This is a more detailed guide than the Quick Guide, to help you get the maximum pleasure from your visit. You can of course commence your journey at any of the stations on the line, but for this guided tour we will start at Alresford. We will then travel to each of the other stations in turn, taking the opportunity to see the sights at each of them. The tour finishes at Alton where the railway connects with the main line. You will see not only the original features of the line but also the later additions that could be mistaken for originals, so well do they blend in.
The railway has a rolling programme of exciting new developments, designed to enhance the facilities for visitors and staff alike and so provide greater enjoyment for our most important asset - our customers. This guide includes information about these developments, past, present and future. New information will be added as it becomes available.
The Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company, which later became the original Mid-Hants Railway, opened the line in 1865. It started from Alton where it connected with the London and South Western Railway line to Guildford and later to London via Pirbright Junction and Woking. There were three intermediate stations, at Ropley, Alresford and Itchen Abbas. A fourth station, Medstead and Four Marks, was added later. The other end of the line connected with the LSWR main route from London to Southampton, at Winchester Junction, north of Winchester City Station. From the outset services were operated by the LSWR, which eventually absorbed the line in 1884. In 1923 the line formed part of the Southern Railway, which became the Southern Region of British Railways at nationalisation, in 1948.
Following closure by British Railways in 1973 the track between Ropley and Alton, and Alresford to Winchester Junction, was lifted. That between Ropley and Alresford was left in place for the time being. The Winchester and Alton Railway, later to become the present Mid-Hants Railway, was formed with the intention of re-opening the whole line under independent ownership. Unfortunately financial constraints forced the section west of Alresford to Itchen Abbas and Winchester Junction to be abandoned. However, the line was re-opened between Alresford and Ropley four years later, in 1977. After the lifted track was reinstated services were re-established to Medstead in 1983 and to Alton in 1985.
This is the administrative headquarters of the railway and the principal station on the line. The main building dates from the original construction of the line and has been restored to Southern Railway condition, although there have been some later additions. Car parking is available outside the station, with a pay-and-display ticket system.
Goods Shed - The Edward Knight CentreAs you approach the station look to your right where the former goods shed has been reconstructed as a new visitor centre. This was opened in November 2001 and is well worth a visit. Built soon after the original opening of the railway, in 1865, the building was derelict and out of use for several years, although it was recognised as a significant part of the local heritage. Goods facilities were withdrawn from Alresford by BR in 1964 and the shed was then used as a store. It formerly housed a platform, a crane and a small office and had a rail connection and road access. The MHR embarked on a major restoration of the shed following a successful application for funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund and an intensive fundraising campaign conducted by our Vice President, Norman Atherden. The former goods shed is now known as the Edward Knight Centre, named after the chairman of the original Mid-Hants Railway. A new first floor has been constructed to provide additional facilities to those at ground level. Access is provided for the disabled, including a stair lift to the first floor.
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The centre comprises:
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Across the station yard from the Goods Shed (Edward Knight Centre) is the former warehouse, originally built in 1873. This had its own rail connection and was used for agricultural produce until the mid 1960s, most recently by the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society (SCATS). The building has since been converted into offices, although the exterior appearance remains much as it has always been. It now has no connection with railway business.
Next to the former warehouse is the siding where goods wagons were berthed for loading and unloading goods. Large shipments of watercress were regularly sent to destinations all over the country and this explains why the line is now marketed as The Watercress Line. Nowadays the siding provides storage space for railway rolling stock. It is also used to load and unload locomotives and rolling stock transferred by road to and from other railways. Manoeuvring these huge trailers along the narrow station approach provides a severe test of skill for the drivers!
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The main part of the station was built in 1865. It included living accommodation for the stationmaster and had space for all the usual facilities to be found at a moderately important country station. Nowadays the whole building is used by the railway for office staff, operational activities and facilities for visitors. Within the station entrance is the ticket hall, where authentic Edmondson-style tickets to travel are dispensed through the original booking office window. The waiting room and ladies toilet are opposite the booking office.
At the far side of the ticket hall is the doorway to Platform 1, giving access to the West Country Buffet, the Information Office, the gentlemen's toilet and the trains. Notice the swan-neck lamps with their candy twist posts, still lit by gas. The footbridge, at the country end of the station, hasn't always been there although it may look that way. It was originally constructed for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway and served the station at Uckfield. It was transferred to Alresford and erected in its present position by the Mid-Hants Building Department, in 1994.
Photos of the bridge and other items at Alresford
With the growth of the business it became necessary to extend the building, such was the need for more space. In 1979 the wooden station building at Lyme Regis, in Dorset, was dismantled and re-erected at Alresford. The building dates from 1903, when the branch from Axminster to Lyme Regis was opened, and fell into disuse following closure of the line in 1967. It has now been given a new lease of life as the ever-popular West Country Buffet.
The buffet provides hot meals and light refreshments at attractive prices, in an historical setting. The main counter dates from the mid-1930s and was transferred together with many fittings from the former Southern Railway buffet at Okehampton, in Devon. When the shop was moved to the Edward Knight Centre the West Country Buffet was extended into the space vacated, enabling the accommodation and range of services on offer to visitors to be expanded and improved. The entrance is on the main platform from where the trains for Alton depart.
More information about Alresford station
Trains generally depart from Platform 1, next to the main station building, although Platform 2 is sometimes used, particularly during special events or when an intensive service is being operated. Train movements are controlled from the signal box at the Alton end of Platform 1. The signalling is by semaphore signals. Track circuiting is connected to a visual display in the signal box and enables the signalman to observe the exact position of any train or rail vehicle within the station precincts.
Departures are controlled by the starter signals at the ends of the platforms. Trains heading for Ropley pass under the road bridge visible from the station. Sharp-eyed travellers will see the ex-Swanwick signals just beyond the bridge, on the right hand side, now used to control down trains approaching Alresford from Ropley.
Like Alresford, Ropley station dates from the opening of the line in 1865. A lean-to at the country end of the building was later replaced by a two-storey extension with rectangular windows, rather than the round topped ones elsewhere. The extension provided additional accommodation in the station house, which is still occupied by a former railwayman. The ticket hall and booking office are similar to those at Alresford, although the former waiting room is now used as a shop. The ladies toilet and disabled facilities are opposite the booking office.
From the ticket hall a doorway leads onto Platform 2, on the down side of the line. The gentlemen’s toilet is located on this platform. Ropley has always been noted for the topiary and this can still be seen, nowadays kept in excellent order by two Mid-Hants volunteers.
The down platform is being extended at the Medstead end of the station. The up platform opposite is also to be extended. This work will enable longer trains to be accommodated and to enable visitors to see the locomotives close up at the platform ends. It will also avoid the situation where the front carriages of trains travelling in the up direction are off the platform when drivers draw up to take water from the water column.
The signalling at Ropley is currently operated from the ground level cabin at the Medstead end of the down platform. A new signal box, originally used at Netley, has been erected on the down platform and will be commissioned when other high-priority projects are complete and effort becomes available. It will also allow the present signal cabin to be demolished so that the platform extension can be completed.
This is believed to have started life at Woolwich Arsenal around 1860. It was brought to the railway from the museum at the former Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, now closed. It was found buried in the ground as part of the foundations of a balloon shed, which was demolished in the early 1960s. It has now been mounted on a stand and can be seen just off the down platform, through the gate near the new signal box. A plaque explains its background.
The Ropley footbridge first saw service at North Tawton station, on the former LSWR main line from Exeter to Plymouth. When this line was closed to passenger traffic the bridge fell into disuse. In 1983 it was purchased by the Mid-Hants Railway and transferred to Ropley, where it offered the prospect of providing a more satisfactory way for visitors to gain access to the up platform. Also in prospect was a new viewpoint, enabling the station to be seen as never before. Once construction of the splendid new brick piers was completed, the bridge was craned into position and the decking and steps fitted. It was opened for use at Ropley in 1986.
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For visitors wanting to view trains in action or to put their cameras to work a footpath next to the railway has been created. This leads from the footbridge end of Platform 1 and extends for about a quarter of a mile towards Alresford.
Behind the up platform (No 1), from where the Alton trains depart, is a grass-covered picnic area with tables and benches for visitors. It incorporates a small memorial garden for those who have contributed to the success of the railway and are no longer with us. There is also an adventure playground for energetic children.
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The site provides a lofty position from which to view the engines taking water at the Medstead end of the station. Across the line the engine shed and yard can be seen, perhaps an inducement to go and have a closer look. The site really comes into its own for the frequent special events that are staged. In particular, twice a year it provides children with an excellent view of the adventures of Thomas Tank Engine and his friends, on the railway below.
In the days of the London and South Western Railway and its successors Ropley had a small goods yard, used by the pick-up goods trains to serve the local community. The site of the yard is now occupied by the Mid-Hants Engineering Centre, where the locomotives are restored and maintained. Major work on passenger coaches is also undertaken here. The shed was completed in 1981 and was hailed as a great improvement on the primitive polythene tents that had been used until then.
Visitors are welcome to look round the yard and to peep into the engine shed to see the work under way. Access is from the station forecourt, past the shed on the side away from the station building.
This new facility for the Locomotive Department is under construction at the Medstead end of the yard at Ropley. It will enable more of our important locomotive fleet to be stored and serviced under cover, helping to preserve it from the weather and making a more congenial working environment for our staff. It has two tracks at present but it will ultimately have three, with the third being laid when the yard track work has been remodelled to accommodate the connection.
The wheeldrop was formally at Bricklayers Arms, just off London’s Old Kent Road. It has now been installed next to the engine shed at Ropley and can be seen by the running line, on the down side. The shed is now being extended to cover the wheeldrop and so permit the electrical equipment to be commissioned. This facility has made a dramatic reduction in the cost and time needed to service wheelsets, axleboxes, etc and improve the availability of locomotives to work trains.
Trains leave from Platform 1 and immediately pass the locomotive shed and yard on the right. Visitors will notice that the locomotive is working rather harder than on the Alresford to Ropley section. This is because of the 1-in-60 gradient, which is quite steep for a railway.
After passing under Bighton Road bridge the train enters a shallow cutting before emerging onto a high embankment. Soon, on the right can be seen the A31 main road, which runs parallel to the railway for much of its length. Around halfway to Medstead, next to the A31, can be seen The Shant. This is believed to be the last remnant of the accommodation used by the ‘navvies’ who built the railway. It is currently used as a kitchen and bathroom showroom. Consider the height of the embankment on which the train now runs and the depth of the cutting on the approach to Medstead. In the 1860s there were no mechanical excavators, just shovels, wheelbarrows and muscle power.
| Medstead, or more correctly Medstead and Four Marks, is the highest station in Hampshire, 630 feet above sea level. It was not one of the original stations, having been opened in 1868, three years after the opening of the line. It was initially intended to serve Medstead a mile or so away but with the growth of Four Marks nearby the name of the station was eventually changed to recognise the situation. There is limited car parking on the station forecourt and a free car park in Four Marks, behind the Total petrol station, five minutes walk away. |  |
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The station building is rather more modest than those at Alresford and Ropley. The entrance from the station yard leads into a ticket hall and waiting area which in winter are kept cosy and warm by a coal-fired heater. The ladies room, heated by a blazing coal fire in winter, and toilet is off the ticket hall.
Beyond are the platforms and the gentlemen’s toilet. On emerging from the
ticket hall visitors have their first opportunity to view the restoration.
The station depicts a typical Southern Railway country station, an idyllic
location on a warm summer day. It is fascinating to watch and listen to a
train approaching up the long straight from Ropley climbing the 1-in-60 gradient.
At first it is hardly visible but as it gradually gets bigger the hard-working
steam locomotive can be heard more easily, reaching a crescendo as it enters
the station. The arrival of a train heralds much activity. Once it has departed
the station is restored to tranquillity, with little more to listen to but
the birds singing and bees humming.
More information about Medstead and Four Marks station
This is at the Alton end of the up platform and was brought into use in 1985. The box was transferred from Wilton, near Salisbury, after BR decided it was redundant. At Medstead it replaces an almost identical box which was demolished by BR in 1969.
This was another major project for the Mid-Hants Building Department. The footbridge formerly served the Isle of Wight Central Railway’s Cowes station, which closed in 1966. The structure was transferred to Medstead and after refurbishment was hoisted into position on the newly-built piers in September 1995. The footbridge was officially opened for use at Medstead in October 1996.
On the down platform (Alresford-bound) the waiting shelter was demolished in the 1960s, so that waiting for a train on this side in winter could be a somewhat bleak experience. However, in 1993 the shelter was replaced by an almost identical structure on the original foundations, so that intending passengers once again have a refuge from the more extreme weather conditions.
These two organisations each have their own headquarters buildings at Medstead, on the up side of the railway at the country end of the station. The photo shows the view from the footbridge, with the S&T building on the left and the Building Department's green workshop on the right.
The site was formerly a goods yard and this is being recreated, complete with crane, loading gauge and other items that were present in days gone by. Facilities for wagon repairs and maintenance have also been established at the country end of the yard.
The Signal & Telegraph Department building was donated to the railway by BT. It was commissioned at Medstead in 1997 and provides both office and workshop facilities. The Building Department workshop started life as a grain store at Alresford. It was reconstructed at Medstead and gradually brought into use from towards the end of 1999. It now contains the wide range of tools, equipment and materials that you would expect to see in this busy department and furthermore, it means that those jobs needing to be carried out under cover can now be done without commandeering waiting rooms and booking halls in the closed season!
On leaving Medstead the train enters a deep cutting and climbs uphill for a short distance, to the summit of the line, 652 feet above sea level. This is under Boyneswood Road bridge, a high three arch bridge carrying the road from Four Marks to Medstead. The summit position is marked by lineside notices, on both sides of the railway. It is now downhill all the way to Alton, some four miles distant.
Three miles from Medstead is the site of Butts Junction where the Meon Valley line to Fareham and the Basingstoke line diverged. The trackbeds of these can still be picked out just before passing over Butts Bridge, which is actually two bridges, used by road traffic west of Alton town centre. On the left are the remains of the signal box which was abolished in 1935, after the closure of the line to Basingstoke. From then on the double track was operated as two single lines from Alton. One served the Mid-Hants line and the other the Meon Valley line, until that too was closed in 1955.
Shortly before entering Alton station the line passes the brewery (on the left) for which Alton is well known. On this stretch some of the double track has been reinstated to enable two Watercress Line trains to pass each other outside the station. On the right is Kings Pond, with a population of ducks and other wildfowl.
| Visitors arriving at Alton station by car can use the pay and display park at the station. However the charges are designed more for commuters, so that it is usually cheaper to park in town centre car parks, go to Medstead and Four Marks or to the Alresford end of the line. Tickets for Watercress Line services are available from the SWT booking office. The Watercress Line uses Platform 3 of Railtrack's station, which has been decorated in late Southern Railway livery throughout. Toilets are on the Platform 1 (Railtrack) side of the station. Access to Platform 3 is over the footbridge. |  |
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On Platform 3 are an information kiosk and a shop (within the station building). Between them they can provide full information on Watercress Line services and a range of railway-related merchandise, as well as the usual ice cream for those hot summer days when the children may be fretful.
The trains from Alresford terminate at Alton, so it is necessary for the engine to uncouple, run round the train and couple up at the country end ready for the return trip. For those wishing to view the engine close up this is usually the best location to do it, as the engine is on the platform after running round the carriages. If there is time the crew will be pleased to welcome visitors to the footplate. The children usually love this, although some find it a little daunting.
Before leaving for Medstead the engine crew will be found preparing the locomotive for the climb up the hill. With a four mile climb, three of them at a constant 1-in-60, plenty of steam will be required. Because of these gradients on the line the train crews in the past referred to the route as ‘over the Alps’.
There are currently no fixed signals in operation for Watercress Line trains at Alton, so all signalling is carried out using flags. This is usually perfectly adequate but it does lead to difficulties when an intensive service, such as during special events, is operated.
A major project is now under way to install a modern high-tech signalling system, which uses colour lights, route indicators and track circuiting. This system will be centred on the signal box visible just outside the station. It will enable more than one train to be handled at a time and permit shunting operations within the station area to be carried out without the need to clear such operations with Medstead. It will also inform the drivers of trains approaching from Medstead about the readiness of the station to accept them and about the route to be used to approach. The result will be an efficient and flexible system able to handle a wide range of services.
The sharp-eyed passenger will be able to spot some of the new signal gantries and posts already in place, as they travel on the line to and from Medstead.
I hope this guide has helped to ensure your visit is as enjoyable as possible. I shall endeavour to update it from time to time, so that it reflects the latest position. I would welcome any suggestions for additions and improvements. Finally I would like to record my gratitude to the contributors to the various Watercress Line publications, particularly the Mid-Hants News. These have been my main source of information and inspiration for the guide.
Mike Pearson.
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Tel No: 01962 733810 Fax No: 01962 735448 e-mail: reservations@watercressline.co.uk www.watercressline.co.uk |
Quick Guide to the Watercress Line
Other pages of general interest on this
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Latest News from the Watercress Line
Loco Shed: Latest Reports and Photos
What there is to see at the Watercress
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How to get to the Watercress Line
