The line had been opposed by the occupant of Holkham Hall, the Earl of Leicester, who feared that it would lead to large scale resort development and an influx of holiday visitors near his home.

[6] A station was nevertheless opened opposite the main gates of Holkham Park which had been laid out by Thomas Coke who had reclaimed from the sea some of the land over which the railway now ran.

The station's approach road, Lady Ann's Drive, continued for around half a mile to the beach at Holkham Gap.

Architecturally, it was a miniature version of the Great Eastern's "Victorian House" design, incorporating a small platform canopy.

[7] During the Second World War, the railway's strategic coastal location meant that it provided a natural 'rampart' behind which a potential beach invasion could be repelled.