DN&SR - Kings Worthy Station Traditional Cache
Nubble: As we have lived out of the area for some time now it is very difficult to maintain our old Winchester area caches Su regretfully we have decided to archive this one.
DN&SR - Kings Worthy Station
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This is one of a series of 4 caches set at the sites of former stations on the old Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&SR).
HISTORY
The DN&SR was opened fully in May 1885 and became part of the Great Western Railways’ (GWR) attempt to expand into London and South Western Railway (LSWR) territory. Although there was authorisation for a separate line into Southampton, political delays, objections by the LSWR and finally lack of finance meant the DN&SR only reached as far as Winchester.
The LSWR (who built the link from Winchester to join the London-Southampton main line at Shawford) insisted on using its own locomotives on the Winchester-Southampton section. Every through service to and from Southampton involved an exchange between GWR and LSWR motive power.
This delay meant the line never prospered even though it was several miles shorter than the route from the North via Reading and Basingstoke which had faster lines and greater capacity.
The line came into its own during the Second World War as an important North-South supply route to the South coast. It carried huge numbers of troops and military supplies especially during the run up to D-Day when it was closed to passengers between August 1942 and March 1943.
The line returned to its lightly used peacetime state in 1945 and closed, as part of the ‘Beeching Axe’ to passengers in 1960 and completely in 1967.
KINGS WORTHY STATION
Built in 1909 as a result of a petition from local residents of Easton and Abbots Worthy. It was situated to the South of London Road underneath what is now the A34 trunk road. The only clue to a railway is a solitary telegraph pole which can sometimes be seen up the slope from the cache site.
Good Hunting!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zhygv gehaxf
Treasures
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