Sprat and Winkle Line

The image shows a cast-metal waymarker plaque embedded in the ground for "The Sprat & Winkle Trail," which leads to the Plaza Theatre and the Romsey Signal Box.

About the Trail and Location

• The Sprat & Winkle Trail: A local walking and cycling path in Romsey, Hampshire, following parts of the old Sprat and Winkle railway line (the former Sprat & Winkle line between Romsey and Andover).

• The Markers: These bespoke metal and oak waymarkers were created by artist Nicola Henshaw to guide walkers and highlight local social history.

• Romsey Signal Box: A restored 19th-century London & South Western Railway signal box and working museum located on Brick Lane in Romsey.

The Sprat and Winkle Line Walk is a multi-use path for walkers and cyclists that spans roughly 5.2 miles (8.4 km). It traces the historic trackbed of the old 19th-century railway line that famously connected Andover and Redbridge.

Today, the route is seamlessly integrated into the longer Test Way and National Cycle Route 246. Because it follows an old railway line, the trail is completely flat, well-surfaced, and entirely traffic-free. 

The Route and Key Highlights

• Starting Point: The dedicated trail begins at Stockbridge (parking is available at Common Marsh). From here, you head south following the peaceful path surrounded by the Hampshire countryside. 

• The River Test: The trail stays near the beautiful River Test, offering plenty of scenic river views and clear chalk streams along the way.

• Horsebridge Station: About midway, you will pass the former Horsebridge Railway Station site. It closed in 1964 and has been immaculately preserved as a private residence and wedding venue, complete with restored vintage railway carriages on the tracks. [1, 2]

• Mottisfont Abbey: Continuing south, the trail skirts past the grand estate of Mottisfont Abbey, a historic National Trust property famous for its rose gardens and riverside walks. 

• Finishing in Romsey: While the formal continuous rail-trail section drops you near Mottisfont, you can follow the continuous Test Way paths right into the heart of Romsey to finish your journey where the plaque in your image sits. 

The Sprat and Winkle Line

The Sprat and Winkle Line was the nickname of the railway between Andover and Redbridge (Southampton) in Hampshire. It was built by the Andover and Redbridge Railway, incorporated in 1858. The unfinished line was taken over by the London and South Western Railway in 1863, and the LSWR opened it in 1865. The line opened as a single track on 6 March 1865.

Route
It followed the Anton and Test valleys. The stations ran from Andover Junction and Andover Town through Fullerton, Wherwell, Stockbridge, Horsebridge and Mottisfont to Kimbridge Junction. In the Romsey area it joined and then left the Salisbury to Southampton line. From there it carried on through Romsey, Nursling and Redbridge to Southampton.

Purpose
The line was conceived as part of a trunk route from Manchester to Southampton. The scheme also involved the Great Western Railway, which was meant to build a link from Pewsey to Andover. In the 1880s and 1890s the Midland & South Western Junction Railway connected Cheltenham with Southampton Docks. That produced through services, but the long-distance traffic was disappointing. The line was never the major artery its promoters hoped for.

The name
The origin is uncertain. The most common explanation is that sprats and winkles were presumably carried from Southampton to the north of England along the route. Another account says the southern part ran close to the Test mudflats where winkles could be found, "but alas no sprats!" A third theory, that it comes from a type of wagon coupling, gets a sceptical reception from railway enthusiasts on forums.

Canal origins
Part of the route followed a 1794 canal that had been filled in, the Andover Canal, which the railway company bought.

Closure
Sources differ on the date. Passenger services are generally said to have ended in 1964, and Grace's Guide gives 1967 for the closure under the Beeching cuts. That later date probably reflects the remaining goods traffic. Much of the trackbed survives, including at Horsebridge, where the station has been well maintained, with a railway carriage on the platform. Today it forms part of walking and cycling trails in the Test Valley, and Test Valley Borough Council has published a leaflet on tracing the line.

For more detail, Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith's Andover to Southampton (Middleton Press) is the standard photographic history of the route.