The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The RoWVers - Autumn 2018
Path along Big Drove
One year on - a look back over our first two summers
The Rights of Way volunteer group began in order to clear a little pathway through Bazeley Copse, near Borough Farm in Micheldever, where some stinging nettles, brambles, and a few fallen trees had made it hard to navigate through this pretty spot, resplendent with bluebells every May. We started with 2 volunteers, and just one year on, we have a contact book of 20+ volunteers, ready and able to help with multiple path clearances across the Parish, from the Strattons to the Station. We take referrals for clearance work from Hampshire County Council and from local people, please drop us a line any time and we will do what we can to help.
The RoWVers group held our first informal AGM at the Northbrook Arms in July, and 14 volunteers came along to show their support, share their ideas and manage a beer or two. We wanted to extend huge thanks to all volunteers who have given their time this year, and we hope to continue growing this group and the work we can cover over this coming year.
The RoWVers are putting in an application to Hampshire County Council for funding to support 4 new Map Boards across the Parish, which will show all Rights of Way within a few kilometres’ radius of each site, and link to a few local points of interest. We also plan to use these funds to support moderate improvements to some well used paths to make them a little more accessible for buggies and mobility scooters – allowing everyone the chance to go outdoors and enjoy the beautiful landscape we’re in. We are grateful to the Parish Council for supporting this application and adding to the funds needed!
We continue to try and keep Parish Rights of Way clear, all year round. With Autumn here, and plant growth slowing, we can take stock and work on plans for Spring-Summer 19! If you’d like to join us, please drop us a line. If you’d like to report a path that needs some clearing, let us know!
