The Watercress Line
@thewatercressline.bsky.social
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Heritage railway in Hampshire https://watercressline.co.uk/
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🚂 Sunday Lunch Fine Dining Aboard The Royal Wessex

We're delighted to welcome guests for an exquisite dining experience at The Watercress Line on the 2nd of November.

Perfect for special occasions or simply treating yourself to a delicious lunch.

Book now to secure your table - buff.ly/aiJlZuY
A vintage steam locomotive with the headboard 'The Royal Wessex' travels through a scenic countryside on a sunny day. The train is painted in a classic dark green livery with red and black detailing, pulling a line of matching passenger carriages. Steam gently rises from the engine as it moves along a single railway track bordered by grass and trees, with a partly cloudy blue sky overhead. The setting appears to be in autumn, with some trees showing signs of changing leaves.
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🍻All aboard the last two Real Ale Train of the year!

25th October & 1st November

🎟️ Book in advance and enjoy 10% off your food & beer – cheers!

Don't miss out!🍺🐀

buff.ly/46xZrQU

#RealAleTrain #WatercressLine #HeritageRailway
thewatercressline.bsky.social
Afternoon Tea behind 'Sir Nigel Gresley' has now SOLD OUT!🥪✨

There are still seats available to travel behind the iconic locomotive on Sunday 12th of October on the 13:00 and 15:00 departures.

🎟️ buff.ly/iCgm9az - Book your tickets fast!

📸 Chloe Worrall

#WatercressLine #SirNigelGresley
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley waits under a yellow and green bridge at a railway station, surrounded by a large crowd of people. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. There is a green carriage being pulled by the locomotive and passengers can be seen in the windows.
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Most dates are already sold out - but there’s still time to hop aboard the Father Christmas Express on 22nd & 23rd December! 🚂🎄

🎟️ Don’t miss out - book now for a truly unforgettable Christmas experience:

👉 buff.ly/h9k150c

#WatercressLine #FatherChristmas
Father Christmas, dressed in a green and gold hooded outfit, sits inside a vintage train carriage decorated with Christmas baubles and lights. The lighting has a warm glow and light can be seen coming in from the window behind him.
thewatercressline.bsky.social
📣Last chance to ride behind the iconic 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley at the Watercress Line this weekend. Limited slots remain for Sunday.
Afternoon Tea still available at 11am on Sat 11 & Sun 12 Oct.
Dining & footplate rides sold out.
buff.ly/zrWZmxm
#SirNigelGresley
A photo taken on a wooden bench featuring a picnic-style afternoon tea set from the Watercress Line's "West Country Buffet" at Alresford Station. The set includes a clear plastic tray tied with a blue ribbon, containing various snacks such as finger sandwiches, mini tarts, scones, a pot of Rodda’s clotted cream, a packet of jam, and assorted biscuits and cakes. A promotional sticker with an image of a steam train is on the tray. Beside it is a paper cup with an image of a steam locomotive printed on it, and a folded leaflet labelled "Watercress Line – West Country Buffet – Alresford Station." The scene is lit by bright sunlight.
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🎃🧙All aboard the Wizard Express!🚂

Get spooky this Halloween at The Watercress Line with Wizard Week!

📅 25th October - 2nd November 🕷️

Don’t miss the magic! Book now: buff.ly/Xflg5bT

#WizardWeek #WatercressLine #HalloweenFun #FamilyDaysOut #SpookySeason
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That’s a wrap on the Autumn Steam Gala for 2025!

Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers, staff & everyone who joined us.

📸 34059, 35005 and 60007 at Ropley

👉 buff.ly/NkW3W9b

#WatercressLine #AutumnSteamGala #SteamGala #HeritageRailway #Hampshire
thewatercressline.bsky.social
🚂From the 8th to the 12th of October, the legendary steam locomotive 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' takes centre stage for a truly unforgettable few days.

This is a rare chance to see one of the greats in action.

👉 buff.ly/zrWZmxm

#WatercressLine #SirNigelGresley
Sir Nigel Gresley, a blue steam locomotive, runs along The Watercress Line in 1996. The light is quite dim, the sky is grey and the trees in the background are bare of leaves, suggesting winter. Steam rises from the locomotive as it pulls several carriages along the line.
thewatercressline.bsky.social
For two days only, step beyond the barriers and onto the footplate of the legendary Sir Nigel Gresley at Ropley Station 🚂

🎟️ 30-minute sessions run between 11am and 4:30pm
📆 8th & 9th October

Book your chance to step into history!

buff.ly/PvpkWqu

📸 Jeremy De Souza

#WatercressLine
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What a gorgeous sight!🍂

There’s still time to secure your tickets and witness steam legends in action, including 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ and 34059 ‘Sir Archibald Sinclair’, alongside our incredible home fleet - featuring 35005 ‘Canadian Pacific’.

buff.ly/ZhfuXeT

#WatercressLine
Three large steam locomotives are lined up at a rail yard during sunset, with steam rising from the engines. The locomotive on the right, numbered 60007, is painted in blue and has an art-deco streamlined design. The two locomotives on the left, numbered 34059 and 35005, have a more traditional rounded design and are painted in dark green and black. A signal and railway buildings are visible in the background, along with autumnal trees silhouetted against the sky.
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It's October, which can only mean one thing... the Autumn Steam Gala is right around the corner!🍂🚂

There is still time to book your tickets for the 3rd - 5th of October, complete with break van rides and driving experiences.

Book now!

buff.ly/dam8LUl

📷 James Cummins

#WatercressLine #AutumnGala
Sir Archibald Sinclair, a green steam locomotive, travels through the countryside, surrounded by green trees, pulling a set of green carriages. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
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✨Happy International Podcast Day!🥳

Dan Ball, our Education & Outreach Coordinator, was a guest on the Hampshire's Heritage Revealed podcast!

You can listen to the episode here - buff.ly/A7ZQn53

Learn more about the Textile Timeline here - buff.ly/3wws5mk

#WatercressLine #HeritageRailway
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The Croydon Regional Group are meeting on Monday 6th of October to hear journalist and author Christian Wolmar discuss his recent book, 'The Liberation Line'.

St Mary Magdalene Church
Canning Road
East Croydon
CR0 6QD

Entry is £4, beginning at 7:30pm.

buff.ly/p5p4k60
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🚂✨Step back in time and indulge in a luxurious Afternoon Tea as you ride behind the legendary Sir Nigel Gresley!

🥪 From classic sandwiches to indulgent sweet treats, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available.

🎟️ Selling fast - buff.ly/R6J1oWB

#WatercressLine
Afternoon Tea  in a gold presentation box with a blue ribbon. The box includes finger sandwiches, macarons, and various finger foods. There is a coffee cup with an image of 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, a blue steam locomotive. These items are on a dark brown wooden picnic table.
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🚂 27th Sept 2025 marks 200 years of the modern railway.

We’ve proudly joined Railway 200 celebrations - honouring the past, but most of all, celebrating the people who keep it alive.

Happy Railway 200 Anniversary!

#Railway200 #WatercressLine #HeritageRail #200YearsOfRail
A large group of volunteers pose in front of a restored steam locomotive numbered 35005 at Ropley station. The engine is painted in glossy dark green with black and red details, and steam is seen rising in the background. A green station sign reading "ROPLEY" is visible in the background. The group includes people of various ages, mostly wearing overalls or railway workwear, standing and sitting on the platform and trackside to celebrate the restoration.
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🎃 All aboard the Wizard Express! 🚂✨

The Watercress Line is bursting with spooky fun for all ages from the 25th October - 2nd November! Ride our magical steam train, make slime with mad professors and meet creepy creatures if you dare…

🎟️ Book now: buff.ly/Xflg5bT
Two young children in Halloween costumes pose with pumpkins at a train station decorated with green pillars and a wooden building in the background. The older child on the left has blonde hair in pigtails sticking out, face paint, a black and silver outfit, and is stacking two pumpkins. The younger child on the right is dressed in an orange fairy or pumpkin costume with striped tights and is holding a large pumpkin.
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During our incredible Engineering Open Weekend, we proudly celebrated the official opening of the 130m extension of Ropley Miniature Railway into Four Acre Field.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us.🙌✨

#WatercressLine #MiniatureRailway #EngineeringOpenWeekend #HeritageOpenDays
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🚂Wallace & Gromit Present Cracking Hobbies - This Weekend at The Watercress Line!

🎯 Try your hand at many fun hobbies
📸 Meet Wallace & Gromit at Ropley Station throughout the day!

It’s going to be a cracking weekend!

🎟️ Plan your visit now: buff.ly/d9kidvp

#WallaceAndGromit #WatercressLine
Wallace, a smiling claymation man with a green vest and red tie, hugs Gromit, a clay dog with a black nose. The background is orange with light line drawings of mechanical parts. Text reads: "Come and meet Wallace & Gromit" and "27th - 28th September." The Aardman logo is in the bottom right corner.
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✨Last Wednesday, some of our amazing volunteers hit the runway at Waterloo Station for a vibrant Fashion Show celebrating style through the decades!🚂

Don’t they look incredible?!🤩👏

#Railway200 #FashionThroughTheDecades #WaterlooStation #SouthWesternRailway #200YearsofFashion
Five men stand in traditional railway uniforms from different eras. Three men stand in traditional railway uniforms from different eras. They stand next to a Watercress Line banner. Four men in traditional railway uniforms stand beside a banner that reads 'Fashion through the decades'. Two men have red and green flags raised in the air.
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🚂All Aboard for an Iconic Experience🚂

Join us this October at The Watercress Line for an unforgettable journey with the legendary 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'!

Book now and be part of a celebration of steam, style, and railway heritage.💙

🔗 buff.ly/NXwXLCW
A historic steam locomotive, LNER Class A4 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, painted in a dark blue livery, pulls a train of green coaches as it departs from a countryside station. A footbridge spans the tracks in the background, and signals stand beside the train. The setting has green grass and trees.
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Simon Hall, author of the Watermeadow Line, will be returning to The Watercress Line during Wallace & Gromit Present Cracking Hobbies, this weekend!📚

You can find him under the canopy of the waiting shelter on Platform 1 at Ropley Station all weekend.

buff.ly/d9kidvp

#WatercressLine #SimonHall
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Wallace & Gromit are heading to The Watercress Line for a cracking day out full of fascinating hobbies 🚂🧀

Follow a themed activity trail, and have a go at everything from amateur radio 📻 to Lego train displays, miniature railways, Scouts & Guides activities, and more.

buff.ly/d9kidvp
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We're counting down the days until the Autumn Steam Gala begins!🚂

We are looking forward to seeing 34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair' and 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' on our line.

Driving Experiences on 1788 Kilmersdon and Brake Van Rides are now available to book!

buff.ly/dam8LUl

#WatercressLine
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The Alton Regional Group presents Brian Lawes discussing 'Where Did Trainspotting Get Me?' on Thursday 25th of September.

The meeting will be hosted at Alton Community Centre from 7:30pm, with a £4.00 entrance fee.

Visit our website to learn more: buff.ly/emp5pni
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🎂Cake of the Month at The West Country Buffet!☕️

All aboard for a sweet September treat - enjoy a slice of classic Victoria Sponge and a hot drink for just £5.25!

Available now at Alresford Station - the perfect pick-me-up before your journey or a cosy stop-off with friends.🚂💛

#WatercressLine