Whitwell railway station, Norfolk
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Whitwell railway Station, also known as Whitwell and Reepham, is a former station situated in Norfolk, England. Although called Whitwell Station, nowadays the site is closer to the town of Reepham than Whitwell and as such, is considered 'home turf' by the people of Reepham, as well as being a notable stop on Marriott's Way. It should not be confused with Reepham railway station.
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[edit] History
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The station was opened in the 1880s as part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway branch from the main line at Melton Constable to Norwich City. While it was fairly well-used, it struggled under the competition from the larger Great Eastern Railway and its more direct routes. There was a Great Eastern station in Reepham, offering competition to the Whitwell station.
When British Rail began a re-evaluation of the rail network following the Second World War it was screened for closure. This eventually happened in the late 1950s as a forerunner of the Beeching Axe which saw most of Norfolk's railway network curtailed.
Although the old buildings still stand, the site has been derelict ever since the line closed to passengers in February 1959. There was a plan to dismantle the station building and re-erect it at Holt on the North Norfolk Railway, but this was abandoned when the station building from Stalham was placed there instead. [1]
[edit] Former Services
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
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| Lenwade | Midland and Great Northern Norwich Branch |
Guestwick | ||
[edit] Recent Developments
In June 2006, rumours arose locally proposals were being made about the possibility of the derelict site being converted into an English Travellers' site. Up to this point, the landowners, Norfolk County Council, had put considerable effort into preventing this occurring in an unofficial way, by installing car obstacles and barriers at the site entrance.
The alleged proposals led to strong local feelings, particularly though not exclusively opposition to the use of the site for travellers. It was announced in November 2006 that the site had been sold to a private bidder for an undisclosed amount. The new owner subsequently submitted a planning application for permission to convert the derelict station buildings into a private house.
In June 2007, the new owners placed the site back on the market. The latest owners have announced, on their website, that they intend to restore the station site, lay track, and establish a small museum on the site.
[edit] Whitwell Station Site Photography
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