Newspaper advert from 1866 promoted ‘cheap excursion’ via train to Hunstanton

Picture This with Lynn Museum from Tuesday, May 28.

This newspaper advertisement from 1866 by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) encouraged residents of Bishop Stortford in Hertfordshire to climb aboard the 8.40am train bound for Hunstanton, for a “cheap excursion” to the West Norfolk seaside.

Passengers could enjoy a return journey in “covered carriages” for 3/6, with children paying less and those under three travelling free.

Once at the beach, travellers were promised “superior bathing”, “sands attractive to the pedestrian” and “picturesque cliffs”, as well as refreshments before being back on board at 6pm for the journey home.

The advert comes at a time when rail travel in Britain was booming.

423 million passengers travelled by train in 1870, with sunny destinations like Hunstanton certainly benefitting from the influx of this new national tourism.