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The Andover and Redbridge canal and the ‘Sprat and Winkle’ railway

The canal

A survey to plan the prospective route of a canal from Andover to Redbridge (on the western side of Southampton) was conducted by Robert Whitworth in 1788/9. The enabling Act of Parliament authorising construction was granted in 1789. The canal, which was 22 miles (35km) long and incorporated 24 locks, was completed in 1794.

However, the canal was never a financial success and proved to be a poor investment. There is now just a single vestige of the canal (Walk 15) – an overgrown and derelict section of about 2 miles (3km) between Greatbridge and Romsey.

The ‘Sprat and Winkle’ railway

Restored signal box from the former ‘Sprat and Winkle’ railway in Romsey (Walk 15)

In 1858, an Act of Parliament authorising the construction of a railway to replace the canal was granted. Before work could start, the railway promoters had to acquire the Andover to Redbridge canal itself as it was along the canal bed that much of the railway would be laid. The purchase was completed in 1859 by the Andover and Redbridge Railway Company. The initial attempts to build the railway were however blighted by the failings and manipulative behaviour of the contractor and the railway’s own engineer, both of whom were eventually removed in 1861. Even when work recommenced, it was hesitant and sporadic. One particular stumbling block was the need to remove the congealed mud from the bed of the canal and then to fill it with chalk obtained locally to create a sound base on which the track bed could be laid – a monumental task.