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Location notes
Between Alton and Alresford on the Mid Hants Railway in Hampshire. This is the general area around Ropley station and the loco shed alongside. There are several good vantage points. Please remember to pop a small donation in the box at Ropley station as they are always willing for people to visit and take pictures but a small donation will help them carry on running a great line.
Railway type and traffic
The Mid Hants is an excellent preserved railway. There always seems to be something going on here, not just steam wise. In recent months I've witnessed Deltic 9016 in Porterbrook livery, a pair of Fragonset class 33 locos stabled and most recently a pair of Fragonset class 73 locos. This is in addition to the class 47 and Desiro unit that were resident here for a while in 2003 for testing purposes. The railway has an excellent set of events throughout the year and a very good website that gives details of all of these and more - The Watercress Line
Environment
This is a rural area. North of the station is an embankment. You can walk from the station along this embankment to get to the overbridge on Bighton Hill or vice versa.
Road directions
The A31 from Winchester to Guildford runs right past Ropley. Ropley station is on the north side of the A31. There are two roads that lead to opposite ends of the station. Station Hill leads to the station itself with limited parking. Bighton Hill is a couple of hundred yards away to the east and leads up a narrow lane and over the railway, the car park is on the left.
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MHR, Ropley map co-ordinates
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
MHR, Ropley map co-ordinates
Parking
Parking isn't plentiful but there is a small car park at Ropley station and another small car park on the north side of the line off Bighton Hill.
Public transport
Mid Hants Railway operates trains on most days that connect with South West Trains at Alton. Please check the website for details of MHR services.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
Mid Hants Railway operates trains on most days that connect with South West Trains at Alton. Please check the website for details of MHR services.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
MHR, Ropley
Streetmap links
MHR, Ropley general view map
MHR, Ropley close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
MHR, Ropley
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
MHR, Ropley
Googly map
MHR, Ropley general view map
MHR, Ropley close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
MHR, Ropley
Who likes this location on facebook
Railway Gen Group
Photographic notes
The embankment to the north of the line between the station and Bighton Hill affords good views of the loco yard but does get a bit obscured with trees in summer at the eastern end.
Links to photographs at this location
Northern Railways - Ropley
General views - All photographs © Carl Watson unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - From the embankment
Fig 2 - Looking east
From the Bigton Hill over bridge.
Fig 3 - Looking west
From the Bigton Hill over bridge.
Fig 4 - Looking east
From the station footbridge.
Fig 5 -Looking west
From the station footbridge.
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
