Fordingbridge Railway Station in 1965
This cache can be accessed from 'Allen Water Drive' as a 'Cache and Dash', alternatively if you fancy a nice half hour walk you can park at Puddleslosh Lane and ponder along to the cache from there.
(See Co-ordinates for parking options below)
The Cache is hidden close to the old railway bridge on Marl Lane.
Fordingbridge was at one point home to a railway station serving Fordingbridge itself, a small town in Hampshire. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s. The line was officially closed on 4 May 1964 but as there was no Sunday service the last trains ran on the 2nd. It was served by the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway, a line running North-South, along the River Avon just to the West of the New Forest, connecting Salisbury to the North and Poole to the South, meeting the Southampton and Dorchester Railway at West Moors.
Today, the road leading out of Fordingbridge to Sandleheath village is still called Station Road; however the spot where the station once stood is now occupied by a large mill and industrial park. Ashford Road is where the railway cottages are, the road joins onto Station Road. This railway bridge is just one of the few mementos of the railway having been in place.
For 'Cache and Dash' Parking please park at N 50° 55.964 W 001° 48.001 and head across the playing field to the bridge. (Beware of muggles)
For a nice short walk please park at N 50° 56.337 W 001° 48.076 and proceed up Puddleslosh Lane, taking a left at the fork and heading to the bridge.
The walk is dog friendly however there is farm land either side of the pathways and the farmers will not tolerate dogs running on to the land, so please keep a lead at hand.
FTF: RedBobbin