Cromer station opened 16th June 1887 when the Eastern & Midlands Railway extended their line from Holt, through Sheringham, to Cromer. The station was named Cromer Beach to distinguish it from Great Eastern Railway’s Cromer High station, opened a decade earlier.
The station building closed in 1967 when British Rail introduced ‘pay trains’ where the conductor sold the tickets. It was then leased to a builder’s merchants for a period.
In the early 1990’s the derelict goods yard and station building was sold to Safeway supermarkets (later to be taken over by Morrisons). The train shed was removed and the platform line shortened to the length it is now. The station building narrowly avoided demolition to make way for a petrol station.
After a period of being empty it became Buffers restaurant. That was followed by a £1m conversion to Bouncers Nightclub. When this closed the building failed to attract another suitable business and remained empty for over 15 years. Morrisons own the building and have a long-term lease to Greene King.
The Norfolk Railway Foundation plans to lease the station building with the aim of restoring the exterior to its former glory whilst taking advantage of the modern interior to provide a community hub and gateway to Cromer.
On the ground floor there will be a café and toilets, tourist information and meeting/conference space available for community use. Upstairs will house rentable office accommodation and the William Marriott exhibition hall. The latter housing a museum telling the story of railways in Cromer, exploring the social history, engineering and operation through the years. This reconfigurable space can host shows or talks as well as visiting exhibitions.
