A GIANT ‘yarnscape’ will celebrate the heritage of Hampshrie historic railway The Watercress Line.
As part of Love Your Railway 2022, the Watercress Line has invited the public to share their memories of the railway and get knitting.
This is the first year the railway has taken part in the national campaign to honour its history.
Dan Ball, education and outreach coordinator, has been asking the public to help create a 3D ‘yarnscape’ scene of the stations and communities along the line.
He said: “Knitting seems to be very popular, and it allows people to engage with the railway in quite an unusual and very outside the box, novel, different way.
“So far, we’ve had about 10 knitted locomotives using the pattern that we supplied and sent out to people across Hampshire and the UK.”
As well as trains, people have sent in knitted signal boxes, passengers, houses, flowers, trees, a water tower, animals and other railway features.
One lady has even knitted 10 metres of track to represent the 10-mile-long railway.
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The steam railway is also welcoming people to share their memories and connections to the Alresford, Four Marks, Ropley and Alton stations. With the aim of capturing the railway during its operating years, and from the times it was carrying watercress from Winchester to London, as well as through the early preservation years from the 1970s onwards.
Dan added: “We’re hoping the project will inspire people to connect with the railway by sharing their memories, stories and connections with us.
“But also, we hope that they come to see the railway to see their work on display.”
The finished project, including the yarnscape and railway memories, will go on display at the Alton Station waiting room from mid-August before going on a tour of local Hampshire libraries at the end of September.
The knitted replica will visit Alton, Ringwood, Fordingbridge and Fareham libraries before returning to the railway at Ropley station where it will go on permanent display, within the space for education, in March.
Dan recently made the decision to extend the knitting deadline by two weeks to August 15 so more people could get involved and help fill the metre long panels.
The Watercress Line is hoping for more infrastructure, like footbridges, and background details such as trees and hedges to complete the design.
For more information visit: watercressline.co.uk/love-your-railway-campaign-calling-all-knitters-crochet-enthusiasts-and-crafters-hampshires-very-own-historic-watercress-line-heritage-railway-needs-you/.
And to request a locomotive pattern email education@watercressline.co.uk.
The Love Your Railway campaign is led by North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and supported by the Heritage Railway Association to raise awareness of heritage railways across the country and highlight their work surrounding conservation, education and research.
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