End of the Line

Muddling and Going Nowhere, or Missed and Greatly Needed?

The Midland and Great Northern railway (M&GN) linked the Norfolk coast to the Midlands via a major hub in the village of Melton Constable, which also provided a link to London Liverpool Street.  There was very little in the village before the railway arrived in the 1880s, with just 19 inhabited dwellings, but by 1911 the population had grown to 1200.  And in the 1930s, Melton Constable could see as many as 65 departures a day during the summer peak period.  It was all over by 1960 when Beeching closed down most of the network, and demolition of the station started in 1971.

Norfolk artist HJ Jackson’s father and grandfather worked on the railway, and this book is an illustrated history of Melton Constable and the role of the Norfolk village as the hub of the former M&GN railway network. The book includes hundreds of sketches, drawings, paintings and linocut prints by HJ Jackson, and photographs of the railway’s demolition by JA (Peter) Jackson, cousin of the artist, who followed his father and grandfather onto the railway. As well as a history of the village, station, railway junction and locomotive works, the book profiles the Jackson family and looks at the remnants of the railway that can be found today.

This beautifully produced 144-page book printed in full colour is a delight for railway enthusiasts, anyone interested in the local history of Melton Constable and the M&GN railway and all those who love HJ Jackson’s unique sketches and prints.