostensibly because he was unable to obtain permission from the royal estate to erect a larger sign advertising the museum and that the 18,000 annual visitors per year which, Hedly-Walker said, was insufficient to meet running costs.The station and contents went unsold, although the vendor did manage to dispose of a stash of 450 original London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
posters which had been collected by his father during the 1920s and 1930s and stored beneath a trap door in the royal waiting room. These were also offered for sale and reached £98,000 at auction.
Comment on above: In July 1997 we stayed in the waiting room for a week. At that time the waiting room was being rented as self catering holiday accommodation.
Wolferton's former signal box, by now Grade II listed, was itself offered for auction on 14 May 1989, the signalling mechanism would be sold separately. In 1990, citing ill-health and the need to pay death duties, Hedly-Walker auctioned the station's contents for around £100,000 and asking £250,000 for the station building. The station was sold to Nigel Stonebridge who refurbished the station and converted it into a 3-bedroom private home, It was put on the market for £500,000 in 2001. As of 2008, the station remains in private hands and is not open to the public.