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Is Lowestoft the furthest East station in the UK?

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Lewis Acott

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Planning a trip down to Suffolk at the end of may to see how the railway differs to my local in the central belt of Scotland. I was wondering if I was correct in saying that Lowestoft is the furthest east station in the UK as it would be nice to tick it off as have already been to furthest north (Thurso) and furthest west (Arisaig).
 
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Master29

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Planning a trip down to Suffolk at the end of may to see how the railway differs to my local in the central belt of Scotland. I was wondering if I was correct in saying that Lowestoft is the furthest east station in the UK as it would be nice to tick it off as have already been to furthest north (Thurso) and furthest west (Arisaig).
You forget furthest south. Penzance.
 
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You forget furthest south. Penzance.
What an odd thing to say. Given its distance from Arisaig and Thurso (which the OP has already visited) and Lowestoft (which the OP is planning to visit on this proposed trip), there's no reason why Penzance should have been mentioned.

Just because it's the fourth main point of the compass doesn't mean the OP 'forgot'. It simply wasn't part of this particular conversation.
 

Master29

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What an odd thing to say. Given its distance from Arisaig and Thurso (which the OP has already visited) and Lowestoft (which the OP is planning to visit on this proposed trip), there's no reason why Penzance should have been mentioned.

Just because it's the fourth main point of the compass doesn't mean the OP 'forgot'. It simply wasn't part of this particular conversation.
Why? The OP mentions 3 points of the compass. I mentioned the fourth. A place for the OP to visit on his quest perhaps, if he hasn`t already done so. What is odd about that?
 

Essan

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Yes, Lowestoft Ness is the most easterly point in the British Isles, about 3/4 mile northeast (as the crow flies) from Lowestoft Station.
 

Cherry_Picker

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Not only is it the easternmost station in the UK, it's one of the easternmost buildings in the UK. It's something like two streets over from the harbour and about a mile south west (heavy emphasis on the south) of Ness Point which is the eastern extreme of the UK.
 

eastdyke

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Lowestoft Station, unlike the other 3 'stations' of the compass, is actually close to the land mark.
While in Lowestoft visitors can go to Ness Point (around 1.5km walk each way). Fantastic for viewing the sun rise.
I see others got there first!!
 
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Essan

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As an aside, Penzance is the only one of the 4 that is not also the closest station (as the crow flies) to the actual geographical extremity. Penmere station, Falmouth, being about 4 miles closer to Lizard Point. However, by road, Lochailort is also closer to the Point of Ardnamurchan than Arisaig.
 

Tio Terry

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Yes!

Seen the sun rise there many a time whilst working the 06:00 - 14:00 shift there with the S&T all those years ago!
 

MikeWM

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While in Lowestoft visitors can go to Ness Point (around 1.5km walk each way). Fantastic for viewing the sun rise.

The other attractions of Ness Point include the 'Euroscope', and a good view of a frozen food factory :)

But. yes, this is by far the easiest of the land extremnities to reach by rail.


Edit : actually it is a gas works you can see. Though the frozen food factory is nearby and you'll pass it getting there.
 

eastdyke

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The other attractions of Ness Point include the 'Euroscope', and a good view of a frozen food factory :)
But. yes, this is by far the easiest of the land extremnities to reach by rail.

Edit : actually it is a gas works you can see. Though the frozen food factory is nearby and you'll pass it getting there.
The clue on the map is Gas Works Road (on the route) but no Gas Works, production ceased in the 1960's when briefly gas was supplied from Norwich before conversion to Natural Gas circa 1970.
There is now a small pressure control facility on the site and a gas holder, although the latter may have been de-commisioned.
Back in the day when TV signals were not as well directed as they are now there were complaints when the gas holder was towards empty from nearby seaward facing residents who had lost their picture!
But power is still produced close to Ness Point by a rather tall wind turbine :)
 

backontrack

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GB STATIONS
Thurso is the northernmost station.
Arisaig is the westernmost station.
Lowestoft is the easternmost station.
Penzance is the southernmost station.

MAINLAND

Thurso is the closest station to Dunnet Head.
Arisaig is the closest station to Corrachadh Mòr.*
Lowestoft is the closest station to Lowestoft Ness.
Penmere is the closest station to Lizard Point.

MAINLAND SETTLEMENTS
Thurso is the closest station to Scarfskerry.
Arisaig is the closest station to Grigadale.
Lowestoft is the closest station to Lowestoft.
Penmere is the closest station to Lizard.

OUTLYING POINTS
Thurso is the closest station to Out Stack.
Mallaig is the closest station to Rockall.†‡
Lowestoft is the closest station to Lowestoft Ness.
Penzance is the closest station to Pednathise Head.

BONUS: LOWEST AND HIGHEST POINTS
Whittlesea is the closest station to Holme Posts.
Fort William (An Gearasdan) is the closest station to Ben Nevis (Beinn Nibheis).

* Corrachadh Mòr is the true westernmost point of the British mainland, not Ardnamurchan Point.
† This is unconfirmed. I did this measurement myself...with Google Maps, and a ruler.
‡ Rockall is sometimes disputed as the true westernmost point of the UK. Excluding Rockall, the westernmost point of the UK is Soay, St Kilda (Soaigh, Hiort). The closest railway station to Soay is Duirinish (Diùirinis); this is using the same measuring method as Rockall.
 

Old Yard Dog

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Derry/Londonderry?

I believe that the new Derry station, being built on the site of the original Waterside station (1858-1980), will be a short distance north and an even shorter distance east of the current station (1980-).
 

backontrack

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Incidentally, I think the longest journey possible rail journey in Britain was from Penzance to Lybster.
 

Tio Terry

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it aint as grim as Yarmouth. What a dump.

Now those who originate from Norfolk could be offended, it's Great Yarmouth, Yarmouth is on the Isle of Wight.

A dump? In fairness I've not been back in at least 20 years so don't really know. But when I was in my teens and early 20's it was the place to go on a Friday or Saturday night if you liked girls. At that time there were loads of Americans who were involved with oil and gas exploration works. Seem to remember a very popular restaurant, think it was the Wheelstop Diner, Caister way, which had a pair of massive wheels outside from a Flying Fortress. Guess it's all gone now.
 

AlterEgo

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Now those who originate from Norfolk could be offended, it's Great Yarmouth, Yarmouth is on the Isle of Wight.

A dump? In fairness I've not been back in at least 20 years so don't really know. But when I was in my teens and early 20's it was the place to go on a Friday or Saturday night if you liked girls. At that time there were loads of Americans who were involved with oil and gas exploration works. Seem to remember a very popular restaurant, think it was the Wheelstop Diner, Caister way, which had a pair of massive wheels outside from a Flying Fortress. Guess it's all gone now.

The council voted to put "Great" on the front ages ago to make it appeal to tourists. I hear most locals call it Yarmouth.
 

Tio Terry

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The council voted to put "Great" on the front ages ago to make it appeal to tourists. I hear most locals call it Yarmouth.

The name, of course, comes from Yare Mouth, the mouth of the river Yare in to the North Sea. Being a local I would argue it's Yarrmth, similar to Loowstoft rather than Lowestoft. But then, normal for Norfolk, is Ruud for Road! If I drop back in to my real Norfolk dialect - many years out of the county have corrupted me - I doubt you would be able to understand me!
 

eastdyke

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The name, of course, comes from Yare Mouth, the mouth of the river Yare in to the North Sea. Being a local I would argue it's Yarrmth, similar to Loowstoft rather than Lowestoft. But then, normal for Norfolk, is Ruud for Road! If I drop back in to my real Norfolk dialect - many years out of the county have corrupted me - I doubt you would be able to understand me!
? “Lowst’ff”, I always thought the 't' was silent, as described in this great little piece by Peter Trudgill. I don't remember ever hearing a 't' from the locals.
https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/246...ames.pdf/701c4333-8a71-4ae4-a344-acde18a14f02
Linguistic Notes on Norwich and Norfolk Place-names for Language and Communication Students
To say "Great Yarmouth” is also to identify oneself as an outsider. It is never so called by local people, who call it simply Yarmouth. (There was originally a Little Yarmouth across the River Yare in what is now Gorleston.)
As far as pronunciation is concerned, the best-known traps for the unwary newcomer are:
Costessey= “Cossy”; Wymondham “Wind’m”; Happisburgh “Hayzbruh”; Garboldisham “Garblesh’m”, and Tacolneston “Tackleston”.
Quite a lot of people pronounce Cley as “Cly”, but the correct pronunciation is “Clay” – the name actually derives from “clay, clayey soil”. Hunstanton is traditionally pronounced “Hunston”.
And, just outside Norfolk, Bungay is “Bung-gy” [with a hard ‘g’), and Lowestoft
is “Lowst’ff”, with the first syllable as in “low".
:):)
 

chubs

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Now those who originate from Norfolk could be offended, it's Great Yarmouth, Yarmouth is on the Isle of Wight.

A dump? In fairness I've not been back in at least 20 years so don't really know. But when I was in my teens and early 20's it was the place to go on a Friday or Saturday night if you liked girls. At that time there were loads of Americans who were involved with oil and gas exploration works. Seem to remember a very popular restaurant, think it was the Wheelstop Diner, Caister way, which had a pair of massive wheels outside from a Flying Fortress. Guess it's all gone now.

It's changed. It is a dump. It gets progressively nicer along the coast the further you get away from it - Lowestoft, Sherringham, North Norfolk coast up to Wells etc.

Quite a few Norfolk old timers still have their rose tinted specs on.
 

Tio Terry

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eastdyke

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I would suggest that what Peter Trudgill describes is the way Norwichians speak Norfolk. It's not the same as someone from a farm in North Norfolk. But I doubt it's of any interest on this site!
Fair enough, all points :).
@chubs I totally agree that somehow Yarmouth needs 'repurposing'. 'Keep the best and dump the rest'.
That said Yarmouth has some very substantial, esp. Maritime, history.
 

caliwag

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Of course, a power of work has reopened the most Southerly, Truthall Halt on the wonderful Helston branch aiming for the wonderfully named Water-me-Trout on the edge of Helston, which of course will take the acolade of furthest South.
 

Mordac

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The name, of course, comes from Yare Mouth, the mouth of the river Yare in to the North Sea. Being a local I would argue it's Yarrmth, similar to Loowstoft rather than Lowestoft. But then, normal for Norfolk, is Ruud for Road! If I drop back in to my real Norfolk dialect - many years out of the county have corrupted me - I doubt you would be able to understand me!
'Athsa load-squid, ainttit?
 
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