| Lakeside Country Park | |
|---|---|
Beach Lake, one of the three lakes in the park |
|
| Type | Country park |
| Location | Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK |
| Area | 60 acres (240,000 m2) |
| Operated by | Eastleigh Borough Council |
| Status | Open all year |
Lakeside Country Park is a country park just south of the town of Eastleigh in Hampshire. The park covers 60 acres[1] and is home to the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway.
The park is on the site of old gravel workings, with lakes formed from gravel pits.[1] As well as the lakes themselves, the park boasts meadows and some young woodland.[1]
In April 2005, a band of travellers illegally set up camp in the park and on surrounding land, including allotments, with over a dozen caravans there at one stage.[2] The travellers were there for five days[3] and left large amounts of rubbish behind, which was not cleared for some weeks, and was subsequently set ablaze by local children.[2][4]
The park is bounded by the Eastleigh urban area to the north, the A335 road to the east, the boundary between Eastleigh and Southampton to the south, and Monks Brook to the west.
A dual gauge 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) / 7 1⁄4 in (184 mm) light railway was established in the park in 1992, originally as a temporary layout.[5] A more permanent track was laid down in 1993, as the railway company was granted a three year lease.[5] Five years later, a longer lease was negotiated and construction began on the two stations, Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook.[5] They were opened in 1999, although further work on the layout itself was carried out in 2000.[5] A tunnel was added in 2003, and Eastleigh Parkway station was extended in 2005 with the addition of a café and shop.[5]
|
|
|||||||