Lakeside Country Park

Lakeside Country Park

Beach Lake, one of the three lakes in the park
Type Country park
Location Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK
Coordinates 50°57′25″N 1°21′50″W / 50.957°N 1.364°W / 50.957; -1.364
Area 60 acres (240,000 m2)
Operated by Eastleigh Borough Council
Status Open all year

Coordinates: 50°57′25″N 1°21′50″W / 50.957°N 1.364°W / 50.957; -1.364

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]

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.

Eastleigh Lakeside Railway

Eastleigh Lakeside station is the centre of operations for the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway
Lakeside County Park Railway[2]
Monks Brook Playround
Station and Workshops

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.[3] A more permanent track was laid down in 1993, as the railway company was granted a three-year lease.[3] Five years later, a longer lease was negotiated and construction began on the two stations, Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook.[3] They were opened in 1999, although further work on the layout itself was carried out in 2000.[3] A tunnel was added in 2003, and Eastleigh Parkway station was extended in 2005 with the addition of a café and shop.[3]

loco number Name Type Railway Gauge Notes Image
1001 The Monarch Steam ELR 10
1002 The Empress Steam Example 10
1003 Western Queen Steam SBCR 10.25 Under Restoration
2005 Silver Jubilee Steam Example 10
2006 Edward VIII Steam SBCR 10
21C1 Channel Packet Steam SOUTHERN 10
35004 Cunard White Star Steam SOUTHERN 10.25
7 Sandy River Steam ELR 10
70055 Rob Roy Steam British Rail 10
850 Lord Nelson Steam SOUTHERN 10
4498 Sir Nigel Gresley Steam A4 Pacific 10
10 Sir Arthur Heywood Steam ELR 7.25
4789 William Barker Steam Atlantic 7.25
3 Francis Henry Lloyd Steam ELR 7.25
1908Ernest Henry UptonSteamSOUTHERN10
6220CoronationSteamLMS10 on loan to railway
6100Royal ScotSteamLMS10 on loan to railway
D1994EastleighDieselELR10
92FlorenceDieselELR10
3221University of SouthamptonElectric propulsionELR10
noDavid CurwenSteamDR7.25
761TawSteamSOUTHERN7.25
noSanjoSteamSJAANR7.25
noIdrisSteamMHLR7.25

Water sports centre

In 2014 funding was approved towards the replacement of the current lakeside buildings with two new buildings with improved toilets and changing facilities, storage, offices and a multi-purpose function room. The estimated cost of the scheme is £2.5 million, of which £1 million had been allocated from the New Homes Bonus and £371,000 from the Eastleigh Local Area Committee. The new buildings were completed in late 2016.[4]

Open Water Swimming has been run from the venue since at least 2010,[5] and, as of 2017, is currently operated for their second season by HOWL Multisports.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eastleigh Borough Council: Lakeside Country Park Accessed 2 July 2014
  2. ↑ http://www.steamtrain.co.uk/track-layout
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Eastleigh Lakeside Railway: History of the Railway at Lakeside Accessed 21 September 2007
  4. ↑ "Plans for a new water sports centre move a step closer". Eastleigh Borough Council. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Free swimming at Eastleigh's Lakeside". Daily Echo. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  6. ↑ "Open Water Swimming Opens In Hampshire". www.britishtriathlon.org. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
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