Ropley railway station
| Ropley | |
|---|---|
|
Engine 80104 approaching Ropley station on The Watercress Line | |
| Location | |
| Place | Ropley |
| Area | East Hampshire |
| Coordinates | 51°05′15″N 1°06′09″W / 51.0876°N 1.1024°WCoordinates: 51°05′15″N 1°06′09″W / 51.0876°N 1.1024°W |
| Grid reference | SU629324 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and South Western Railway |
| Post-grouping |
Southern Railway Southern Region of British Railways |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| 2 October 1865 | opened |
| 5 February 1973 | closed |
| 30 April 1977 | reopened |
| Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| UK Railways portal | |
Ropley railway station is a railway station in Ropley, Hampshire, England, which opened on 2 October 1865.
History
The station was opened by the Mid-Hants (Alton Lines) Railway (MHR) on 2 October 1865.[1] The MHR was leased to the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in August 1880, which fully absorbed the MHR in June 1884.[2] The LSWR amalgamated with other railways to form the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923.[3]
The station was closed by British Rail on 5 February 1973.[1]
Preservation
Ropley railway station was reopened by the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) on 30 April 1977.[1][4] It is an intermediate station on the preserved Watercress Line, which runs from Alton to New Alresford.
The main locomotive shed and workshops for the Mid Hants Railway are located just to the east of Ropley station.
The station gardens feature notable yew topiary, which has been in situ for over 100 years (an 1898 postcard shows the topiary well established).
A footbridge was added to the western end of the station in 1986. This was recovered from the closed station at North Tawton in Devon in August 1983, restored and installed by volunteers.
Footbridge
In 2012/13, a footbridge, originally located at King's Cross station in London, was dismantled and later re-erected at Ropley station for a new lease of life, even above the maintenance shed, where passengers can walk over and view the works below.
Route
| Preceding station |  Heritage railways |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medstead and Four Marks | Watercress Line | Alresford (Hampshire) | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Medstead and Four Marks | Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway | Alresford (Hampshire) | ||
References
- 1 2 3 Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 199. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
- ↑ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. p. 194. CN 8983.
- ↑ Awdry 1990, p. 177
- ↑ "Basingstoke Railway History in Maps". Christopher Tolley. 2001. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2015.