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Incidents at the Watercress Line

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The Watercress Line is a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles (16 km) from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line has four stations and operates scheduled and special services. The line was opened as the Mid-Hants Railway in 1865 and was purchased by the London & South Western Railway in 1884. The line was closed by British Rail in 1973 and sold to the present operator Mid-Hants Railway Ltd in 1975. The first section of the line between Alresford and Ropley was reopened in 1977, with the section to Medstead & Four Marks in 1983 and via Butts Junction to Alton in 1985. This article records a number of accidents and incidents on the line when operating as a heritage railway.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Incidents at the Watercress Line (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Incidents at the Watercress Line
Paper Mill Lane, East Hampshire

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N 51.151438888889 ° E -0.96696944444444 °
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Paper Mill Lane

Paper Mill Lane
GU34 2PQ East Hampshire
England, United Kingdom
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Battle of Alton
Battle of Alton

The Battle of Alton (also Storm of Alton), of the First English Civil War, took place on 13 December 1643 in the town of Alton, Hampshire, England. There, Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry serving under the Earl of Crawford. The Battle of Alton was the first decisive defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, leader of Royalist forces in the south, and the event had a significant psychological effect on him as commander. More important to Hopton was the loss of men, however, as he was already short-handed in much-needed infantry. The successful Parliamentarians were able, after their victory, to attack and successfully besiege Arundel, a larger and more formidable Royalist outpost to the south-east of Alton.At dawn on the 13th, as Waller's army approached Alton, Crawford fled with the cavalry to Winchester, leaving Colonel Richardus Boles to defend Alton with only the infantry. Outnumbered and overpowered, Boles's men were soon forced to seek refuge in the Church of St Lawrence, where they made a desperate last stand. Boles was killed, along with most of his remaining men. The Parliamentarians won a clear victory, losing only a few men and taking many prisoners.Boles's fight is also notable for its demonstrated drama and heroism. Stories boast that Boles killed a number of his enemies before falling himself. The battle of Alton is known as one of the "most savage encounters" of the English Civil War. Musket holes from the fight can still be seen in the south door to the church and inside, where so many cornered men were killed and captured. The Battle of Alton was also the first battle in the English Civil War to use leather guns, employed effectively by Waller before and during the battle proper.