Sprat and Winkle Line
Encyclopedia
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.
Passenger services were withdrawn on 7 September 1964. The line was then used for freight until 18 September 1967 and the line then closed between north of Romsey and Andover. The track remained for four years after the line was closed, but much of the route between Kimbridge
and Chilbolton
is now used by the Test Way
long-distance footpath.
where the winkle may be found but it is unlikely that the sprat is found there.
The second possible origin of the name may be after the seafood
that was carried from Southampton to Andover.
The third possible origin may be that the line is simply named after a type of railway coupling
.
defined the original route of the railway line. The canal was fully completed in 1794 and it provided the adequate transport of goods from Southampton to Andover for 63 years.
With the fast expansion of railways around the UK, the canal company decided to convert the canal into a railway to shorten the distance and increase the speed of the route. In 1857 the canal company changed its name to the Andover Canal & Railway Company, and in 1858 the Andover and Redbridge Railway Company obtained an act of parliament
to build the line.
The work of converting the canal to a railway started 28 September 1859, with the serving British
Prime Minister
, the Rt. Hon. Lord Palmerston K.G, ceremonially cutting the first sod
. The railway was built on the filled in canal and was opened for traffic on 6 March 1865. Because the line followed the path of the old canal some curves were very sharp and the line was upgraded and realigned when a new course was laid in 1885.
and the Second World War
the railway line was invaluable moving troops and war supplies from nearby Salisbury Plain
to Southampton on their way to France
to fight.
so the majority of passenger traffic was taking people to the beach during the summer. With the many horse racing
stables around the Stockbridge
area the railway line was also used to transport racehorses around the country.
With better road networks being built, and in spite of the expansion of Andover, the decision was made to close the line north of Romsey.
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...
and Redbridge 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...
, UK. It was also known as the Andover to Redbridge Line.
Passenger services were withdrawn on 7 September 1964. The line was then used for freight until 18 September 1967 and the line then closed between north of Romsey and Andover. The track remained for four years after the line was closed, but much of the route between Kimbridge
Kimbridge
Kimbridge is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Romsey, which lies approximately 4 miles south-east. Originally called "King's Bridge" in Civil War times. It consists mainly of a Farm Shop and Restaurant and a trout farm...
and Chilbolton
Chilbolton
Chilbolton is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, near to Stockbridge. Its most notable feature is the Chilbolton Observatory situated on the disused RAF Chilbolton airfield...
is now used by 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...
long-distance footpath.
Possible origins of the name
The name of the line has three main possible origins. The first is that the southern part of the line ran close to the mud flats of the River TestRiver 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...
where the winkle may be found but it is unlikely that the sprat is found there.
The second possible origin of the name may be after the seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
that was carried from Southampton to Andover.
The third possible origin may be that the line is simply named after a type of railway coupling
Coupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
.
Operators
- Andover and Redbridge Railway 1858-1863
- London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western RailwayThe 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...
1863-1923 - Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Great Britain)The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
1923-1948 - British Railways 1948-1967
Construction
The Andover and Redbridge CanalAndover 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:...
defined the original route of the railway line. The canal was fully completed in 1794 and it provided the adequate transport of goods from Southampton to Andover for 63 years.
With the fast expansion of railways around the UK, the canal company decided to convert the canal into a railway to shorten the distance and increase the speed of the route. In 1857 the canal company changed its name to the Andover Canal & Railway Company, and in 1858 the Andover and Redbridge Railway Company obtained an act of parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
to build the line.
The work of converting the canal to a railway started 28 September 1859, with the serving British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, the Rt. Hon. Lord Palmerston K.G, ceremonially cutting the first sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
. The railway was built on the filled in canal and was opened for traffic on 6 March 1865. Because the line followed the path of the old canal some curves were very sharp and the line was upgraded and realigned when a new course was laid in 1885.
War
In both the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the railway line was invaluable moving troops and war supplies from nearby 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...
to Southampton on their way 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...
to fight.
Post War to 1967
The surrounding area of Redbridge to Andover is ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
so the majority of passenger traffic was taking people to the beach during the summer. With the many horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
stables around the Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Hampshire
Stockbridge is a small town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of and a population of little under 600 people according to the 2001 census in Hampshire, England. It lies on the River Test, in the Test Valley district and renowned for trout fishing. The A30 road goes through...
area the railway line was also used to transport racehorses around the country.
With better road networks being built, and in spite of the expansion of Andover, the decision was made to close the line north of Romsey.