Horsebridge railway station
Encyclopedia
Horsebridge was a railway station on the closed Sprat and Winkle Line
which served the Hampshire
village of Houghton
. It closed in 1964, a casualty of the closure programme proposed by the Beeching Axe
which sounded the death knell for many rural railway stations.
alongside the River Test
in the Test Valley
, was opened in 1865 by the London and South Western Railway
as part of their "Sprat and Winkle Line
" that connected Redbridge with Andover
. The railway line was constructed over the abandoned Andover Canal
.
The station assumed special significance during the First World War when it was used as a staging post for the transport of men, munitions, horses and equipment from Salisbury Plain
which were sent to France
via Southampton
. Declining passenger numbers after the Second World War led to the line's eventual closure to passengers in 1964, then to freight in 1967.
The station comprised three front rooms - the office, booking hall and waiting room, with the remainder of the property set aside for the stationmaster who had two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen at his disposal, but no bathroom.
Salvation came in the shape of Hampshire County Council's plan to turn the trackbed of the railway line into a footpath, the Test Way
. In 1985 the derelict station was sold for £50,000 to Anthony and Valerie Charrington, a commercial property surveyor and professional singer, who obtained planning permission
to convert the property into a two-bedroom dwelling subject to the condition that no swimming pool could be constructed in the gap between the platforms. The Charringtons undertook substantial works in an attempt to restore the station to how it would have looked during the Victorian era. In 1988 they purchased a 1922 third-class Southern Railway passenger carriage for £1,500 and spent £30,000 refurbishing and installing it on a set of reinstated tracks at the station. The carriage was subsequently used as a dining room. A replacement signalbox and signals were also purchased.
In 1991 once restoration had been completed, the station's former parcel office as well as the carriage were let out as holiday accommodation and as a venue for parties. The station was subsequently Grade II listed and grants were offered for its upkeep by Hampshire County Council.
The Charringtons put their property on the market in 2001 with an asking price of £850,000, later reducing this price to £695,000. The property is now offered for hire as a wedding venue and this venture has been so successful that the Charringtons applied for planning permission to erect a marquee. This was, however, rejected by Test Valley Borough Council as an "undesirable and unsustainable development in the countryside".
Sprat and Winkle Line
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the familiar name of a railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, UK. It was also known as the Andover to Redbridge Line....
which served the Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
village of Houghton
Houghton, Hampshire
Houghton is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The village is situated alongside the River Test. Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies approximately 1.8 miles north-east from the village. The village is mostly strung out along the single road...
. It closed in 1964, a casualty of the closure programme proposed by the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
which sounded the death knell for many rural railway stations.
Working years
The station, located six miles north of RomseyRomsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
alongside the River Test
River Test
The River Test is a river in Hampshire, England. The river has a total length of 40 miles and it flows through downland from its source near Ashe, 10 km to the west of Basingstoke , to the sea at the head of Southampton Water...
in the Test Valley
Test Valley
Test Valley is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. Its council is based in Andover....
, was opened in 1865 by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
as part of their "Sprat and Winkle Line
Sprat and Winkle Line
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the familiar name of a railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, UK. It was also known as the Andover to Redbridge Line....
" that connected Redbridge with Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
. The railway line was constructed over the abandoned Andover Canal
Andover Canal
The Andover Canal was a canal built in Hampshire, England. It ran from Andover to Redbridge through Stockbridge and Romsey. The canal had a fall of through 24 locks, and for much of its length paralleled the River Anton and River Test.-History:...
.
The station assumed special significance during the First World War when it was used as a staging post for the transport of men, munitions, horses and equipment from Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
which were sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
via Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Declining passenger numbers after the Second World War led to the line's eventual closure to passengers in 1964, then to freight in 1967.
The station comprised three front rooms - the office, booking hall and waiting room, with the remainder of the property set aside for the stationmaster who had two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen at his disposal, but no bathroom.
Restoration
Following closure, the station remained empty and soon became derelict. Bricks and tiles were stolen by vandals and the former signalbox was dismantled and taken away by unknown persons. The station was even used by the local fire brigade who practised falling down through the floor.Salvation came in the shape of Hampshire County Council's plan to turn the trackbed of the railway line into a footpath, the Test Way
Test Way
The Test Way is a long-distance footpath in England from Walbury Hill in West Berkshire to Eling in Hampshire.The northern end of the footpath starts in the car park on Walbury Hill...
. In 1985 the derelict station was sold for £50,000 to Anthony and Valerie Charrington, a commercial property surveyor and professional singer, who obtained planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
to convert the property into a two-bedroom dwelling subject to the condition that no swimming pool could be constructed in the gap between the platforms. The Charringtons undertook substantial works in an attempt to restore the station to how it would have looked during the Victorian era. In 1988 they purchased a 1922 third-class Southern Railway passenger carriage for £1,500 and spent £30,000 refurbishing and installing it on a set of reinstated tracks at the station. The carriage was subsequently used as a dining room. A replacement signalbox and signals were also purchased.
In 1991 once restoration had been completed, the station's former parcel office as well as the carriage were let out as holiday accommodation and as a venue for parties. The station was subsequently Grade II listed and grants were offered for its upkeep by Hampshire County Council.
The Charringtons put their property on the market in 2001 with an asking price of £850,000, later reducing this price to £695,000. The property is now offered for hire as a wedding venue and this venture has been so successful that the Charringtons applied for planning permission to erect a marquee. This was, however, rejected by Test Valley Borough Council as an "undesirable and unsustainable development in the countryside".