Lakeside Country Park is a country park just south of the town of Eastleigh in Hampshire. The park covers 60 acresEastleigh Borough Council: Lakeside Country Park Accessed 2 July 2014 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. As well as the lakes themselves, the park boasts meadows and some young woodland.
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
A dual gauge / light railway was established in the park in 1992, originally as a temporary layout.Eastleigh Lakeside Railway: History of the Railway at Lakeside Accessed 21 September 2007 A more permanent track was laid down in 1993, as the railway company was granted a three-year lease. Five years later, a longer lease was negotiated and construction began on the two stations, Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook. They were opened in 1999, although further work on the layout itself was carried out in 2000. A tunnel was added in 2003, and Eastleigh Parkway station was extended in 2005 with the addition of a café and shop.
Number Name Type Railway Gauge Notes Image 1001 The Monarch Steam ELR 10.25 1002 The Empress Steam Example 10.25 1003 Western Queen Steam SBCR 10.25 2005 Silver Jubilee Steam SBCR 10.25 2006 Edward VIII Steam SBCR 10.25 7 Sandy River Steam ELR 10.25 70055 Rob Roy Steam British Rail 10.25 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley Steam LNER 10.25 10 Sir Arthur Heywood Steam ELR 7.25 4789 William Baker Steam Atlantic 7.25 3 Francis Henry Lloyd Steam ELR 7.25 1908Ernest Henry UptonSteamlondon Brighton and south coast railway10.25 D1994EastleighDieselELR10.25 92FlorenceDieselELR10.25 N/ADavid CurwenSteamDR7.25 761TawSteamSOUTHERN7.25 3007FireflySteamKMR10.25 2011CoronationSteam10.25
Water sports centre In 2014 funding was approved towards the replacement of the 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.
Open water swimming clubs have been run from the venue since at least 2010, and, as of 2017, swimming sessions are currently operated by HOWL Multisports.
References
External links
Official web page Eastleigh Lakeside Railway website