Lakeside Country Park
Encyclopedia
Lakeside Country Park is a country park
just south of the town of Eastleigh
in Hampshire
. The park covers 60 acres and is home to the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway.
The park is on the site of old gravel
workings, with lake
s formed from gravel pit
s. As well as the lakes themselves, the park boasts meadow
s and some young woodland
.
In April 2005, a band of travellers
illegally set up camp in the park and on surrounding land, including allotment
s, with over a dozen
caravans there at one stage. The travellers were there for five days and left large amounts of rubbish behind, which was not cleared for some weeks, and was subsequently set ablaze by local children.
The park is bounded by the Eastleigh urban area to the north, the A335 road to the east, the boundary between Eastleigh and Southampton
to the south, and Monks Brook
to the west.
/ light railway was established in the park in 1992, originally as a temporary layout. A more permanent track was laid down in 1993, as the railway company was granted a three year lease. Five years later, a longer lease was negotiated and construction began on the two stations, Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook. They were opened in 1999, although further work on the layout itself was carried out in 2000. A tunnel
was added in 2003, and Eastleigh Parkway station was extended in 2005 with the addition of a café
and shop.
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
just south of the town of Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
in 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...
. The park covers 60 acres and is home to the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway.
The park is on the site of old gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
workings, with lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s formed from gravel pit
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
s. As well as the lakes themselves, the park boasts meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s and some young woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
In April 2005, a band of travellers
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
illegally set up camp in the park and on surrounding land, including allotment
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
s, with over a dozen
Dozen
A dozen is a grouping of approximately twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year...
caravans there at one stage. The travellers were there for five days and left large amounts of rubbish behind, which was not cleared for some weeks, and was subsequently set ablaze by local children.
The park is bounded by the Eastleigh urban area to the north, the A335 road to the east, the boundary between Eastleigh and 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...
to the south, and Monks Brook
Monks Brook
Monks Brook is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Itchen, which it joins at a medieval salmon pool in Swaythling. The brook is formed from seven streams that rise in the chalky South Downs, with the official source of Monks Brook being known as Bucket's...
to the west.
Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway
A dual gaugeDual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
/ light railway was established in the park in 1992, originally as a temporary layout. A more permanent track was laid down in 1993, as the railway company was granted a three year lease. Five years later, a longer lease was negotiated and construction began on the two stations, Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook. They were opened in 1999, although further work on the layout itself was carried out in 2000. A tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
was added in 2003, and Eastleigh Parkway station was extended in 2005 with the addition of a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and shop.