Route details Heading south from the former station site at Fakenham, the route of the line passes over the former Midland & Great Northern route to King's Lynn. Published plans would see a spur, proposed during the original construction of the latter line, being constructed enabling a new station to be located close to the town's former gas works. The line then passes over the River Wensum, with this first section being owned by the Norfolk Orbital Railway, in readiness for future restoration. At this time, it is open to the public as a permissive footpath. The formation then passes along the rear boundary fence of the Pensthorpe Natural Park. After final closure in 1981 the platform at Ryburgh was cut back and the formation is blocked by temporary maltings structures and a private access driveway. The closure of the station was raised in the House of Commons due to concerns about whether the roads could cope with the volume of goods sent from the local maltings. This five mile section is not in rail ownership, but a section south of Great Ryburgh is open as a permissive footpath. Although the line south of Great Ryburgh station is partially in use as a permissive footpath, two bridge decks have been removed and the section between these, running through Sennowe Park, is not open to the public. The formation is subject to Policy CT7 of Norfolk County Council's adopted Core Strategy, with the track route corridor from Fakenham through to County school, the Northern station on the Mid-Norfolk railway being safeguarded for rail use. The railway line between bridge 1708 and the MNR boundary at Yarrow Lane level crossing is a Public Bridleway. The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust owned trackbed starts north of Yarrow Lane level crossing, in the Wensum valley; a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Candidate Special Area of Conservation, taking a roughly southerly direction. The line south of the County School station is in the ownership of the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust, and has been partially relayed following planning consent for the restoration and operation of the line being granted in 1992. A one-mile gap remains between the Mid-Norfolk's tracks at North Elmham and the relayed MNR track at County School, which much of the latter likely to also need to be replaced prior to the restoration of train services. The line runs through the