Name: The Watercress Line
Rating: 5.0

The Watercress Line

The Railway Station, New Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9JG, England

1-90 Years

Paid

Website

Contact

Message

Description

The Watercress Line is a charming heritage railway offering a scenic steam train journey through the beautiful Hampshire countryside. Running between Alresford and Alton, this preserved line celebrates Britain’s railway history with historic steam and diesel locomotives. It’s a family-friendly attraction combining nostalgia, education and countryside views.

Visitors can explore four heritage stations including Alresford, Ropley, Medstead & Four Marks, and Alton, each offering exhibitions, viewing galleries and picnic areas. Highlights include the Miniature Railway (included with standard travel tickets on running days), interactive engineering displays, the Harry Potter filming footbridge, loco playground, gift shop and restoration workshops. There are also unique Driver Experiences, from steam and diesel locomotive driving to half and full-day train driving sessions.

Standard travel tickets cost £24.00 for adults when booked online (£28.00 on the day) and £12.00 for children aged 5–16 online (£14.00 on the day), while children aged 4 and under travel free. Family tickets range from £48.00 online for one adult and up to three children (or two adults and one child), to £67.00 online for two adults and up to three children (£78.00 on the day). Parking charges apply at Alresford (£4.00 all-day with voucher) and Alton (£9.30 weekdays, £4 weekends).

With its vintage locomotives, hands-on exhibitions and relaxing countryside views, The Watercress Line offers a memorable day out for all ages. Whether you’re riding behind a steam engine, exploring the stations or enjoying a picnic overlooking the tracks, it’s a wonderful step back into railway history.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Alresford Station: Is only a two minute walk from the High Street of this beautiful Georgian market town lined with independent shops and pubs and the home of Hampshire’s watercress industry. Check out our gift shop downstairs in the Old Goods Shed selling fabulous gifts, stationary, toys, books and more. Or grab something delicious to eat or drink from our West Country Buffet. Otherwise, simply watch the trains arriving and departing from our south facing picnic area and take a wonderful rural walk and explore the Watercress Way or Millennium Trail.
Ropley Station: A country station famous for its topiary, once housing only a small goods yard, it has now become the engineering hub of the Watercress Line. Investigate our impressive engineering sheds and enjoy brand new interactive interpretation displays in the viewing galleries and around the site, as part of the Heritage Lottery funded Canadian Pacific Project and see preservation in action in the Carriage Workshop.
Medstead & Four Marks Station: A typical country station, it is smaller and more peaceful than our other stations. Though the steep 1 in 60 gradient on either side of Medstead & Four Marks Station is often described as going ‘over the Alps’. Visit a photo exhibition in the waiting room illustrating the history and transformation of the station. Or view our Goods Shed exhibition ‘Delivering the Goods’ all about goods handling on the railway.
Alton Station: Alton is the eastern tip of the Watercress Line, where we share the station with South Western Railway (who use Platforms 1 & 2). Beyond the London end of the station is one of our Wagon Group restoration bases and the Railway’s three steam cranes are also maintained here. On the platform, we have a kiosk selling tickets, drinks, snacks and souvenirs, plus a waiting room. The town centre is a short 10 minute walk from the railway station, offering a variety of pubs, restaurants and high street shops. As well as the Curtis Museum with a large local history collection and the Allen gallery which houses a ceramics and pottery collection.

Facilities

Parking: Parking available.
Food & Drinks: The West Country Buffet can be found on the platform at Alresford serving delicious hot and cold food, snacks and drinks.
Toilets: Toilets are available onboard and at all stations.
Picnic areas: We have a beautiful south facing picnic area at Alresford and Ropley, both offering excellent views of the trains.

What to see

Driver Experiences

Class 150 Driving Experience: Half day experience driving, guarding and signalling for our Class 150 Sprinter Unit.
Steam Train Driving Experience: Full day experience driving a steam train up and down the full line.
Steam Locomotive Driving Experience: Three hour experience driving a steam loco to and from Alresford and Ropley.
Diesel Train Driving Experience: Full day experience driving a diesel train up and down the full line.
Diesel Locomotive Driving Experience: Half day experience driving a diesel loco to and from Alresford and Ropley.

Family Experiences

Loco Playground: let the little ones run off steam at our locomotive playground
Harry Potter footbridge: walk in Harry’s footsteps over the real King’s Cross bridge where Harry received his Hogwarts Express ticket in the film
Ride our miniature railway: included in your ticket price. Our miniature railway runs during every special event and weekend running days (Subject to volunteer availability)
Young Engineers trail: Pick up FREE Young Engineer’s activity sheet and look out for the Restoration Route plaques around the railway
Children’s activity sheets: complete activity sheets with colouring in, puzzles, games and quizzes for different ages
See restoration in action: visit the Viewing Gallery in the engineer sheds and watch the locomotives being restored from above, get up close to big steam locomotives, seeing preservation in action
Experience history first hand: visit all the heritage stations and exhibitions to come face to face with Victorian railways
South-facing picnic areas: with picnic benches nearby so you can enjoy your lunch overlooking the Loco Yard whilst your children play
Children’s picnic: pick up a children’s picnic box from the West Country Buffet at Alresford station with a selection of delicious treats to enjoy at one of our picnic spots or even on the train!
Gift shop and toys: pop into our shop at Alresford with a fantastic range of gifts including Thomas the Tank Engine sets, party bag fillers, books, sweets and lots more!

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Children (Age 4 and under): Online Booking: FREE / On the day: FREE
Children (Age 5-16): Online Booking: £12.00 / On the day: £14.00
Adults (Age 17+): Online Booking: £24.00 / On the day: £28.00
Family (1 adult & up to 3 children): Online Booking: £48.00 / On the day: £56.00
Family (2 adults & 1 child): Online Booking: £48.00 / On the day: £56.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 3 children): Online Booking: £67.00 / On the day: £78.00

Pricing URL: https://watercressline.co.uk/visit/timetables-prices/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Visit the website for timing information.

Address: The Railway Station, New Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9JG, England

Post Code: SO24 9JG

Council: Winchester

County: Hampshire

By Car: We recommend visitors start their journey with us from either Alresford or Alton (unless a special event has instructions to park at Ropley). A31 to Alresford or Alton stations. Follow the brown tourist signs to the Watercress Line. Parking is available at Alresford and Alton.
Parking: Alresford: Watercress Line customers can obtain a customer parking voucher, which will enable them to park all day for £4.00. Customers can pay for ‘over 3 hours’, then visit the booking office or information office at Alresford station to collect a parking voucher. Cash or RingGo app location 42519. This car park is operated by Winchester City Council. There is additional parking at Perins School on levels 2 and 3 during school holidays. Alton: Station car park: £9.30 weekdays and £4 weekends. Cash or RingGo app location 77475. This car park is operated by South Western Railway.
By Bus: Alton station is a short walk from Alton High Street, which is served by Stagecoach South buses from Basingstoke (No 13, hourly, not Sundays or Bank Holidays), Haslemere (No 13 & 23, not Sundays or Bank Holidays, hourly) and Petersfield (No 38, not Sunday, less than hourly). From Winchester the No 64 (half hourly, hourly on Sundays) runs to Alresford High Street, a short walk from the station, and continues to Alton Station. Stagecoach bus No 65 serves Alton station from Guildford, Farnham & Bentley hourly (not Sundays or Bank Holidays).
By Train: We have a mainline link at Alton station, where South Western Railway operate platforms 1 & 2 and the Watercress Line runs from platform 3.