Inside: A review of our day at the Watercress Line during Wizard Week. Press tickets.
We recently took a trip down to Hampshire for a few days and spent one of those days at the Watercress Line. It is a place I went to as a child and so was excited to spend the day sharing the joy of steam trains with my own children.
The Watercress Line Wizard Week during the October Half Term holiday is a chance to enjoy some spooky fun as well as all of the usual joys of spending time on a steam train. The perfect activity for families with children of all ages.
This post will guide you through the various activities and our experience so you can have an idea of what to expect at future events.
Where is the Watercress Line?
The Watercress Line runs along a 10 mile stretch of the Hampshire countryside, just outside of Winchester – a gorgeous part of the country.
You can begin your journey from either end of the track, starting at the historic market town of Alton or from the Georgian town of Alresford. You can also visit the town of Ropley, where you can see the engines and carriages being restored and then the final of the four stations is Medstead and Four Marks.
The Watercress line is so called because of the local watercress that used to be sent by train all around the country and became a heritage railway in 1977 for all to enjoy from a historical perspective.
What to see at the Watercress Line
Whether you are visiting on an event day or otherwise, there is plenty to enjoy at the Watercress Line.
Alresford Station
Upstairs in the Old Goods Shed you’ll find a new museum that shares the origins of the Watercress Line as well as the Somerset & Dorset Railway.
There is a gift shop with lots of lovely trinkets to buy as mementos and you can also grab a bite to eat in the West Country Buffet.
The station is only a short walk from the town centre, which has some lovely shops to explore.
Ropley Station
Explore the engineering sheds and visit the restored ticket office to get a sense of what daily life would have been like years ago.
Walk over the famous Harry Potter bridge that was originally in Kings Cross Station but brought to Ropley and reconstructed piece by piece when Kings Cross was renovated.
Take a ride on the miniature railway every Saturday from April to October (as well as during special events), included as part of your entry ticket.
Ropley is also home to the Watercress Lodges if you fancy staying close by.
Medstead & Four Marks Station
A small station along the route but home to the Goods Shed exhibition, sharing how goods were handled along the line.
Alton Station
Alton is also part of the National Rail network, with the town of Alton being a short 10 minute walk away.
The station has a kiosk selling tickets, drinks, snacks and souvenirs, plus a waiting room – all restored to their 1950’s / 60’s glory.
Riding on the steam trains
Of course, the highlight of the day is always going to be riding the trains themselves. There are a few trains that are currently in service but there will only ever be 1 or 2 running at any given time, depending on whether they are running a 1 or 2 train service.
The best part for me is the fact that rides are unlimited – you can go back and forth up and down the line as much as you like from opening to closing time. Simply brilliant!
Wizard Week – October Half Term
We visited during October Half Term while Wizard Week was running and it was absolutely brilliant. As well as the usual fun, we were able to enjoy some wizard and witch themed activities put on at Alresford and Ropley.
Ropley Station
The first activity of the day for us was wand making (added cost). Such a simple activity but all three children enjoyed it and spent the rest of the day waving their wands around.
There were also some lovely homemade crafts to buy too and I treated myself to a witch plaque made from a recycled cd.
We also spent time watching the owls – such beautiful creatures. You were able to pay to hold an owl but none of us wanted to do that – we were happy watching from afar.
Other activities to enjoy at Ropley:
- Witches flying supplies, local crafts & sweet stalls
- Halloween crafts
- Fancy dress competition
Alresford Station
We got off the train and made our way to the Harry Potter themed carriage. An old carriage had been decked out with various HP related items, from flying owls to Quiddich supplies.
We then made our way up to the museum, where the Creepy Crawlies display was being held. We met the most beautiful spider – so calm and tame.
We then decided that all we really wanted to do was to find one of the First Class private carriages and enjoy time together as the train chugged up and down the track.
We’d brought some cards (Harry Potter themed, of course) and had bought some sweets from one of the stalls at Ropley, so spent a good hour and a half going up and down the track playing games and playing together as the train made its way through the countryside.
We had an amazing day exploring the different stations and riding on the steam trains and would definitely recommend it to other families. The fact we visited during Wizard Week was a bonus and meant we were able to enjoy a few extra activities too.
To find out more about the Watercress Line and any future event days, head over to watercressline.co.uk