Fiftieth Anniversary of Re-opening

13 July

  • Historic trains in operation including our Golden Anniversary recreation train

  • Steam through unspoilt countryside and enjoy stunning coastal views and delightful forests

  • Unlimited hop on hop off travel with Day Rover tickets

  • Save money with a 15% discount on fares when you book in advance

  • Park at Holt’s delightful country station and take the train to the traditional seaside town of Sheringham and spend the day exploring the Victorian resort
  • OR join the train at Sheringham, ride to Holt and catch a bus into the centre of this charming Georgian town

  • Recreation of the NNR’s re-opening train that ran on 13 July 1975

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The North Norfolk Railway ran its first public passenger train on 13 July 1975 and the 50th Anniversary will be marked with a special recreation of the trains that ran half-a-century ago. The train will include some vehicles used in 1975 and will look very similar to the pioneering train.

Three of our wonderfully preserved Suburban coaches and a brake van will rekindle memories of the reopening special. The train will depart from Sheringham Station at 11.45am – 50 years to the minute after the re-opening special in 1975. As a result of high fire risk, this train will be diesel-hauled.

Today, the railway offers far more than just a train ride! Grab your tickets, watch the guard wave his green flag, listen for the sound of the whistle and a whoosh of steam as you set off on a timeless journey through some of Norfolk’s most stunning coastal scenery and beautiful countryside.

In addition to the recreated reopening train a second train of carriages dating from the 1950s and 60s will be in action and is scheduled to be pulled by another of our powerful diesel engines – a contrast to 1975 when there were no large diesels on the line and those resident now were still in frontline service with British Rail.

A heritage railcar dating from the 1960s will also be running, allowing passengers to enjoy a driver’s-eye view and savour panoramic views of the delightful countryside, much of which is designated as being of outstanding natural beauty.

Timetable

Lovingly-restored steam and heritage diesel trains transport passengers on an 11 mile return journey between the delightful Victorian resort of Sheringham and the smart Georgian town of Holt.

Make a day of it with our great value rover tickets that are valid for unlimited travel allowing you to hop on and off all day! We recommend booking in advance and passengers doing so receive a generous discount on their fares.

The heritage railway is fondly known as the ‘Poppy Line’ after the 19th Century poet and theatre critic Clement Scott coined the term “Poppyland” referring to the unspoilt coastal area around Sheringham where poppies grow in abundance.

Fares

Discounted fares are available when you book online in advance

Advance tickets must be purchased before the day of travel.

Adult Day Rover £19.97
Child Day Rover (3 – 15) £13.98
Family of Four (2Ad + 2Ch or 1 Ad + 3Ch) £57.80
Family of Five (2Ad + 3Ch or 1 Ad + 4Ch) £67.57
Dog £3.00
Bicycle £3.00

Subject to availability tickets can also be purchased from the ticket offices at Holt, Sheringham or Weybourne on the day of travel

Adult Day Rover £23.50
Child Day Rover (3 – 15) £16.45
Family of Four (2Ad + 2Ch or 1 Ad + 3Ch) £68.00
Family of Five (2Ad + 3Ch or 1 Ad + 4Ch) £79.50
Dog £3.00
Bicycle £3.00

Explore

There’s so much to see at the stations and in the surrounding area . . .

HOLT

Holt is the western terminus of the railway and is around a mile from the town centre. The station is easy to reach by road,  just off the A148 at High Kelling, and has ample parking (for which we request a small donation) so is an ideal staring point for passengers wishing to travel to Sheringham and visit the town and seaside.

The What Three Words code for Holt Station’s main entrance is saturate.atlas.dumplings

The town’s original station closed in 1964 and was demolished and part of the trackbed used for the A148 Holt Bypass – discover more about the original station here. The current station is a faithful recreation of an Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway country station, using buildings recovered from various locations in East Anglia. The station decor and artefacts are presented to give a flavour of the period shortly after  1936 when the London & North Eastern Railway took over full ownership of the M&GN.

The station boasts a small buffet and gift shop and a painstakingly created model railway. The William Marriott Museum, which tells the story of the M&GN, and the Railway Cottage – a small home made shortly after World War I by reusing a redundant railway carriage – are open on most days that trains run Easter to October (subject to volunteer availabilty).

The town of Holt is well worth a visit. Energetic passengers can stroll into the town centre – the walk will take around 25 minutes – while many will prefer to hop on a one of the buses that stop on the road opposite the station entrance for a short five minute trip into town.  The town features many Georgian buildings and a wide Market Place.

Weybourne’s atmospheric station is a a real gem. There is very limited parking, so the best way to arrive is by train! If you are arriving by car the What Three Words code for the main entrance is huddling.rots.bound

Hop off and soak up the period atmosphere or take a walk to Weybourne village a mile or so away or to the nearby Sheringham Park. For those not wanting to venture too far, the footbridge affords panoramic views back towards Sheringham and down to the sea and is a good spot to watch trains approaching.

Originally built to capitalise on the “Poppyland” holiday boom, the station served a nearby hotel that was demolished in World War II . It oozes Edwardian charm and has been restored to close to it’s original condition sporting the tan and cream colour scheme used by the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway at the time. Discover more of about the history of Weybourne station and village.

The former parcels office has been converted into a small period style souvenir shop and buffet. Historic goods vehicles in the bay platform add to the atmosphere and one, a Southern Railway parcels van, houses a model railway.

Most trains will pass another here, so you make the most of your rover ticket by changing from one to another.

Kelling Heath

Kelling Heath Park is a small halt stop on the North Norfolk Railway, used mostly by hikers. It was not on the original British Rail line, but was opened after the line was preserved.

The station was opened in 1983 as part of the Railway’s extension to Kelling; a very short half coach-length halt was constructed principally to serve the nearby caravan park. Upon the completion of the extension to Holt in 1989, ‘Kelling Camp Halt’ was demolished and a new longer platform was constructed, ¼ of a mile further up the hill to the west; the station was also renamed “Kelling Heath Park”.

The Halt stop backs onto Kelling Park itself and also provides access to Kelling Heath Holiday Park, a popular campsite set amongst 300 acres of woodland and rare open heathland. The campsite has a wide variety of accommodation including luxury wooden lodges, holiday homes and camping & touring pitches, all available to book online or over the phone via 01263 588181.

Sheringham’s imposing station houses the booking office, waiting room and buffet. The Old Luggage Office buffet is in an area which was used to store the many suitcases and trunks that the Victorian tourists travelling to Sheringham required. Today, it offers the chance to relax over a drink or light lunch and watch the trains come and go.

The station has been restored to close to its 1955 appearance, when British Railways were responsible for the line. The distinctive blue station totems and matching enamel signs are evocative of that period. The footbridge provides an excellent vantage point from which to watch trains arrive, or the engine “run round” to the other end of its train ready for the next trip to Holt.

Passengers starting their journey here can arrive by Great Anglia trains from Cromer and Norwich (the mainline station is just across Station Road), by bus (they stop right outside) or by car (there is a large pay and display car park adjacent to the station). The What Three Words code for the car park entrance is stables.case.blip

For those arriving on one of our historic trains, there’s a chance to visit the town’s many independent shops, stroll to beach and promenade or take a slightly longer walk to join the Norfolk Coastal Path and enjoy a cliff top walk or climb Beeston Bump (a distinctively-shaped local hillock). The town museum includes a Windfarm Visitor Centre where you can discover more about the arrays that have been built offshore.

Find out more about Sheringham station and town.