Place New Alresford Grid reference SU587324 Platforms in use 2 | Area City of Winchester Operator Watercress Line | |
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Original company Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Pre-grouping London and South Western Railway Post-grouping Southern Railway
Southern Region of British Railways Similar Mid‑Hants Railway 'Watercre, Ropley railway station, Medstead and Four Marks rail, Alton railway station, Bramley (Hampshire) railway st | ||
Alresford railway station (/ˈɔːlsfərd/ or /ˈɒlzfərd/) in Hampshire, England, is the terminus of the Watercress Line from Alton. It is in the small town of New Alresford, 7½ miles (12 km) northeast of Winchester, close to the town's market square, tea rooms, many small shops and museum.
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In official literature it is shown as Alresford (Hampshire) in order to distinguish it from the station of the same name in Essex.
History
Opened in October 1865 for the new Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway which later became the first incarnation of the Mid-Hants Railway, the station later joined the London and South Western Railway. It was absorbed as part of that into the Southern Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The station then passed on to the Southern Region of British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948, and was then closed by the British Railways Board in February 1973.
Preservation
The station reopened on 30 April 1977 as the western terminus of the Mid Hants Watercress Railway, a heritage railway. Alongside the station a goods shed was built which is now used as a shop, as well as meeting facilities and tourist facilities for the Mid Hants Watercress Railway. Adjacent to the station is a large warehouse which was built in 1873 for trading agricultural produce. This warehouse is now used for offices. The buffet building is the old station building from Lyme Regis in Dorset, which was dismantled and rebuilt here.
Following the closure of the route between Alton and Winchester, the line from Alresford eastwards to Alton has been reopened in preservation, but the section west of Alresford has not. It is unlikely that the line will ever be re-extended towards Winchester, because the M3 motorway and new houses have been built at various points along the former route.
Both platforms have been extended to hold four-coach trains plus the 'Cattle Dock' is used particularly during steam locomotive gala exhibitions as platform 1A, holding a two-coach train when not otherwise used.