Mid Hants Railway Footbridges

[McMetro]

Hi Everyone,
Currently looking into the brief history of footbridges at the stations in the Mid Hants Railway’s 3 stations (excluding Alton), Medstead and Four Marks, Ropley, Alresford.

All 3 have footbridges to allow interchange between platforms, however I was wondering if these have been present throughout the entire lifetime of the stations or just in preservation?

Either way, they all fit into their surroundings very well and definitely look the part today.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Cowley]

Hi Everyone,
Currently looking into the brief history of footbridges at the stations in the Mid Hants Railway’s 3 stations (excluding Alton), Medstead and Four Marks, Ropley, Alresford.

All 3 have footbridges to allow interchange between platforms, however I was wondering if these have been present throughout the entire lifetime of the stations or just in preservation?

Either way, they all fit into their surroundings very well and definitely look the part today.
Thanks for the help!

All three are actually new. From what I remember the Ropley one was done first and was originally from North Tawton in Devon, then the Medstead one came from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, I don’t think the station ever had a footbridge, the Alresford one I’m not sure about actually but I remember it being put in around the time that the derelict goods shed was rebuilt.

 

[McMetro]

All three are actually new. From what I remember the Ropley one was done first and was originally from North Tawton in Devon, then the Medstead one came from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, I don’t think the station ever had a footbridge, the Alresford one I’m not sure about actually but I remember it being put in around the time that the derelict goods shed was rebuilt.

Thank you for the response. Very Interesting!
Putting a major feature where it never existed can sometimes be a controversial one but the Mid Hants have done a great job at ‘blending’ the footbridges into the scene and making sure they are put to good use helping to reduce and remove crossing traffic.

 

[swt_passenger]

Doesn’t Ropley also have the old Kings Cross internal footbridge?

Although that’s near the shed rather than between platforms, it’s still usefully re-purposed from elsewhere.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

The Alresford footbridge came from Uckfield.
Pat

 

[fgwrich]

Doesn’t Ropley also have the old Kings Cross internal footbridge?

Although that’s near the shed rather than between platforms, it’s still usefully re-purposed from elsewhere.

It does indeed, albeit slightly further up the line from the station itself. It now provides a crossing in front of the shed, then runs in an L Shape alongside it.

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Though it does look rather odd from the side of the shed!

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[Train wasp]

MHR News did an article regarding about all three footbridges back in 2018/19.

 

[Cowley]

The Alresford footbridge came from Uckfield.
Pat

Thanks pat. Thinking about it now did any of the three stations originally have a footbridge?
There’s plaques on at least a couple of them giving the history of where they came from. Alresford station has parts of a few different stations incorporated into it, including bits from Lyme Regis and possibly Okehampton from what I remember?

 

[Train wasp]

Thanks pat. Thinking about it now did any of the three stations originally have a footbridge?
There’s plaques on at least a couple of them giving the history of where they came from. Alresford station has parts of a few different stations incorporated into it, including bits from Lyme Regis and possibly Okehampton from what I remember?

Non of the stations including Itchen Abbas had a footbridge. Even the footbridge at Alton was a secondhand Bridge. From memory I think I read somewhere it possibly came from Guildford station.

 

[Cowley]

Non of the stations including Itchen Abbas had a footbridge. Even the footbridge at Alton was a secondhand Bridge. From memory I think I read somewhere it possibly came from Guildford station.

That’s really interesting thanks @Train wasp. I know that when it was built it was future proofed in a way by having some or most of the bridges built to take double line if the traffic developed (which it never really did).

 

[bearhugger]

Doesn’t Ropley also have the old Kings Cross internal footbridge?

Although that’s near the shed rather than between platforms, it’s still usefully re-purposed from elsewhere.

Yes, it was featured in the Harry Potter films. IIRC from my visit to the line in August 2020 there is an info board next to it in its current position. From memory, Network Rail put up a large proportion of the money, time and resources to move it from Kings Cross to Ropley.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Yes, it was featured in the Harry Potter films. IIRC from my visit to the line in August 2020 there is an info board next to it in its current position. From memory, Network Rail put up a large proportion of the money, time and resources to move it from Kings Cross to Ropley.

Network Rail were in a bit of bind. The bridge was Grade 1 listed, but in the way of whatever changes were in hand. It became a 3-way deal, Network Rail were happy to find a taker, Camden Council were happy with the proposed location and use, and MHR had a use for it.
Pat