The Watercress Line walk, Hampshire.

Taking the train from Alton to Medstead and Four Marks, and walking back - that's a five mile walk.

Useful maps:  Ordnance Survey Explorer 132 and 144 or Landranger 186

Railway operating days:  Trains are in service over most weekends throughout the year, and on many weekdays from mid-April to September, also around school and bank holiday periods. Bear in mind that diesel-multiple units alternate with steam locomotives during less busy periods. If you inadvertently arrive on non-operating days, there is always the X64 bus to resort to! (see below). A Watercress Line timetable is available from: Mid Hants Railway, The Railway Station, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG.  Telephone 01962 733810. Talking timetable 01962 734866.
Web site: www.watercressline.co.uk.

Getting there:
By road: Alton station is close to Normandy Street (which is the continuation of High Street). The town is bypassed by the A31.  There is a large pay and display car park adjacent to Alton station (cheapest on Sundays!) and a small parking area at Medstead and Four Marks station. Grid reference of Alton station is 724397.
By public transport: There is a 1/2 to 1-hourly train service from London, Waterloo, to Alton every day.  Bus X64 from Winchester bus station to Alton rail station via Four Marks runs hourly Monday to Saturday, 2-hourly Sundays and Bank Holidays. You could of course alight from the bus at Four Marks (at Station Approach) and start the walk from there.

Eating out:  There is a small snack bar on Alton station and a good sitting-in cafe in the adjacent car park. Alton's High Street is well supplied with pubs and restaurants.

Visitor attractions:  If you have time in hand, it is well worth taking the train all the way to the delightful town of Alresford.  The mechanically minded could alight at Ropley in order to view the engineering works where locos and carriages are renovated. Alight again at Medstead and Four Marks station for the walk. After all that, a perambulation of the fascinating town of Alton must await another day!  So must also a free ride on the vintage bus from Alton station to Jane Austin's house at  nearby Chawton.  This runs on the first Sunday of each month from May until September.

Summary of the walk:  After leaving Medstead and Four Marks station, the walk soon enters the magnificent Chawton Park Wood. With the railway running parallel one field-distance away, passing trains can be viewed through gaps in the woodland trees. The path emerges from the trees after two miles, skirts Alton's recreation ground and enters Alton proper. It keeps as close as possible to the railway, enjoying views of it here and there, finally arriving at Alton station.

The Walk:
1.  On leaving  Medstead and Four Marks station (from the booking office side), cross the small car park to Stoney Lane (which indeed it is!) and stay with this as far as the first junction of ways, just prior to a bungalow. Take the right-hand branch here, Boyneswood Lane, eventually turning right with it and meeting a road after 300 yards. Turn left in the road and leave it when it goes left by the entrance to Chawton Park Wood.  Join a bridleway on the right here - not into the vehicle entrance - and immediately pass an electricity sub-station.

2.  You now have a magnificent two-mile walk through this wood, initially accompanied by two parallel paths - which may be kinder on your feet than the main path! When the innermost path goes off to the left you should continue forward, preferably along the left-hand of two remaining paths. With a field now in view to the right you may have sight and sound of a steam train passing beyond its far side; or you may content yourself with seeing only the smoke!

3.  Brick Kiln farm is your next port of call, where a lane comes in from the right. You could divert steeply down the lane for a closer view of the railway, and then come back. Another option is to avoid what you might consider an intrusion on this walk - a motorcycle trail a little further along in a field on the right, generally in use at weekends. With this in mind, an alternative and attractive route from hereon is described at the end of the walk. That will add 1/4 mile to your day. Otherwise continue forward from the farm, soon passing between the woods and a hedge, and with the motorcycle trail on the right. A sloping field will come into view on the left, and you will in due course meet a road at a bend.

4.  Turn right in the road and soon join Cycle Route No 23, which follows the right-hand border of Jubilee Playing Fields, with the railway running parallel on the immediate right. At the far end of the playing fields go left behind the pavilion and soon join the road. Turning right in the road, you must now expect the busiest part of the walk; but take heart, this is compensated by a number of crossings of the railway. Stay with the road to a major crossing and continue forward, but now across a large triangular green - The Butts. This, as the plinth at the far end of the green explains, was once used for archery practice.

5.  Turn right into Tower Street just beyond the fire station (or keep straight on if you hanker after the town centre and its shops!).  Turn first left out of Tower Street, then right at the end. This will take you past Alton Baptist Church and steeply uphill over the railway, where you may have another photo opportunity.  On arrival at the top of the hill, go left into New Barn Lane and left again at the end into Windmill Hill- where you have another crossing of the railway. Go down Windmill Hill and either cross over to a short path opposite Maltings Close or turn right at the bottom of the hill. With the Alton Brewery complex over to over to your left, join a path just before another (yes, another!) railway bridge.  This keeps the brewery on your left and is signposted to the railway station. At the far end of the path you will need to turn left in a road and cross to a flight of steps and the station.

Diversion from Brick Kiln Farm:
With your back to the farm go along a path to the left of a large house and its garden. This a left-hand turn with respect to your previous direction. Pass through a gate, re-enter the wood and go traight on downhill to the valley bottom. Turn right in the track there and stay with this for 1/4 mile to a gate. Continue forward - initially in a field-side path - towards Chawton Park Farm. Beyond the farm a drive takes you straight on, eventually to meet a road, at a bend.  Continue from '4' above.

The Watercress Line Story.
Originally known as the Mid-Hants Railway, the line took on its present less formal name on account of the many watercress beds that existed in the Alresford area. In addition to carrying this delicious product (you may not agree!), and many other local products, the railway was considered as a secondary route to Southampton. It was relieved of this responsibility in 1973, closed down and the track removed. As often happens, railway enthusiasts took on the challenge, reopening the line from Alresford to Ropley four years later. After much voluntary - and muscular -effort, the track was relaid from Ropley to Four Marks and opened to traffic in 1983. The next phase took the railway to its final destination - Alton - by 1985.
 There is now little chance of the Watercress Railway returning to Winchester - and its main line connection - now that the M3 has carved its route across the railway's alignment. A level crossing over the motorway would hardly be welcomed!
Two other railways once branched out from butts junction, one mile south-west of Alton station.These are the Meon Valley Line to Fareham and the Basingstoke and Alton Light railway. Although these are now long gone, you may be able to trace their routes on your map - depending its vintage of course!

'Lord Nelson' departs from Medstead and Four Marks station.

Medstead and Four Marks station.

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