Melody Art
Melody Art
Pure Vision
Home page of Melody Art landscape seascape floral and abstract paintings in oil
Melody Hawtin B.A.Hons a personal statement of inspiration and ideas that inspire her paintings
architectural paintings in oil
floral paintings in oil on canvas
animal and wildlife paintings in oil
seascape paintings in oil on canvas
vehicles and vintage car paintings
figurative and portrait paintings
The Watercress Line 1870 - Alresford
English country garden - Alresford
Come to the light - Winchester Cathedral
The red door - Winchester Cathedral
The Salvation of Embassy Court - Brighton
Original Painting Information
Description: Original oil on paper
Image size: 15.5 h x 20 w in
39.4 h x 50.8 w cm
39.4 h x 50.8 w cm
Frame: 3 in silver frame
21 h x 25 w in
53.3 H X 63.5 H cm
21 h x 25 w in
53.3 H X 63.5 H cm
Price: Please enquire
Code: MA099
© 2004 to 2008 Melody Art - All images and text - All rights reserved - Prices correct at the time of publishing
Fine art Giclée print
Description: signed Giclée print.
Edition: Open
All work includes delivery to UK mainland
Alresford
Alresford is famous for both it’s watercress and the steam train that runs from Alresford to Alton. This painting is of the watercress workers loading onto the train at Alresford station.
The painting is from an original photograph kindly supplied by the Mid Hants Railway.
For more information on the Watercress Line please follow the link.
The Watercress Line 1870 - Alresford
Original oil painting on paper
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage line in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles (16 km) from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the national rail network. The line gained its nickname in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to markets in London.
Opened in 1865 as part of the Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway and closed by British Railways in 1973, the line originally continued westwards from New Alresford to Winchester, joining the South Western Main Line at Winchester junction two miles (3 km) north of Winchester, but this section of the line is now closed. In the past there were proposals to extend the line to rejoin Winchester, but this would have required massive funding. The M3 motorway from London to Southampton cuts across the route and houses have been built across the right-of-way in Itchen Abbas.
As well as the two main stations the railway also has two other stations; one at Ropley, where the main locomotive shed and workshops are located, and the other jointly serving the villages of Medstead and Four Marks. The section of line between these two intermediate stations is affectionately known as the "Alps" due its steep gradients.
In 1941, prototype Merchant Navy Class 21C1 Channel Packet traveled as far as Alresford after the naming ceremony at Southampton for a trial run with press dignitaries.
Motive Power The railway is operated by a variety of steam locomotives, many originating from the Southern Railway. Heritage diesel locomotives and multiple units are also represented, including the Southern Region Class 33 diesel locomotive, an '08' and a Class 11 diesel shunters. Two of their locomotives, named Thomas and Douglas were rebuilt from Hunslet 'Austerity' tank engines ('Thomas' was rebuilt at MHR.)
