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Yaxham is a railway station in the village of
The station was opened by the
Yaxham was a two-platform station. The main building, which included the Stationmaster's house was built by the Norfolk Railway. The Great Eastern Railway later added glass-fronted waiting rooms to the platforms.
The station was equipped with two goods yards, both on the down side of the formation. The main yard was to the south of the level crossing, equipped with a
Yaxham
Yaxham is a village and civil parish in centre of the English county of Norfolk. The parish includes the village of Yaxham, together with the neighbouring community of Clint Green. Together, they lay some south of Dereham and west of Norwich.
...
in the English
English usually refers to:
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* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
county of Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. The station is served by heritage services operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway, one of the longest in Great Britain. Preservation efforts began in 1974, but the line re-opened to passengers only in the mid-1990s as part of the "new generation" ...
and is the site of the Yaxham Light Railway
Yaxham Light Railway is a narrow gauge light railway ( heritage railway) situated adjacent to Yaxham railway station on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. It is located in the village of Yaxham in the English county of Norfolk. The railway is listed a ...
.
The station is the only one on the line that retains its original signalbox (not owned by the MNR). The platform shelters on the up platform are still in situ, although those on the down platform used by the present service have been demolished. The original stationmaster's house survives as a private residence, as does the original railway hotel on the opposite side of the road to the station.
History
The station was opened by the Norfolk Railway
The Norfolk Railway was an early railway company that controlled a network of 94 miles around Norwich, England. It was formed in 1845 by the amalgamation of the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway opened in 1844, and the Norwich and Brandon Railway, n ...
on 15 February 1847 on the Wymondham to Dereham branch line. Yaxham was north of Thuxton and south of the terminus, Dereham. It was closed to freight on 13 July 1964, and to passengers on 6 October 1969.
The station's survival is mostly due to the late Mr D.C. Potter who took over the tenancy of the buildings, thereby saving them from demolition. Mr Potter opened the site's first narrow gauge line in the former goods yard in 1967. This was constructed for his Hunslet 0-4-0ST, "Cackler", and the disused tracks of this line can still be seen from passing trains on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. It was stated that these would be removed during 2013 to allow for the construction of a standard gauge siding in the yard for Norfolk Heritage Steam Railway Ltd who were restoring a steam locomotive at Yaxham, but in the event the locomotive moved to Bressingham in 2018.
In 1969 the loco was moved across the standard gauge line to the Yaxham Park Light Railway (YPLR), which ran for over half a mile in meadows beyond the station, eventually being replaced by today's Yaxham Light Railway. The station reopened on 23 December 1995.
Facilities
Yaxham was a two-platform station. The main building, which included the Stationmaster's house was built by the Norfolk Railway. The Great Eastern Railway later added glass-fronted waiting rooms to the platforms.
The station was equipped with two goods yards, both on the down side of the formation. The main yard was to the south of the level crossing, equipped with a goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train. A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built ...
, coal wharf, cattle pen and end-loading dock, A smaller set of private sidings to the north of the level crossing served a granary
A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...
.
Only the down platform remains in railway use, with its waiting room having been demolished. The brick-built goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train. A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built ...
survives, now isolated from the railway, being used by a company restoring steam locomotives and traction engine
A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any t ...
s. The up line waiting room is used by an upholsterer
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something.
''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...
.
Signal box
Services
References
Bibliography
*External links
{{Norfolk Railway Stations Heritage railway stations in Norfolk Former Great Eastern Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1847 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1969 1847 establishments in England