Full steam ahead: the Watercress Line is one of southern England’s best-known heritage railways – and it has its very own Croydon support group
The Watercress Line heritage steam railway runs 10 miles between Alton and Alresford in Hampshire. The railway was closed by British Railways in 1973, but was partially reopened by volunteers in 1977 and then in 1985 all the way to Alton Station, where regular SWR services stop.
You can reach Alton Station from East Croydon via Clapham Junction.
And Croydon has its very own Watercress Line regional group to support the work of the volunteers and enthusiasts.
The Watercress Line Croydon Regional Group has meetings on the first Monday of each month at 7.30pm in the crypt at St Mary Magdalene with St Martin Church in Canning Road (CRO 6QD). Lebanon Road tram stop is a short walk away.
The group stages talks and presentations on a great variety of railway subjects, with its next meeting on Monday October 6 when journalist and author Christian Wolmar talks about his book The Liberation Line, the story of the railwaymen who rebuilt Normandy’s and Europe’s railways after D-Day in 1944.
For further details of the group’s meetings, contact Chris Le Corney at clcwagons@gmail.com
To get a taste for Christian Wolmar’s talk about his important World War II history book, The Liberation Line, click here now to listen on Spotify to our 2024 Under The Flyover podcast interview – premium content that is free of charge for Inside Croydon’s paying subscribers (please note: the book’s discount offer period has now expired)
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