Royal-used Victorian station near Sandringham listed for £1.25 million

A piece of British royal history, the former Wolferton Station, which served as a private terminal for the royal family traveling to and from their Sandringham Estate, is now on the market for £1.25 million. Opened in 1862, the same year Queen Victoria purchased the Sandringham Estate for her son, Albert, Prince of Wales, the station was a key stop for royals for over a century. Albert and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, frequently used the station for their autumn and winter stays at the Norfolk estate, often gathering with family for hunting parties, Christmases, and New Year celebrations. Station master Harry Saward recorded 645 special royal trains during his 27 years of service at Wolferton. The station also welcomed foreign monarchs, politicians, and diplomats on their way to various events. It served as a somber gathering point for funeral processions, including that of Prince Albert Victor in 1892 and Queen Alexandra in 1925. In 1893, crowds greeted the Duke and Duchess of York upon their arrival for their honeymoon at York Cottage on the estate. The station also functioned as a hunting lodge, with reports from 1908 detailing a shooting party attended by "The King, the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur of Connaught, Prince Alexander of Teck and several of the King’s guests," who lunched in the royal waiting room alongside the Queen and other royal women. In 1898, new buildings were added in Tudor style, including a royal suite with three oak-paneled rooms, a reception room, the Prince’s Room (now King Edward VII room), and the Princess’s Room (now Queen Alexandra room), each with private washrooms, plus an equerry vestibule for discreet staff movement. Despite its rich history, Wolferton Station closed on May 3, 1969, as part of post-war rail service reductions.