Remains of the Canal
Stockbridge - Romsey
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Remains of the Canal |
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Stockbridge - Romsey |
Andover Canal Contents |
Local Waterways Contents |
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Whilst the railway south of Romsey remains in use, north of Kimbridge Junction to Andover the line was closed in 1964. Very little remains of the canal along this northern section.
 Site of Andover Wharf 9.11.2005 (108kb) |
 Station Hotel, Andover - formerly called the Eight Bells 9.11.2005 (73kb) |
Andover Town station and its goods yard were built on the site of the canal wharf obliterating the latter almost entirely. Today, almost all signs of the railway have in turn disappeared. The Station Hotel in Bridge Street remains although it did not belong to either canal or railway. It was originally called the Eight Bells when it opened in 1790 adjacent to the wharf.
 Site of canal near Andover Wharf 9.11.2005 (107kb) |
 Line of canal/railway, Andover 9.11.2005 (119kb) |
Although a public footpath follows the line of the canal / railway from Andover to Upper Clatford, virtually no physical signs of the waterway can be seen north of Stockbridge.
 Site of lock and Tasker's wharf at Upper Clatford 9.11.2005 (87kb) |
 Line of canal/railway ran across the picture beside the River Anton at Goodworth Clatford 9.11.2005 (78kb) |
The canal and railway skirted the eastern sides of the villages of Upper Clatford and Goodworth Clatford where the course is either overgrown or incorporated into adjoining gardens.
 Railway bridge on site of aqueduct over the River Anton 14.11.2005 (88kb) |
 Railway bridge on site of aqueduct over the River Test 14.11.2005 (84kb) |
North of Fullerton, the railway cut off a loop in the canal but this is on private property and inaccessible. At Fullerton, the canal crossed first the River Anton and then the River Test to gain the east bank of the latter. South of Fullerton, the Test Way footpath follows the railway line to near Mottisfont. In a few places where the railway eased corners on the canal line, a depression beside the railway formation can be seen amongst the trees and bushes.
 Line of canal and site of Stockbridge Station north of roundabout 7.11.2005 (48kb) |
 Former canal cottages, Stockbridge 7.11.2005 (43kb) |
Beside the roundabout at the east end of Stockbridge High Street stand some cottages built for canal company staff. These in turn became railway cottages and are now private houses.
Stockbridge - Romsey |
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Romsey - Redbridge |
 Remains of brickwork at tail of lock at Horsebridge 14.11.2005 (113kb) |
 Overgrown remains of lock chamber at Horsebridge 14.11.2005 (108kb) |
 The canal ran through the gate to the right of the pub 7.11.2005 (76kb) |
 The line of canal rejoined the railway just south of Horsebridge Station 7.11.2005 (83kb) |
At Horsebridge, just over two miles south of Stockbridge, the railway bypassed a half-mile loop in the canal. At the northern end of this loop, the overgrown remains of lock brick work can be seen. The contractors building the railway seem to robbed many of the canal structures of brick and stone for the railway structures. The track to the right of the John of Gaunt public house lies on the course of the canal.
 Just south of this car park beside the A3057 near Mottisfont, the canal and railway diverged 7.11.2005 (85kb) |
 The junction with the Southampton & Salisbury Canal was near the point where the road goes out of view within the aggregates depot 14.11.2005 (63kb) |
The line of the railway and canal diverge just north of the former Mottisfont railway station (now a private house). Just south of the road leading to Mottisfont village, lies the site of the junction with the western arm of the ill-fated Southampton and Salisbury Canal but this is unrecognisable. Southwards towards the settlement of Timsbury, a marshy ditch exists in places. The only remaining Andover Canal bridge stands in a private garden in the grounds of Timsbury Manor. A lock used to exist on the north side of the bridge but this has disappeared under the landscaping of the garden.
 Andover Canal viewed from A3057 south of Timsbury 7.11.2005 (76kb) |
 Andover Canal north of Romsey 7.11.2005 (102kb) |
Part of the next half-mile of the canal has been filled in, but the canal appears on the east side of the A3057 Romsey to Stockbridge road. For the next 1.5 miles the canal can be followed, the towpath being a public right of way. This is a very pleasant walk.
 Railway bridge over Andover Canal at Romsey 7.11.2005 (77kb) |
 The site of Romsey Lock is immediately to the left of the Plaza 7.11.2005 (48kb) |
The Eastleigh to Salisbury branch of the London & South Western Railway, opened in 1847, crossed the canal just south of Romsey station by a bridge which is still in use. A short distance to the south, the canal disappears under concrete beside Romsey's Plaza Theatre (formerly a cinema). This was the site of Romsey Lock.
Romsey - Redbridge |
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Stockbridge - Romsey |
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 Line of canal beside A27 outside Romsey Sports Centre 7.11.2005 (57kb) |
 Looking towards Romsey, the remains of the canal run behind the 'Mile Wall' beyond Southampton Lodge 7.11.2005 (62kb) |
South of Romsey, the A27 runs beside a high brick wall forming the boundary to the grounds of Broadlands House, formerly the home of Lord Palmerston and more recently the late Lord Mountbatten. On the west side of this wall lies the remains of the canal bed.
 Dry bed of canal beside Lee just south of Southampton Lodge 7.11.2005 (104kb) |
 Canal beside Lee Lane just north of Lee 7.11.2005 (110kb) |
Three quarters of a mile south of the Plaza Theatre, at Southampton Lodge, the A27 swings east to cross the railway but Lee Lane continues southwards. For the next mile to the hamlet of Lee, the canal bed forms in places a depression, mainly on the west side of the lane although in places the lane has been built on top of the canal.
 Bed of canal crossing railway at Lee 7.11.2005 (104kb) |
 A short section of the canal lies east of the railway 7.11.2005 (110kb) |
As the canal approaches Lee, the bed crosses the lane, passes behind several cottages and then crosses the railway. South of Coldharbour Lane, the canal has been infilled and then joins the line of the railway for about half a mile.
 The Andover Canal used to cross Mill Lane here 7.11.2005 (87kb) |
 About 200 yards of the canal were cleared out by Hampshire Wildlife Trust 7.11.2005 (96kb) |
A further half-mile section of the canal can be seen south of the lane leading to Nursling Mill, where Hampshire Wildlife Trust cleaned out about 200 yards of the canal some years ago. However, the remainder of this section is rather overgrown. The Test Way returns to follow the towpath along this section. South of here to Redbridge, the railway again obliterates the canal.
 The site of the entrance lock to the canal lies under the railway, above the pier of Red Bridge in the centre of the photo 7.11.2005 (49kb) |
 Canal company warehousing in Test Lane viewed from under Redbridge Causeway 7.11.2005 (40kb) |
The site of the entrance lock to the canal, from the tidal river at Redbridge, has been built over by the railway. It lay about 80 yards north of the medieval Red Bridge. By the Anchor Inn in Test Lane are the canal company's warehouses.
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Send your comments to the Web Site manager (Peter Oates) © Southampton Canal Society 1999-2005. Except where otherwise indicated, information on these pages may be reproduced provided permission is obtained from the Web Site manager beforehand and due acknowledgement made to the Society. Based on page created 26 January 1999 - updated 17 November 2005. |
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