For those who have been following this little series of posts, you may remember that part two finished with a photo taken from the car as I drove west, on part of the Castleman Trail, that is now buried under the road. If you feel like a catch up, part 2 is here. The “Takumar Trail” title is used as I’m photographing things that catch my interest enroute, with my Pentax Spotmatic and two Pentax Takumar lenses, a 35mm and a 50mm, on in this case, Ilford Delta 100.
Up-date out of the way, as the road takes a sharp turn to the north, what was the track bed carries on, right ahead into the bushes! On that corner stands The Old Holmsley Station Tea Rooms. They have kept the railway theme here, and there are a few mementos scattered around the garden. They have a very interesting PDF history that you could read here, should you be into trains! I had a very nice piece of lemon meringue pie and a coffee here!
At the point where the track would have emerged from under the road had it still been there, now stands a gate and the start of another official path – but still not part of the official Castleman Trail. Here a large chunk of the platform can still be seen.
The walk here is shaded by trees, so a pleasant walk even on a hot day. It is on the flight path from Southampton airport, so every now and again there is a roar as a reasonably low flying plane passes overhead. Eventually there is a quite typical, steam era bridge over a small stream. I clambered down off the path to make a photo.
Give or take 1.20km’s from the tea room, the track bed crosses a small road called Holmsley Passage. I assume at some point there would have been crossing gates and a gate house, as there now stands what looks like it could be a holiday let at the spot, and the first tiny fragment of actual track I’ve seen!
The path continues on, and so did I – more in part 4!!
S.H.O.U.T. 