Castleman's Corkscrew Missing Old Road

In 1845 an act of parliament was passed for the construction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway (S&DR). This included a route via Brockenhurst, Christchurch Road (Holmsley), Ringwood, West Moors, Wimborne, Broadstone and Hamworthy, which later became the old road, plus a short branch to the then Poole (now Hamworthy Goods) station. The S&DR Company was formed by a Wimborne solicitor Charles Castleman who saw it as a link in a major route to the West Country. The proposed line surveyed by a Captain W. Moorsom was to be constructed as economically as possible and in such a way as to attract intermediate traffic. He therefore sough a route which would avoid as many costly engineering works as possible, whilst coming as close as practical to most towns. Moorsom’s meandering route, soon to be called the Castleman’s Corkscrew (CC), was opened in 1847 and initially leased then purchased by the LSWR in 1848. The line was doubled by 1863.
In its early years passengers for the major town of Poole had to arrive via a lifting toll road bridge over the inner harbour, whilst at Christchurch via a seven mile coach ride from Christchurch Road. Bournemouth at this time was little more than a fledgling seaside hamlet surrounded by pines trees. Captain L. Tregonwell had seen the potential of the heath land between Poole and Christchurch and built some holiday villas on it, surrounding them with pine trees. He anticipated that people would come to indulge in the newly fashionable pastime of sea bathing, with its perceived health benefits, along with the common belief pine scent was good for the lungs. Bournemouth was to explode in population the closer the railway came, increasing by over forty times in six decades from 1851.
The fate of the S&DR old road was in many ways related directly to the fortunes of Bournemouth. Beginning in 1862 a railway line was built from Ringwood via Hurn to Christchurch along the winding River Avon Valley (restricting trains to 25mph). In 1863 the Somerset and Dorset (S&D) arrived from Burnham on Sea at Wimborne to use the S&DR metals to the then Poole station, hoping to prosper as a land bridge. In 1866 the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway (S&DJR) arrived at West Moors. 1870 the Christchurch line was extended west to east of Bournemouth. 1874 the LSWR line arrived from Broadstone via the now Poole station to end in the multi platform Bournemouth West terminus station which the S&D ran trains in to from their then new extension to Bath, with its links to Bristol and the Midlands. 1885 the S&D linked in at Broadstone (their previous link to Wimborne lasting to 1933). 1888 a new line was built by the LSWR to link Brockenhurst to Christchurch via Sway connecting on to a newer spacious Bournemouth East station. (This was the death knoll for the time consuming single line Ringwood to Christchurch route, which surprisingly lingered on to 1935). Also in 1888 the two stations in Bournemouth were linked by rail. When in 1893 the Branksome link (Bournemouth West bypass) combined with the Holes Bay curve (Broadstone bypass) opened, the old road was reduced to a diversionary and through route.
In 1963 the Beeching Report had a field day in this area. Starting in 1964 the S&DJR, the S&DR Brockenhurst to Ringwood and Broadstone to Hamworthy sections were axed with the Broadstone to Ringwood part reduced to goods only. 1965 the splendid Bournemouth West Station closed. 1966 the proud and resilient S&D was reduced to a goods branch line to Blandford only (which lasted to 1969). In 1967 the S&DR Broadstone to Ringwood goods was reduced to West Moors, then in 1974 to Wimborne and finally altogether in 1977 (including the exhibition trains); along with its LSWR link back to the now Poole station.
Broadstone, once the cross roads of the S&D and S&DR with its four running lines and platforms, was redundant. The old road CC permanent way (pw) was dead. Wimborne and Ringwood, where the Castleman brothers originally had their offices, now had no railway links to show for all the enthusiasm they had shown for the early railway expansion into their area.

The old road pw today, some fifty years after closure, is still very much in evidence across the Hampshire & Dorset countryside. Parts have come back to life as a trailway or path and even road, sadly in the towns the pw areas have been lost to the usual industrial or housing estates yet surprisingly two of its stations still exist along the way in a fashion. My photographic survey (2014) on the remains of the S&DR CC old road pw starts from Brockenhurst and works west.
The old road pw branched off the later LSWRpw (now busy Waterloo to Weymouth mainline) at Lymington Jn, west of Brockenhurst. Its tree covered embankment remains up to the No10 S&DR crossing along with its rather interesting original (enlarged) keepers lodge. From this lodge to Pound Lane bridge (south of Burley) the CCpw exists as a trailway, with one road section. (Access to No 10 crossing keepers lodge is along a vehicles barred hardcore track running parallel with the CCpw off the B3055 Sway road that starts after passing under an arch that carries the mainline railway).
The CCpw on passing the crossing lodge on the right and an old gangers hut on the left enters a cutting before carrying on along an embankment to cross two access bridges (trailway spans) and dive under the triple arch Long Slade Bottom road. Entering a deep cutting it then passes under the newly repointed Setthorns Caravan site arch to pass on along another embankment, passing over Yew Tree arch, to fade out just where the CCpw is reused as a road to run up to the remains of Holmsley Station.
Holmsley Station building is now an interesting teas room. The remains of the down platform have been brick edged pass the teas room, them divided through for a link road up to the A35. The rest of this rather long platform edge now sits peacefully in the New Forest, an ideal spot for a picnic where you can dangle your legs comfortably over the platform edge as you eat.
Moving on the CCpw runs along an embankment for a while before it climbs pass No11 S&DR crossing (rather futuristic rebuilt lodge) and the remains of the isolated No 12 & 13 lodges. What these last two crossing controlled seemingly a mystery. The CCpw then level and passes through a shallow cutting and on under Pound Lane bridge (modernised a few years before the line closed, now overgrown wet area and end of trailway) to continue into the deep Brown Loaf cutting, which seems to act like a sump for the surrounding area. The exit cutting clearly showing a stream running out of it and suggesting a perpetual ongoing drainage problem the line must have had.
From Brown Loaf cutting end to Barrack Lane, Crow the CCpw is private and not accessible. The CCpw is very clearly evident on Goggle satellite between these two points. Along this section Bagnam and Charles’ lanes bridges have lost their spans.
On Barrack Lane is the No14 S&DR crossing. Silvia, the wife of the late crossing keeper still lives in the extended lodge today. Hidden in the bushes by the crossing is the relief crossing keeper's shelter. A hardcore path on the CCpw leads from Silvia’s home passed No15 S&DR crossing lodge and on to the site of No16 crossing (gone) on Crow Lane. From here on a footpath it crosses a field to pass under Crow arch to pick up a disused road (Embankment Way) passing an industrial estate to connect with Castleman Way, where Ringwood Station was situated. The only clue a station ever existing in Ringwood now being the Railway Hotel pub.
Leaving Ringwood on the CCpw trailway, which continues to West Moors, the pw was carried over the Avon Valley on three bridges. The first of these bridges now being of substantial concrete construction as it too was rebuilt a few years before the line closed. (The Avon Valley Christchurch line vied south after the third bridge). After the interruption by the A31 (use B3081 underpass) the CCpw trailway continues on in tree lined peace passing a fogman’s hut (down distant signal) to arrive at Ashley Heath Halt. The Halt still having its up platform to this day. Later after passing over the moors the CCpw trailway passes the West Moors fuel dump and another fogman’s hut (down distant signal) to run into Arnold Close/Mary Lane housing estates and pass the flats of Castleman Court, the reused West Moors Station site.
Opposite this site on the B3072 (Station Road) sits the No19 S&DR crossing keeper’s house, still recognisable even with its alterations. Pullman Court and three houses off Mannington Way now occupy the CCpw going west but the pw can be picked up at the far end of Farm Road via a path off to the right. The CCpw path then passes the Ferndown Forest Golf Club and on to the reused CCpw Forest Link Road to the A31. From here to Nimrod Way on Ferndown industrial estate the pw has disappeared initially under a forest followed by industrial premises expansion. A little used path along the CCpw then takes you on pass the industrial estates to Uddens Drive where a trailway continues to an ex Staplehill Farm crossing, passing a half buried gangers hut on route. From the old crossing the pw continues on a private embankment to be sliced by the A31. A small embankment continues on after before the CCpw is consumed by houses through Canford Bottom. A small grass break exists between Canford and Wimborne where the CCpw passed through, now all signs of a railway gone. Later signs of the CCpw existence return before the pw now alongside Leigh Lane is also consumed by houses up to Northleigh Lane bridge. After this bridge the CCpw is rather well kept as it swings south, but soon becomes lost to houses and after crossing the B3073 (Leigh Road) disappears under more houses, Wimborne Market and an industrial estate, where Wimborne Station site was.
The CCpw embankments either side of the River Stour bridge in Wimborne still survive, the bridge itself gone. Just a little south along this embankment the very ornate Lady Wimborne Bridge exists that carried the CCpw over the drive to Canford House (now school). After this bridge, in the bushes, the original S&Dpw can be seen branching away (extended gardens of Oakley Road) from the S&DRpw. Both are then sliced up by the A31 Wimborne bypass. South of the A31 houses have appeared on the CCpw yet off the B3073 (Oakley Hill) approach road to Wimborne the CCpw trailway to Hamworthy begins. This runs under Merley long arch, along a cutting passing Wimborne up distant fogman’s hut, pass Broadstone Golf Course and on pass the side of some tennis courts and a sports centre that was the site of Broadstone Station. The only clue a station existed here being the Railway Hotel pub in Station Approach.
After Broadstone the CCpw trailway runs alongside the reused LSWRpw, now Broadstone Way (road). These pws part company later and the CCpw trailway then continues on over an old roman road and on pass the skeleton of a gangers hut to stop where the A35 slices across it. A trailway loop off to the west over a disused road bridge brings you back to the CCpw path between the houses of Upton to cross the Poole Road (B3067) and pick up the CCpw trailway pass the back of an industrial estate. Where these premises come to an end the trailway heads east and on around a wet land area to return and run alongside the overgrown CCpw embankment to arrive on the A350 (Blandford Road) at Hamworthy between the CCpw old road arch and LSWRpw holes bay link arch. A little further on the CCpw joined the later LSWRpw just before Hamworthy Station to continue on the S&DRpw now busy extended route to Weymouth. (At Hamwothy Station the S&DRpw branch to then Poole (Hamworthy Goods) still exists and in use today).
Rick Poulton