Watercress line: steam and cream tea

Start: 8 October 2025 9:30 am
End: 6:00 pm
Organisers:
- Jan North (contact Jan)
- Richard North (contact Richard)
- Susan Vincent (contact Susan)
Group(s): Visits
Venues:
Map: Show

We'll take the coach to Alton Station, travel on the Watercress between Alton and Alresford (three trips), then use the coach to get back to Hayling.

You'll have some free time in Alresford. See below for some suggestions.

Our itinerary looks like this:

9:30	Leave HIADS, collect from usual stops on the way out
c10:40	Reach Alton, collect and distribute indivdiual tickets, 1 hour approx in Alton
12:00	Leave Alton
12:34	Arrive Alresford
	Two hours free in Alresford
15:00	Leave Alresford to go back to Alton - cream tea will be served on train, while stopped in Alton and on the way back to Alton
16:00	Leave Alton for Alresford
16:34	Arrive in Alresford and transfer to coach
c18:00	Arrive back in Hayling

The trip costs £40 per member but, without a subsidy from HIU3A, the price would have been in the range of £50 to £60 per head.

In Alton

There should be time for having a look around the station, taking an elevenses stop or a short walk, perhaps around the King's Pond.

Some suggestions:

Take a look around Alresford station, its shop, café and picnic area (overlooking the station). It's created as a steam-era station and you can talk about the work of the Watercress line with people in time-appropriate costume. See the train in action as it shuttles from one end of the coaches to the other.
Take a short walk into town and visit Alresford. It boasts the traditional shops of a small market town; including butchers, fishmongers, bakers and delicatessens. It is also well-known for a range of stylish shops offering designer fashions, art and craft, gifts, antiques and clocks, as well as china and antiquarian books.
Take the Millennium walk as far as the Arle river or continue on to the Eel House.
For the more adventurous, take the Alre Valley trail taking in more of the river and sights.
Combine any of the above, or do your own thing.

There's more information about Alresford station here and here.

There's more about Alresford here and the walks here.

The Millennium trail is wheelchair accessible, but the extension to the Alre Valley trail is not.

We believe we've secured access to the Watercress line's accessibility coach. Please get in touch if that is important to you.

This event is over.