Exploring the Aldeburgh to Saxmundham Branch with Em and Stu

The branch from Leiston to Saxmundham opened in 1859 and was extended the four miles to Aldeburgh the following year.

Passenger services survived until 1966, so (pace Em and Stu) you can include it among the Beeching cuts to the network. The 'I'm Backing Britten' campaign of 1968 came too late to save it.

And there is a village at Thorpeness - a select early 20th-century holiday village - but it is some way from the halt that was opened to serve it.

Watch the video and you will see that the line from Leiston to Saxmundham remains open for occasional workings to and from the nuclear power station at Sizewell. I believe they take spent fuel rods to Sellafield for reprocessing.

And you will see at the start that the terminus at Aldeburgh, where festivalgoers must once have alighted, has vanished. You can find some photographs of it on the Disused Stations site.