The Watercress Line — Attraction in Winchester

This is an absolutely brilliant and sensational railway and also a fantastically picturesque railway, which offers a delightful and picturesque railway journey through the breathtakingly beautiful Hampshire countryside. The line between runs between New Alresford and Alton with stops at Ropley and Medstead & Four Marks Station and the line obtained from local farmers who produced Watercress which was then transported all over the country and all of the stations have a wonderful nostalgic contemporary look to them. The journey time between New Alresford and Alton lasts approx 45 minutes and you see beautiful picturesque rolling of Hampshire and the South Downs National Park and there are a number of things to do at each of the stations along the route. At Ropley Station you can see a Miniature Railway which you can go for an extra charge but it is a great ride and you can view Loco Sheds and see the Loco Stock that they have right up close which look amazing and you can view a Station Masters Sitting Room giving you a clear idea of the layout of the room they lived and also a clear idea of how they lived and you can see the King Cross Bridge which is a true magnificent sight and there is also the Carriage Shed which is open selected days and you can wander around the waiting room and see the beautiful contemporary features. At Medstead & Four Marks Station you can view a photo exhibition in the Waiting room showing the history and transformation of the station and 'Delivering The Goods' exhibition which is very interesting and informative detailing how goods were handled on the railway and there are walks to enjoy towards Alton through the beautiful countryside and at Alton Station you can access the great town and see the other attractions like Curtis Museum and Jame Austen's House and at Alresford station you can access The Old Goods Shed where the gift shop is situated and also access local trails. There are a variety of steam and diesel locomotives to enjoy rides and these are 506(30506) LSWR Urie S15 Class, 35005- SR Merchand Navy Class ' Canadian Pacifc', 1788- Gilmerton 0-4-0ST, 41312-LMS Ivatt Class 2MT, 47579- Class 47' James Nightall GC', 50027- Class 50 'Lion', 12049- Class 11 Shunter, 08032- Class 08 Shunter, D3462 (08377)- Class 08 Shunter and Class 20's- D8059 & D8188. There is a decent coffee shop at Alresford Station selling a variety of food and drink at reasonable prices and there are gift shops selling a wonderful range of souvenirs at very reasonable prices. Overall this is an absolutely fabulous and marvellous place to visit and makes for a thoroughly outstanding and memorable day out. Definitely well worth a visit whilst...

Poor information on gala's on the website. With the rising costs it is getting harder to take families out to such places as a family we traveled up and down the country to many gala's. To take our family on a train on a gaga it cost us about £100 for the day so as you can images we like to make use of this by riding the trains as much as we can but there more to a railway than just riding the trains there are many area of the line that I like to see like all the hard work the volunteers put into make the stations looking beautiful so I like to visit as many of the stations as I can and sit back with a cup of tea a take it all in . So normally we will do one day of riding the trains and the next day visiting as many of the stations by car if possible because I can't afford £100 a day to do it by train . I don't mind paying for a platform ticket to help with the cost of maintaining these beautiful stations . So before I book hotels and travel too the railway I look up any restrictions there may be like if there is any parking or cost the of parking or if we have to buy a platform ticket . When I went on the website for the watercress line it never said that the only way you can get on the stations if you got a ticket for the train so to my shock and horror on ours second day of visiting the railway they wanted me to pay another £100 so we can go on the station we ask if they could do a platform ticket but they said they do not do them the lady at the station was fantastic I believe her name was Jackie she understood our predicament after to travel down there and booking a hotel for the night and riding the trains costing us nearly the best part of £275 for the weekend that was my first time at the watercress and my last . I appreciate these heritage railways are run by volunteers but when we are spending our money they should really put all the details...

Our family of 8 booked tickets for the festive illuminations trip on 23rd December and absolutely loved it! So much so that it may just have to become a yearly tradition.

We parked at Alton train station where we departed from and found there to be ample parking - but we did arrive about 30mins before our departure time to ensure we got a space.

Whilst the train is impressive and the Christmas songs with narration we fantastic, what really made it special for us were the staff and volunteers working there. Everyone was so happy, helpful and informative that they made the trip really special for us. We also got some lovely shots of our family together as the staff/volunteers were always offering to take pictures for us which we greatly appreciated.

You can take your own refreshments on board to enjoy (food and drink including alcohol) but you could also buy refreshments from the buffet cart on the train or at Alresford station where you will stop for around 30mins. You can also pre-order drinks online with your tickets and get them delivered straight to your table which is a good idea.

There was such a happy atmosphere on the train with people singing and dancing along to the festive tunes. There’s even choreography with the wristbands flashing to the music and a Christmas quiz! Lots and lots of fun for everyone.

You certainly don’t need to be a steam train enthusiast to enjoy the illuminations but if you are, then you’re in for a double treat.

The trip lasts around 1hr 45mins along with your 30min stop at Alresford and really is a great day out for all of the family.

We would have no hesitation in recommending and we will be looking into the other trips available on the Watercress Line (gourmet dining trips / Real Ale Train).

Thank you again to all of the team for making it a special occasion for all...