Massingham railway station explained

Massingham
Status:Disused
Borough:Little Massingham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk
Country:England
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Pregroup:Lynn and Fakenham Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Postgroup:Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Years:16 August 1879
Events:Opened
Years1:2 March 1959
Events1:Closed to passengers
Years3:1 January 1966
Events3:Closed to freight

Massingham railway station is a now closed railway station in North Norfolk. It was situated at Little Massingham and was on the line between South Lynn and Great Yarmouth and served the villages of Little and Great Massingham and Harpley.

History

A driving force behind the building of the Lynn & Fakenham railway line was the Reverend Joseph Lloyd Brereton of Little Massingham. Supporters of the project used to meet at his rectory in the 1870s. As a result of their endeavours the line was built from Lynn to Massingham and the station and line was opened by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway on 16 August 1879. Later the line was extended and continued onto Fakenham opening on 16 August 1880.

It later was managed by the London and North Eastern Railway until nationalisation in 1948 when it came under the control of British Railways until closure in 1959.[1] [2]

This was abbreviated to (M&GN), interpreted by many as meaning the Muddle & Get Nowhere Railway. Massingham was also the only station between South Lynn and Fakenham to have a footbridge. After the line was closed the main ticket office and waiting rooms and the stationmaster's house were converted into two houses.

References

52.7913°N 0.6583°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Quick, M. E.. Railway passenger stations in England, Scotland and Wales – a chronology. 2002. Railway and Canal Historical Society. Richmond. 290. 931112387.
  2. Book: Butt, R.V.J.. The Directory of Railway Stations. 1995. Patrick Stephens Ltd. Yeovil. 1-85260-508-1. R508. 156.