Railway sleepers at platform one

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 18 Sep 2018

For a wider view see > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5842135. Here the path passes the site of the Norwich City Railway Station, which was built in 1882 on a low swampy island between the River Wensum and a flood channel which necessitated the building of two bridges made by Barnard, Bishop & Barnard of Norwich and an approach road onto the island. Due to the swampy nature of the ground the main entrance arch began to subside and crack by 1900. The main station buildings were furthermore badly damaged by an air raid on the night of the 27th/28th April 1942 when high explosives were dropped on the station, followed by incendiaries. The station buildings were largely demolished and new buildings were adapted from LNER sectional concrete huts which remained until the station, which was the main terminus on the M&GN line closed (for passengers in 1959 and in 1969 for goods). The site was left to the encroaching undergrowth and in the 1970s, when the inner ring road was under construction, the platform infill was taken out to be used for building the mound on St Crispin’s roundabout > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5842109 as well as for hardcore for the dualling of roads in the vicinity. The water tower can now be seen at Holt railway station > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1249231. From 2011, the Friends of Norwich City Station (FONCS) have been excavating the site to preserve what is left of the station and surrounding buildings.

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