Middleton Towers branch revival scheme gathers pace

A CAMPAIGN to restore Norfolk’s Middleton Towers station and potentially see passenger services reintroduced along the four-mile freight-only branch from King’s Lynn has been launched.

The branch is the sole remaining part of the Lynn & Dereham Railway, the building of which was authorised on July 21, 1845, and which, still under construction, was taken over by the East Anglian Railway on July 22, 1847.

The first station on the line from King’s Lynn, Middleton station, which opened on October 27, 1846, was renamed Middleton Towers on November 1, 1924.

Back in 1883, authorities granted permission to load and offload horses at the station, and cattle pens were eventually built. As the coal and sand industries developed, a siding was built for Bagge, a local merchant, and this featured a siding and headshunt. There was a sandpit, which was believed to be connected by a 2ft gauge railway.

The King’s Lynn to East Dereham line was closed to passengers on September 7, 1968, but the westernmost section was retained for freight traffic, with a freight-loading point for silica sand from the quarry at Leziate, run by Sibelco UK Ltd, at Middleton Towers.

After a large housing development in Leziate was completed in 1990, the line between Middleton Towers and King’s Lynn was considered for restoration as a passenger route.

However, with the electrification of the main line between Cambridge and King’s Lynn, the provision of rolling stock for the non-electrified branch became a major issue and the proposal was dropped.

The branch has seen passenger traffic in the form of charter trains and in 2015, Middleton Towers station – which has survived largely intact – was believed to have been used by the Royal Train taking The Queen to Sandringham.

In July 2021, local enthusiast Alex Brammer founded the Middleton Towers Restoration Group, with the initial aim of fully restoring the station site to be used by the local community.

Six months later, the group has grown to the stage where it boasts more than 130 members, comprising railway enthusiasts, engineers and tradespeople.

The former ticket office and platform access room are in dire need of repair. However, the station house, which is privately owned and used by Sibelco, is in superb condition.

The rest of the site is owned by Network Rail, with whom the group aims to hold discussions to obtain permission to renovate its portion.

Members plan to set up a public tea room and a museum for the former King’s Lynn to Dereham line, which was linked to what is now the Mid-Norfolk Railway.

Alex said: “Our ambitions cannot end here. While we focus on our current plans, we must be ready to campaign for reinstatement of a passenger service, at least as far as Middleton Towers or East Winch.

“A substantial amount of potential rail users reside in this area and it would certainly relieve some pressure on our roads. We must not let central government or local government make knee-jerk decisions to develop on any portions of the line or, worst of all, tear it up entirely, as regrettably done in the 1960s.”

➜ Anyone interested in following the progress of the restoration scheme or wishing to contribute is invited to visit the Middleton Towers Restoration Group Facebook page. Alternatively, you can email mtrg.norfolk@gmail.com

ROBIN JONES STEVE KNIGHT/ CREATIVE COMMONS Right: On December 11, 1999, Hastings Diesels Ltd ran its ‘The Fenman’ tour using restored ‘Thumper’ DEMU No. 1001 from Hastings via Kensington Olympia, Hitchin, Cambridge, and Ely to King’s Lynn, from where it took a trip down the Middleton Towers branch to the sand depot. Passengers were not allowed to alight at the old Middleton Towers station or anywhere within the site. The trip along the freight branch was arranged at an additional cost and passengers who wanted to take the part were asked to pay a £5 supplement. Left: Middleton Towers station on the four-mile freight-only branch from King’s Lynn, which serves the sand-loading terminal seen in the distance. The station buildings are still remarkably intact 54 years after the withdrawal of passenger services but are now in dire need of repair. The slate-roofed main station building is situated next to the level crossing and the platform boasts a covered shelter. The platform was raised in 1882 and may have been extended from its original size. A 21-lever signalbox was installed to the west of the level crossing on the Down side.

MRTG Left: A side view of the surviving Middleton Towers station building.