Take a Trip on the North Norfolk Railway

For a unique view of some of the county’s most stunning coastal scenery, you should consider riding the North Norfolk Railway. With three stations, and plenty to do at each, you can really make a day of it.

The North Norfolk Railway, or alternatively known as The Poppy Line, is operated almost entirely by volunteers and is East Anglia’s Premier Heritage Railway. At each stop, you will be greeted by plenty of things to see and do.

At Holt Station, there’s a small buffet and gift shop just across from the ticket office, or if you’d prefer there’s a model railway display of the town of Broad Sidlinch, a fictional place featured in Thomas Hardy’s short story “The Grave”.

You can also request that the driver stop at Kelling Heath Park Halt on the return journey, just let the guard know before the train leaves so they can tell the driver to stop there. 

Holt Station is on the A148 Kings Lynn – Cromer Road. The station is signposted from the roundabout at Holt.

The current terminus at Holt is not on the original site – but is a faithful recreation of an M&GN country station, using buildings recovered from various locations in East Anglia.

The Eastern and Midlands railway arrived at Holt in 1884 from Melton Constable. The original Holt Station closed in 1964, and was demolished when the town bypass was built.

The original line passed beneath the old Holt to Cromer road at the end of the current Holt Station side. 

In 1965, a company known as Central Norfolk Enterprises (later the North Norfolk Railway) attempted to purchase the trackbed, but failed because the Norfolk County Council wished to proceed with the bypass. The Railway did manage to restore the line between Sheringham and Weybourne, and in 1987 opened the replacement station at Holt on the edge of the village.

Weybourne is another of the three stations, and is the only one that has been restored to its original condition. This station is home to a book shop, former Parcel’s Office house now turned souvenir shop, accessible toilets, historic vehicles, and replica World War Two allotments. The station is also surrounded by several walking routes, some heading towards Kelling Heath and others to Sheringham Park.

The third station on this line is Sheringham and is the main station for the North Norfolk Railway. Now restored close to its 1955 appearance this station is popular with train and history enthusiasts. For more history regarding Holt Station and The Poppy Line, visit Holt Station page on the North Norfolk Railway website.

The Poppy Line offers unlimited train rides all day, so you can make the most of your visit and look around each station as you go. Their ‘All Day Rover’ tickets allow you to hop on and off all day to explore Sheringham, Weybourne, and Holt. Visit their website to see their opening hours. 

Throughout the year, the Poppy Line is home to a range of fantastic events, with something suitable for everyone! One of their most popular and well known events is Steam Back to the Forties with live music, vintage vehicles, patrons dressing in the clothes from age, and events held at each of the stations. This coincides with Sheringham’s 1940s weekend which celebrates wartime efforts and resilience and is attended by over 20,000 people in Sheringham and Holt.

The Norfolk Lights Express is a magical 5 ½ mile journey through the Norfolk countryside, with the train lit up with 1000s of lights and 10 lineside scenes. We highly recommend this event, and booking as soon as tickets become available because these sell out every year. Accompanying these also tends to be a special Santa events which again are very popular with both tourists and locals alike.

Keep an eye one their events page for upcoming events and dining experiences to see if there is anything you would like to do whilst you are in the area.

When visiting North Norfolk, you want to make sure you are close enough to everything you want to see and do. Our holiday cottages are perfectly situated to be close enough to the action, yet still set back enough for you to sit back and relax during the evening. 

Our cottages are perfect for those looking for a Norfolk holiday, such as The Old Concert Hall, a luxury townhouse in the heart of Holt. Our cottages make the perfect place to base yourselves when exploring all that Norfolk has to offer.

Our Holt self catering holiday cottages could be your perfect escape. Have questions? We’re always happy to chat and help you craft the perfect itinerary. Let’s make your dream Norfolk holiday a reality!