Wymondham Station History
A brief extract from a 1992 documentary produced for the Wymondham Heritage Society, featuring the story of Wymondham Historic Railway Station.
Places to see in ( Wymondham - UK )
Places to see in ( Wymondham - UK )
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, just off the A11 road from Norwich to London which now by-passes the town. The parish includes large rural areas to the north and south of the town itself. It is the fourth largest civil parish in Norfolk.
In the town centre, there is a market cross, which is now used as a Tourist Information Centre and is owned by the Town Council. The original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of Wymondham in 1615; the present building was rebuilt between 1617–18 at a cost of £25-7-0d with funds loaned by local man, Philip Cullyer. The stilted building was like many others designed to protect valuable documents from both flood and vermin. According to T. F. Thistleton Dyer's English Folklore [London, 1878], live rats were nailed by their tails to the side of the building by way of a deterrent.
This bizarre superstition ended in 1902 after a child was bitten, later to die of blood-poisoning. Wymondham Abbey is the Church of England parish church. The headquarters of Norfolk Constabulary are located in Wymondham. The former town jail or bridewell now houses the Wymondham Heritage Museum.
The Wymondham railway station (voted Best Small Station in the 2006 National Rail Awards) possesses a piano showroom and a locally famous Brief Encounter-themed restaurant. The latter featured in Mark Greenstreet's 1996 comedy film Caught in the Act, which starred Sara Crowe, Annette Badland, Nadia Sawalha, Paul Shelly and Leslie Phillips. (N.B. Brief Encounter was shot 250 miles away, using Carnforth railway station, Lancashire.) The whole site has been restored by owner David Turner and also houses a small railway museum.
The station was featured as the Walmington-on-Sea station in the popular BBC comedy series Dad's Army. Wymondham station is the junction for the Mid-Norfolk Railway, although their trains, running 11.5 miles (19 km) north to Dereham operate from the separate Wymondham Abbey station. The town once had another station, Spinks Lane, but this closed shortly after opening in the 19th century.
( Wymondham - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Wymondham . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Wymondham - UK
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Wymondham, Norfolk
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A visit to the beautiful market town of Wymondham in Norfolk on a wonderfully sunny day in early March 2011.
Wymondham's most famous inhabitant was Robert Kett (or Ket), who led a rebellion in 1549 of peasants and small farmers in protest at the enclosure of common land. He took a force of almost unarmed men and fought for and held the City of Norwich for six weeks until defeated by the King's forces. He was hanged from Norwich Castle. Kett's Oak, said to be the rallying point for the rebellion, can still be seen today on the B1172 road between Wymondham and Hetherset, part of the former main road to London.
I make references to fires in all of my walks around medieval towns as they date from the time of the last great fire. The Great Fire of Wymondham broke out on Sunday 11 June 1615. Two areas of the town were affected, implying there were two separate fires. One area was in Vicar Street and Middleton Street and the other in the Market Place, including Bridewell Street and Fairland Street. About 300 properties were destroyed in the fire. Important buildings destroyed included: the Market Cross, dating from 1286; the vicarage in Vicar Street; the 'Town Hall' on the corner of Middleton Street and Vicar Street; and the schoolhouse. However, many buildings such as the Green Dragon pub did survive and many of the houses in Damgate Street date back to 1400, although this is now masked by later brickwork.
The fire was started by three Gypsies - William Flodder, John Flodder and Ellen Pendleton (Flodder) - and a local person, Margaret Bix (Elvyn). The register of St Andrew's Church in Norwich records that John Flodder and others were executed on 2 December 1615 for the burning of Wymondham. Rebuilding of the destroyed buildings was quick in some cases and slower in others. A new Market Cross, the one we see today, was started and completed in 1617. However, by 1621 there were still about 15 properties not yet rebuilt. Economic conditions in the 1620s could have been a contributory factor to the delay in rebuilding.
Kett's Rebellion was evidence of an undercurrent of ferment in 16th-century Wymondham. Comparable discontent showed itself in the 17th century when a number of Wymondham citizens, including Thomas Lincoln, John Beal and others, moved to Hingham, Norfolk in the wave of religious dissent that swept England in the years preceding Cromwell's Commonwealth.
In 1785, a prison was built using the ideas of John Howard, the prison reformer. It was the first prison to be built in this country with separate cells for the prisoners and was widely copied both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The collapse of the woollen industry in the mid-19th century led to great poverty in Wymondham. In 1836 there were 600 hand looms, but by 1845 only 60 existed. During Victorian times the town was a backwater and never experienced large-scale development. The town centre remains very much as it must have been in the mid-17th century, when the houses were rebuilt after the Great Fire. These newer houses, and those which survived the Great Fire, still surround shoppers and visitors as they pass through Wymondham's narrow mediaeval streets.
Wymondham in the Second World War was home to one of MI6's Radio Security Service direction finding stations; the type at Wymondham was a Spaced Loop design newly developed by the National Physical Laboratory. Unfortunately, this was soon found to be unsatisfactory and was converted to the more traditional Adcock type.. The station at Wymondham was located at latitude=52.583333, longitude=1.121667, just north of Tuttles Lane and east of Melton Road. Based on information from one of the WW2 operators it transpires that another spaced loop station was later installed alongside the first in 1944 after the Normandy invasion. This may have been due to increased interest in transmissions from western Europe where the shorter distance made the spaced loop more reliable.
As you can see in this film, in the town centre, there is a market cross, which is now used as a Tourist Information Centre and is owned by the Town Council. The original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of Wymondham in 1615; the present building was rebuilt between 1617-18 at a cost of £25-7-0d with funds loaned by local man, Philip Cullyer. The stilted building was like many others designed to protect valuable documents from both flood and vermin. According to T.F. Thistleton Dyer's English Folklore [London, 1878], live rats were nailed by their tails to the side of the building by way of a deterrent. This bizarre superstition ended in 1902 after a child was bitten, later to die of blood-poisoning.
Wymondham Abbey is the Church of England parish church.
Wymondham Station.mpg
37229 passes the box at Wymondham station as it heads 1Q29 07:05 Cambridge to Ferme Park towards Norwich on 29/04/11. Consist was 37229, 975091, 999550, 977868, 6261 & 37087.
Wymondham Norfolk UK
Created on Marzo 19, 2012 using FlipShare.
Wymondham Guide
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Visit to Wymondham
The historic market town and civil parish of Wymondham just to the southwest of Norwich has experienced an exciting past. Moot Hill is ringwork on which a large medieval structure once stood. In the 16th Century, there was also a rebellion of peasants and small-scale farmers who were protesting the enclosure of common land. After 6 weeks, the rebellion was crushed by the king's forces and the rebellion's ringleaders hanged.
These days, there is still plenty of activity in the town, although of a more commercial sort! Check out some of Wymondham's commercial properties over at
drive through wymondham in norfolk UK
drive through the main street as far as the abbey grounds ...passenger in rear seat held the camera .over shoulder
Class 158s seen passing through Wymondham Station 11/07/2011
Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk
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Wymondham Abbey is now the Anglican parish church of Wymondham, but it started life as a Benedictine priory. It is quite unique in that it survived the dissollution of the monasteries as the population was allowed to buy it back following 'nationalisation'.
The monastery was founded in 1107 by William d'Aubigny, Chief Butler to King Henry I. William was a prominent Norfolk landowner, with estates in Wymondham and nearby New Buckenham whose grandfather had fought for William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. The d'Albini family originated from St. Martin d'Aubigny in Normandy. Later, the founder's son, William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, in 1174 founded Becket's Chapel close by in the town, to be served by two monks from the Priory.
William d'Albini's monastery was a dependency of the Benedictine monastery at St Albans. Wymondham Priory was relatively small, initially for some twelve Benedictine monks, but grew in influence and wealth over the coming centuries. Disputes between the Wymondham and St. Albans monks were quite common, and in 1448, following a successful petition to the king, the Pope granted Wymondham the right to become an Abbey in its own right.
The monastery church was completed by about 1130, and originally was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Later, following the murder of Saint Thomas Becket in 1170, Becket's name was added to the dedication. A modern icon panel by the late Rev. David Hunter is on display in the church and tells the story of Thomas's life in pictures. In 1174, the founder's son, also called William d'Aubigny, established a chapel in the town dedicated to Becket and served by two monks from the priory. The church was originally cruciform in shape, with a central tower and twin west towers. When it was built, stone from Caen in Normandy was shipped specially to face the walls. The central tower was rebuilt in about 1376 by a tall octagonal tower (now ruined), which held the monks' bells. In 1447, work on a much taller single west tower began. This replaced the original Norman towers and held the townspeople's bells. From the start, the church had been divided between monks' and townspeople's areas, with the nave and north aisle serving as parish church for the town (as it still is). This, too, was from time to time the cause of disputes which occasionally erupted into lawlessness, though the Vicar of Wymondham was appointed by the Abbot.
King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries brought about the closure of Wymondham Abbey, which was surrendered to the King in 1538. The monks had, apparently willingly, already signed the Oath of Supremacy, and were given generous pensions - Elisha Ferrers, the last Abbot, became Vicar of Wymondham (the fine sixteenth century sedilia on the south side of the chancel is said to be his memorial). The years following the dissolution saw the gradual demolition of the monastic buildings for re-use of the stone. The eastern end of the church (blocked off from the nave by a solid wall since about 1385) was destroyed, leaving the present church (at 70 m.) only about half its original length. Repairs to the church were carried out following Queen Elizabeth I's visit in 1573 (date and initials may be seen on exterior stonework).
Notable features of the church are the twin towers (a landmark for miles around), the Norman nave, the splendid 15th century angel roof in the nave and fine north aisle roof. The church is also remarkable for its high quality fittings such as the 1783 organ by James Davis and 1810 chamber organ (also by James Davis) and the splendid gilded reredos or altar screen, one of the largest works of Sir Ninian Comper. This was dedicated in 1921 as a war memorial, though the gilding was not finished until 1934. Note also the early Tudor terracotta sedilia, the Georgian candelabrum and Royal Arms of George II, the carved medieval font with modern gilded font cover, and many smaller features such as angels, musicians and figures carved on the roof timbers and corbels. The west tower houses a peal of 10 bells, re-cast and re-hung in 1967. Hung in the bell tower are six well-preserved 18th century hatchments.
The church is open daily. Sunday services are at 8 am (BCP Holy Communion), 9.15 (Informal Communion service with Sunday School for younger children). 10.30 (traditional Sung Eucharist with choir) and 6.30 (Choral Evensong).
Please feel free to ask questions in the public area or to comment on things you disagree with. Sometimes there are mistakes because I speak without preparation. If I see the mistakes myself, I make this clear in the text. Please also leave a star rating!
37003 at Wymondham Abbey
Class 37 No.37003 has run round its train and pulls it train into Wymondham Abbey station.
Wymondham Stuff - Mayor Dianne Fernee
Cllr Dianne Fernee speaks to Wymondham stuff at the start of her term as Mayor of the historic Norfolk market town of Wymondham.
Wymondham Goods - 1980s
A vanished scene from Brirtish Rail days 25 or so years ago. On an early summer day, diesel locomotive 37040 brings the mixed freight from North Elmham and Dereham into Wymondham, stopping outside the signalbox for Driver Jack Spall to return the single line token/branch train staff to the signalman. Note the Guard riding in the brakevan. The train shunts back into the down sidings and deposits the brakevan, before moving out onto the main line and setting back ready to move into the up sidings. Later, having left the Dereham wagons in the up sidings and collected some cement tanks, and then returned to the down sidings to reattach the brakevan, the loco powers out of the yard and away through the station towards Norwich, leaving a trail of exhaust fumes. The video also includes brief shots of the interior of Wymondham Signalbox, and glimpses of Met Cam and Cravens DMUs on local stopping services. The bulk Grainflow or 'Polybulk' wagons were introduced in the 1980s and carried grain from the fields of East Anglia, via the maltings of R.J Seaman & Sons Ltd. at North Elmham to whisky distlleries in northern Scotland as well as to ports for export. Each wagon could carry 60 tons of grain. The Wymondham to Dereham branch finally closed to frieght traffic in 1989 but today survives as the Mid Norfolk Railway. (The original recording is undated - many thanks to Chris Pearson from the MNR who advises that the Redland brick contract commenced in 1985 so that probably dates the recording as 1985 or 1986. Many thanks to Chris for much other additional information provided too).
The Wells Branch, Norfolk, 2017
Travelling by rail along the surviving parts of the Wells-Next-The-Sea to Wymondham railway line in Norfolk, England during Summer 2017.
The original line is now in four sections, the narrow-gauge Wells and Walsingham, standard-gauge Mid-Norfolk Railway, proposed Norfolk Orbital Railway and a lost section that will never see a train again. This video concentrates on the sections that are still open to passenger rail transport.
Non-commercial and educational use only.
Archive photos of Wells station:
Background music:
Serious business - DDmyzik Background Music
Tour of Britain at Wymondham
Tour of Britain cycle race at Wymondham on Saturday 17.09.2011
Canon PowerShot SX220 HS
Places to see in ( Diss - UK )
Places to see in ( Diss - UK )
Diss is a market town and electoral ward in Norfolk, England, close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk. Diss railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line, which runs from London to Norwich.
The town of Diss lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers 6 acres (2.4 ha). The mere is up to 18 feet (5.5 m) deep, although there is another 51 feet (16 m) of mud. Diss takes its name from dic an Anglo-Saxon word meaning either ditch or embankment. Diss has a number of historic buildings, including an early 14th-century parish church, and a museum.
Four miles east of Diss is the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum at the former RAF Thorpe Abbotts airfield. In March 2006, Diss became the third town in the UK to join Cittaslow, an international organisation promoting the concept of 'Slow Towns'. The rail journey from London to Diss is the subject of a famous poem by the late Sir John Betjeman,'A Mind's Journey to Diss'.
The town is home to several sporting organisations, including football club Diss Town FC, who won the FA Vase at Wembley in 1994, Diss RFC (based in nearby Roydon) who won the London 2 North league in 2009 earning promotion to the National leagues, Diss & District Cycling Club and Diss & District Bowls Club, Diss ladies netball club and Diss and District athletics club.
( Diss - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Diss . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Diss - UK
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Class 158 train passing through Wymondham 2017
Short clip at level crossing of class 158
Wymondham Abbey Halt platform resurfacing
During the winter close down period, we undertake a momentous amount of renovation, restoration and maintenance work along our 22 miles of operational and non-operational track. this short programme features Wymondham Abbey Halt and resurfacing the temporary platform. Leslie Dale gives a detailed background of the work and why its so important that we resurface now rather than later.
D8069 arriving at Wymondham Abbey station 15/07/07
D8069 arriving at Wymondham Abbey station, Mid Norfolk Railway 15/07/07