Upbech St Mary, Upbech Drove and Pott Row a journey through 00 and then into EM and 009.

[mullie]

OT ramble...

 

I found myself in Pott Row a couple of days ago, walking the dogs along the route of the M&GN south from Grimston Road towards Gayton Road. For a while the route runs alongside the gloriously named Cliffe-En-Howe Road (no idea about the derivation of that), which is one of Pott Row's dozen or so roads.

 

The landscape is beautiful woodland on often marshy fenland, before suddenly bursting out onto the heather-covered sands of Roydon Common (now a National Nature Reserve, so a far cry from your mpd).

 

Spectacularly lovely in the summer sunshine. Anyway, it made me think of your fine work.

 

Paul

The original concept for the layout was very different with many more buildings so the Pott row setting was more relevant because there wasn't enough rurality to show up any shortcomings. When I ripped all the scalescenes buildings out the scenario changed completely and possibly the name is no longer appropriate because as you rightly say the real Pott Row has a very different setting. 

 

I would describe the layout as a cross between the Wisbech area and the Stoke Ferry branch. I did briefly rename the thread Upbech St Mary, more of a fenland name and perhaps should do so again because the layout has more of an open fenland setting. I do think about the name regularly and perhaps it should change because it doesn't really represent the Pott Row area any more. As they say a layout is never finished, not even the name.

 

Thanks for your interest, it must be around 16 years since I visited Norfolk and that was for a family holiday with young children, so no chance to explore.

 

Martyn

[Edwardian]

The original concept for the layout was very different with many more buildings so the Pott row setting was more relevant because there wasn't enough rurality to show up any shortcomings. When I ripped all the scalescenes buildings out the scenario changed completely and possibly the name is no longer appropriate because as you rightly say the real Pott Row has a very different setting. 

 

I would describe the layout as a cross between the Wisbech area and the Stoke Ferry branch. I did briefly rename the thread Upbech St Mary, more of a fenland name and perhaps should do so again because the layout has more of an open fenland setting. I do think about the name regularly and perhaps it should change because it doesn't really represent the Pott Row area any more. As they say a layout is never finished, not even the name.

 

Thanks for your interest, it must be around 16 years since I visited Norfolk and that was for a family holiday with young children, so no chance to explore.

 

Martyn

 

Martyn,

 

Permit me an observation; the name 'Pott Row' is an excellent, catchy, name for a layout and, for many of us is indelibly associated with yours. 

 

Having lived in the Fens, as I know I have mentioned before, to me the layout has an irresistible feel of the Fens.

 

I don't actually know the real Pott Row, but, judging from maps and aerial photographs, there are small areas of Fen on the Norfolk side of Lynn.  One such we have been considering on Castle Aching, the area south of Lynn between the River Great Ouse and the A10 running between West Winch and Setchey.

 

Another area that looks pretty Fen-like to me, to judge from the flat looking fields divided by parallel 'drains', is the rhomboid area east of Lynn, bounded to the south by the River Gaywood, the west by the A149, the north by the Lynn Road, and on the east by woods and what appears to be higher ground, upon which is located Pott Row.

 

Now I know nothing of the history of the settlements in this immediate area, but, prior to widespread Fen drainage in the 17th to 19th Centuries, most habitations were located on permanently dry 'islands'.  It would be no surprise to learn that Pott Row was on higher ground bordered by Fen, were that to prove to be the case.

 

I don't know when your line was built.  Probably 1860s.  Probably across drained Fen. The space to build a station might have been most conveniently found a little to the west of the nearest habitation, from which the station took its name, Pott Row, and be found in, or at least overlooking, the Fen.

 

In short, from my, admittedly limited, knowledge of the locus in quo, I cannot see any issue with a Fen-like Pott Row station.   

 

I should become more familiar with the Pott Row - Grimston area, as I believe the West Norfolk will need to drive through a fictitious equivalent in order to reach Bishop's Lynn!

 

 

 

 .

[Fenman]

...I don't know when your line was built.  Probably 1860s.  Probably across drained Fen. The space to build a station might have been most conveniently found a little to the west of the nearest habitation, from which the station took its name, Pott Row, and be found in, or at least overlooking, the Fen.

 

...

 

I should become more familiar with the Pott Row - Grimston area, as I believe the West Norfolk will need to drive through a fictitious equivalent in order to reach Bishop's Lynn!

 

If it helps, the area of woodland to the west of Pott Row (through which the M&GN line ran) is called Hudson's Fen, which gives some credence to Edwardian's suppositions. Even today there are fairly substantial marshy/fenny bits in the midst of the delightful mature woodland.

 

The land a bit further south and west is now part of the Roydon Common National Nature Reserve. It is mostly sandy, covered in glorious heather. During WW2 there was some sort of military facility here, with strange, Brutalist, concrete sighting-towers built to enable the Army to test-fire weapons (I think). The raw skeletons of these remain, stalking like some HG Wells aliens over the deserted tranquility of the Common.

 

Paul

[mullie]

I will be remodelling the left hand end of the layout over the summer, removing the structures and replacing with greenery, the layout is increasingly becoming a case of 'less is more.' The plan is to make this area a little less fen like so Fenman's comments are really helpful as I could introduce some woodland to help make an escape through the back scene. This might help settle things in my mind. Ripping all the old buildings has definitely led to a better layout and it runs well though essentially with the change of time period and all the scratch building I've almost started again.

 

The original scenario was that trains from the left end would come from South Lynn, Kings Lynn/Hunstanton branch, then I discovered they could go via Castle Aching. Onwards from Pott Row they make there way down to join the line through to Well Next the Sea via Dereham. The branch wanders off into the fens in a sort of Wisbech and Upwell/Stoke Ferry kind of way serving a very out of the way place as yet un named. The branch serves a small sugar beet factory and out of the way station. Inspired by John's Hintock layouts I might build the branch station with its river frontage like the depot at Outwell one day as it could be small and portable so exhibitable.

 

The J65 ran under DC with its hacked Bachmann J72 body on a Comet chassis so once it has been chipped perhaps at the weekend it will break cover. It needs more weight as the etched chassis is surprisingly light.

 

However, I've become distracted recently by the railways of Portland where I live and 3mm scale!

[NHY 581]

I like "less is more".........

 

 

Rob

[mullie]

I like "less is more".........

 

 

Rob

I follow your work, you do 'less is more' superbly.

[NHY 581]

I follow your work, you do 'less is more' superbly.

Blimey! Thanks Mullie.

 

Now this may be why I am struggling to get Mutton off the ground......it has buildings....its a bit crowded for me.........

 

Rob

[mullie]

Something like this might be nice as a little rural byway, built in a box file as part of my Upbech St Mary layout featured in the modeller back in 2011 and long since scrapped. Shame really looks quite good.

 

 

 

[Edwardian]

Something like this might be nice as a little rural byway, built in a box file as part of my Upbech St Mary layout featured in the modeller back in 2011 and long since scrapped. Shame really looks quite good.

 

Great little micro.

 

BTW, in my experience it is perfectly possible to have stands of trees in drained former Fen. For instance, Holme Fen, which the ECML crosses on an embankment (it was on the level before they drained the Fen!) just south of Peterborough, and there are copses planted in the Whittlesey Washes, which was designed as a flood plain, so is inundated in the winter. 

 

You have to love the Fens, where else do you get to walk uphill to the river?

[mullie]

I've been looking at the real Pott Row on Google maps today and I agree with all above in that the scenario can work, the military connection is also interesting. The left hand end will be remodelled over the summer and will represent more traditional greenery  as opposed to the station end which is more fen like. Looking forward to tackling it now. 

 

I was originally drawn to Pott Row because of the variety of building materials used in the village including the use of car stone more closely associated with the Hunstanton branch, as well as its position which I felt offered ample scope for a GE/M&GN interchange. However, I now have almost no buildings.

 

Thanks everyone for your input it has been most helpful. It has also made me realise how long it is since I went to Cambridgeshire/ Norfolk and toured around, I believe it will be back in the early 90s before I got married and definitely BC (before children)!

 

I now have to content myself with views like this on my drive to work, it was lovely today.

 

 

 

 

Oh well!

 

 

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

Looks nothing like the 'Fens', although the moisture content is similar. !!!!!!

 

manna 

[mullie]

I showed some children I teach. the fens on Google maps the other day, growing up in this part of Dorset they had never seen anything like it. Middle of the fens around Littleport, no hills for miles and even the road is above ground level.

[Fenman]

I showed some children I teach. the fens on Google maps the other day, growing up in this part of Dorset they had never seen anything like it. Middle of the fens around Littleport, no hills for miles and even the road is above ground level.

The Fens is an extraordinary landscape. As the peat has dried out over the years it has shrunk, leaving the rivers and drains, railways and roads, all high above the land.

 

After particularly bad flooding a few years back I was on a train heading north, and the view out of both sides was of nothing but water. It felt like being on a boat. It was an utterly eerie scene.

 

I sometimes walk the dogs along the river banks around the Wiggenhalls, looking down on the vast man-made channel on one side, and much further down to the land on the other; while the sky overhead seems to stretch to infinity. And, since the population density is very low, it sometimes feels like an abandoned, desolate landscape.

 

I love it!

 

Paul

[Oldddudders]

I showed some children I teach. the fens on Google maps the other day, growing up in this part of Dorset they had never seen anything like it. Middle of the fens around Littleport, no hills for miles and even the road is above ground level.

Do the Somerset Levels have a passing resemblance a little closer?

[mullie]

Do the Somerset Levels have a passing resemblance a little closer?

They do but a lot of the children round here wouldn't have been there either. Many of the children in this area are not well travelled and may only leave the area rarely.

[stewartingram]

I showed some children I teach. the fens on Google maps the other day, growing up in this part of Dorset they had never seen anything like it. Middle of the fens around Littleport, no hills for miles and even the road is above ground level.

 

Littleport is on a hill !

And we have countless hills around here - on the slightly better roads with white lines anyway. We have to keep climbing over them (other people refer to them as the Cats Eye reflectors down the middle of the road!).

 

Stewart

[Edwardian]

 

And we have countless hills around here

 

Stewart

 

Mountains, too

[stewartingram]

Mountains, too

 

Aah, the Pidley Mountain Rescue Team !

Is Gil Boyd still playing with them?

 

Stewart

[mullie]

Mountains, too

Ah but those mountains are bigger in Dorset, but then we don't live on reclaimed land!

[mullie]

Littleport is on a hill !

And we have countless hills around here - on the slightly better roads with white lines anyway. We have to keep climbing over them (other people refer to them as the Cats Eye reflectors down the middle of the road!).

 

Stewart

Cats eyes and white lines, bl**dy luxury, we used to have to get up before we went to bed and eat gravel!

 

Any excuse for this

 

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by mullie

[Edwardian]

Cats eyes and white lines, bl**dy luxury, we used to have to get up before we went to bed and eat gravel!

 

Any excuse for this

 

 

Somehow I was expecting four Yorkshiremen

 

(though not the Spanish Inquisition)

[Clive Mortimore]

Oi you lot stop taking the mickey out of East Anglia and mountains.

 

In World War Two one of the two mountain artillery regiments to see action in Italy was the 85th (East Anglian) Mountain Regiment, Royal Artillery. Only in the British army could that have happened.

 

The regiment started of as an ordinary Field Artillery Regiment, it was converted to a mountain artillery unit in 1942, where it was equipped with 3.7 inch Mountain Guns and US 75mm M1 Pack Howitzers. It carried its guns, ammunition and other stores on mules. The mule handlers came from Basutoland in South Africa, along with many of the mules. Some mules were Brazilian as there was a world shortage of mules due to the losses in the war. 

[great northern]

I've been looking at the real Pott Row on Google maps today and I agree with all above in that the scenario can work, the military connection is also interesting. The left hand end will be remodelled over the summer and will represent more traditional greenery  as opposed to the station end which is more fen like. Looking forward to tackling it now. 

 

I was originally drawn to Pott Row because of the variety of building materials used in the village including the use of car stone more closely associated with the Hunstanton branch, as well as its position which I felt offered ample scope for a GE/M&GN interchange. However, I now have almost no buildings.

 

Thanks everyone for your input it has been most helpful. It has also made me realise how long it is since I went to Cambridgeshire/ Norfolk and toured around, I believe it will be back in the early 90s before I got married and definitely BC (before children)!

 

I now have to content myself with views like this on my drive to work, it was lovely today.

 

20170407_071114.jpg

 

20170407_071105.jpg

 

20170407_071120.jpg

 

Oh well!

What a lucky man you are to see that on your journey to work!

[Edwardian]

Oi you lot stop taking the mickey out of East Anglia and mountains.

 

In World War Two one of the two mountain artillery regiments to see action in Italy was the 85th (East Anglian) Mountain Regiment, Royal Artillery. Only in the British army could that have happened.

 

The regiment started of as an ordinary Field Artillery Regiment, it was converted to a mountain artillery unit in 1942, where it was equipped with 3.7 inch Mountain Guns and US 75mm M1 Pack Howitzers. It carried its guns, ammunition and other stores on mules. The mule handlers came from Basutoland in South Africa, along with many of the mules. Some mules were Brazilian as there was a world shortage of mules due to the losses in the war. 

 

Prior to deployment they had to ascend the lantern at Ely Cathedral for high altitude training.

[mullie]

What a lucky man you are to see that on your journey to work!

Even after thirteen years of living here I still love the views and will walk to the end of the road to see them. I do a circuit to buy my Sunday paper and can look straight up Chesil Beach at one point.

 

Our children have grown up here and loved it but they need to move away to train and to find skilled work as there is little in this area for young graduates.

 

I grew up in Brentwood in Essex, that has a hill so big the railway had to go round it and iso the station is about a mile out of the town centre.

Edited July 8, 2017 by mullie