Editing Marriott's Way (section)

== Railway history ==

The path uses the trackbeds of two former railway lines: from [[Norwich City railway station|Norwich]] to [[Themelthorpe]] and from Themelthorpe to [[Aylsham South railway station|Aylsham]]. The Themelthorpe to Norwich line was built in 1882 by the [[Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company]], which was taken over by the M&GNJR in 1893 as part of a line that ran to [[Melton Constable railway station|Melton Constable]]; this line gave a through route to the [[English Midlands|Midlands]]. The Themelthorpe to Aylsham line was completed in 1893 by the [[Great Eastern Railway]] to provide a link to its other lines at [[Hoveton & Wroxham railway station|Wroxham]] and [[County School railway station|County School]], close to [[North Elmham]]. 
The lines were never profitable. Freight services were largely based on farm products and the line closed to passenger traffic in 1959.

In 1960, the two lines were joined by the [[Themelthorpe|''Themelthorpe Curve'']], believed to be the sharpest bend on the [[British Rail]] network. Its construction was to maintain the important movement of concrete products from [[Lenwade railway station]]; once production ceased in 1985, the line was closed.<ref name=Mar/>