A Poet and a Railway walk

Posted by: Tim 3 years, 7 months ago

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Den and Tim went on a short ramble exploring a bit of Petersfield history.  Firstly to find evidence of the Midhurst to Petersfield railway, which ran up until 1955. There is some film available of the railway if you click Old Railway. In the film there is a shot of a train passing over the Ramshill bridge, now demolished. The second search was for signs of the First World War poet, Edward Thomas, a native of Steep.

At the bottom of Ramshill (just below Churchers College) there used to be a railway bridge. No longer there, but on either side of the junction/pedestrian crossings there are large earthworks that used to lead the railway to the bridge.

Hidden in nearby vegetation is this railway gradient sign

Less than a quarter of a mile away is a surviving bridge at the end of a housing development.

Two hundreds yards further away  is the still busy London to Portsmouth line.

On to Steep Churchyard to find a plaque in memory of Edward Thomas.

Steep Churchyard, tree looking to be in need of some serious pruning. 

Despite being exempt because of his age, Edward Thomas signed up but sadly died soon after arriving in France.

After much searching we failed to find his last house, No 2 Yew Tree Cottages.

Back to railway searching. Looking north from the bridge at Petersfield. The site of the Midhurst line station used to be immediately opposite the signal box, just beyond the white car. In the distance is a bridge and it is at this point the Midhurst line turned right.

Under Tilmore Road are two bridges - on the left the main line in current use, to the right the disused bridge that used to carry the Midhurst line.

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