William Marriott Museum
Small railway museum in the goods shed at Holt station on the North Norfolk Railway, telling the story of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The William Marriott Museum is run by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society and sits in a goods shed at Holt station, the western terminus of the heritage North Norfolk Railway. The shed is a recreation, modelled on an original building from Thursford, near Fakenham. The present Holt station is a new build from the 1980s and lies a short distance from the site of the original Holt station, which closed in 1964.
The museum is named after William Marriott (1857-1943), the engineer, locomotive superintendent and traffic manager who oversaw the building of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and then ran almost every part of it for more than forty years. The displays follow the railway from its beginnings through closure under British Railways to its revival as a steam line.
The Society was founded in 1959, soon after most of the M&GN network closed, and supports the North Norfolk Railway as a charity and major shareholder. Its collection includes tickets, timetables, documents, signs, posters, clocks and watches, together with buildings, locomotives, rolling stock and a historic signalling system. Preserved goods vehicles stand in the loading bay outside.
Highlights
- Story of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
- Tickets, timetables, signs, posters and documents
- Preserved goods vehicles outside the goods shed
- Located on the North Norfolk Railway
Permanent exhibition
- The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway – Displays on the railway, its builder and long-serving manager William Marriott, its closure and its revival as a heritage line.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £1 |
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| Children & teens | freeAccompanied children are free. |
Free with a valid North Norfolk Railway ticket. Non-travelling adults pay a small charge.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Holt station has accessible parking spaces (first come, first served) and toilets on Platform 1 with accessible and baby-changing facilities. The museum itself publishes no access details; contact the museum before visiting.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Holt (North Norfolk Railway)
Reached by train on the North Norfolk Railway; Holt is the western terminus of the line.
By car
Parking available
Large car park at Holt station; accessible spaces are available first come, first served.
The station lies about a mile from Holt town centre, in High Kelling.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
A small buffet and gift shop operated by the railway is opposite the station ticket office, usually open 10:00 to 17:00.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Open only on days when trains run. Out-of-hours visits by arrangement with the curator. |
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