Mid Hants Railway 'The Watercress Line'

  

 
Address: The Railway Station, New Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9JG
Telephone: 01962 733810  Email: information@watercressline.co.uk
24 hour Talking Timetable: 01962 734866
Line Length: 10 miles  Gauge:  4ft 8½ inches
Route: Alton to Alresford  Journey Time: 34 minutes
Tickets: Adults £12.00, Child £6.00, Family £30.00 (2 adults and 2 children) unlimited travel on the day of issue
Service: Saturdays & Sundays every month except for November /  school holidays / May, June, July, September every day except for some Mondays & Fridays / every day August
Parking: Pay and display at Alton GU34 2PZ and Alresford SO24 9JG (Alresford free on Sundays and Bank Holidays)   
Website: www.watercressline.co.uk     YouTubevideo     location map


Alresford Station: Refreshments, picnic area

 

Ropley Station: Refreshments, gift shop, children's play area, engineering works, museum

Alton Station: Gift shop, vintage bus ride, direct link to South West Trains London Waterloo.

 

The Watercress Line opened in 1865, the name comes from the fact that for nearly 100 years it transported watercress from the fields around Alresford. Operated by London and South Western Railway it ran for 17 miles from Alton to Winchester and was used as an alternative route to Waterloo from Southampton and Bournemouth. For this reason it was built to mainline standards to cope with large express locomotives. Due to the steep gradients many of the diverted trains had to be double headed. British Rail applied to close the line in 1968. There was much opposition to closure with three public enquiries but eventually it was approved with services ceasing in February 1973.

 

A preservation society was formed in 1972, just before closure. Soon after the last train ran British Rail lifted the track from Ropley to Alton but were persuaded by the society not to lift the section from Alresford to Ropley. All the trackbed from Alresford to Alton was saved but the seven miles from Winchester to Alresford was lost.

 

Trains began to run again over the three miles of the saved route from Alresford to Ropley from 30 April 1977. By 1983 the Mid Hants Railway (MHR) had been extended to Medstead and Four Marks. Services were reinstated to Alton in 1985 giving a connection to the mainline and direct access to Waterloo and Aldershot. 

 

Alresford is the headquarters of the railway and has the style of a 1940s Southern Region station. Next on the line is Ropley, noted for its topiary, an aspect of the station that is still evident today. Restored as a 1923 London and South Western station it has brown and pink paintwork and is home to the locomotive shed. Medstead and Four Marks is  a typical 1930s Southern Region station. Alton is shared with Network Rail and has the appearance of a 1950s British Railways station.


Small tank locomotives that are used by many preserved railway are not suitable for the MHR because part the track between Alton and Medstead has a gradient of 1 in 60. Large powerful engines are required to be able to pull a reasonable number of carriages. This makes a trip on the MHR something rather special, there is nothing quite like the sight and sound of a magnificent mainline steam locomotive.

 

There are  six steam locomotives operational No.1 Hunslet Austerity 'Thomas' 0-6-0ST, No.34007 SR  'Wadebridge' 4-6-2, No.60019 LNER 'Bittern' 4-6-2,  No.850 SR 'Lord Nelson' 4-6-0, No.30075 0-6-0T, No.92212 BR 2-10-0. A number of diesel locomotives and DMUs are also available.

 

Bluebell Railway

 

 Address: Sheffield Park Station, E. Sussex, TN22 3QL

Telephone: 01825 720800 
Email: info@bluebell-railway.co.uk
Timetable information: 01825 720825 (24 hours)
Line Length: 9 miles  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches 
Route: Sheffield Park to Kingscote 
Journey Time: 33 minutes
Service: Saturday & Sunday January, February, March, November, December / Daily service 2 April until 7 November / 26 - 31 December
Tickets: 3rd Class Adult £12.00, Child £6.00, Family: £33.00 (2 adults and up to 3 children) All tickets provide unlimited travel on the day of issue
Parking: Free parking at Sheffield Park TN22 3QL and Horsted Keynes RH17 7BB. No parking at Kingscote
Website: www.bluebell-railway.co.uk    YouTubevideo    location map

 

Sheffield Park Victorian Station: loco shed, museum, model railway, restaurant, refreshments, pub and picnic area

 

Horsted Keynes 1930s Station: Refreshments and picnic area

 

Kingscote 1950s Station: Refreshments, picnic area, bus service to East Grinstead

 

Future Plans: The line is to be extended to East Grinstead, all the land required has been purchased and work is going ahead.

 

Formed in 1875 the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Company constructed a line that was completed in 1883. From the beginning the railway was under the control of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Covering a mainly rural area it was not a profitable venture. The stations were a mile or two from the villages they were meant to serve and trains often ran at inconvenient times for passengers.

 

A train service continued until 28 May 1955 when British Railways decided to close the line. An astute local lady, Miss Bessemer pointed out that in the original Act there was an obligation to run a minimum of four trains a day. Reluctantly British Railways reopened the line in 1956 with a modest service ensuring the timetable was unsuitable for most passengers. Another Act was passed enabling closure to take place with the last train run on 16 March 1958.

 

When the 18 mile line from Lewes to East Grinstead was closed British Railways were still building steam locomotives. The Bluebell Railway Preservation Society was formed a year later, its first priority was to purchase the five mile section of track between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes. The asking price was £34,000 which the Society could not raise so the line was leased from British Railways. On 7 August, 1960 the Bluebell Railway ran its first passenger carrying service.

 

Three organisations have run the railway before the preservation society took over and the three stations each reflect a different period of ownership. From 1882 - 1922 it was run by the LBSCR with Sheffield Park being restored as a Victorian station. Horsted Keynes is a typical 1930s branch line country station, from 1923 Southern Railway were the operators. In 1948 the railway was nationalised with British Railways taking over and Kingscote has a 1950s style. All stations have been authentically restored to represent a period of railway history, for this reason the Bluebell is very popular with film and tv companies.

 

At present work is taking place to extend the line to East Grinstead. Tracklaying started in 2003 but a large obstacle in the form of Imberhome Tip stands in the way. This is the site of the railway cutting which was filled with domestic rubbish in the late 1960's early 1970s. All the waste has to be removed at an estimated cost of £4 million, work is proceeding.

 

The Bluebell Railway is one of the few organisations that has all its passenger trains pulled by steam power. There are six operational steam locomotives No.34059 SR 'Sir Archibald Sinclair' 4-6-2, No.592 SECR 0-6-0, No.1638 SR 2-6-0, No.9017 GWR 'Earl of Berkley' 4-4-0, No.80151 BR 2-6-4T, No.672 LBSCR 'Fenchurch'.

 

Further photographs of the Bluebell Railway can be found in the Gallery section.


Lavender Line

Address: Isfield Station, Isfield, Near Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5XB
Telephone: 01825 750515
Email: thelavenderline@googlemail.com
Line Length: 1 mile  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Service: Every Sunday / Bank Holidays / school holidays / open on Saturday no public trains
Tickets: Adult £8.00, Child £5.00, Family £26.00 (2 adults and 3 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Free parking at Isfield station TN22 5XB
Website: www.lavender-line.co.uk    YouTubevideo     location map

 

Isfield Station: Refreshments, children's play area, gift shop, picnic area

 

A local company called the Lewes and Uckfield Railway was given permission for a line from Lewes to Uckfield in 1856.  At Lewes a new station was built to cope with the anticipated increase in passenger traffic. Opened on 18 October 1858 the initial service offered five trains a day in each direction on weekdays.  The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway took over the branch a year later. Soon there were frequent through trains to Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, Lewes and Brighton.


In 1964 British Railways wanted to close the Lewes to Groombridge route but there were strong protests from individuals and organisations in the area. So instead they decided to close the Lewes to Uckfield line. The last train on the branch ran on February 1969.   

 

David Milham purchased Isfield station in 1983 and began renovating it. The name Lavender Line was given to the railway, this came from a coal merchant who traded from the station called A.E. Lavender and Sons. Track was relaid and a 1903 0-4-0 Barclay ST steam locomotive was acquired. In 1992 David Milham pulled out with a preservation society taking over the operation.

Isfield has been restored to the appearance of a Southern Railway country station in the 1930s. There is one mile of track with trains being run at regular half hour intervals on operating days. The railway has only one station, at off peak time diesel power is used. The Lavender Line has two steam engines No.2012 Peckett 0-4-0ST 'Teddy' and No.662 LB&SCR 'Martello' 0-6-0T.

 

Further photographs of the Lavender Line can be found in the Gallery section.


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