Bursledon Brickwords

In all the years we've lived here and despite the fact that our house is actually made of Bursledon Brick we had somehow never managed to visit the local Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museam.

 Erica had spotted a poster advertising that the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Trust who operate on the site, were having an open day, so while much of the nation was standing in the rain in London watching the Jublilee flotilla, we walked up to Swanwick to see what we had been missing.

What a really great surprise, the trust operates two railways, one a full size narrow gauge which has an interesting petrol driven engine built in 1926. Joe was taken by the 7.5" gauge railway which was running an electric engine and this lovely live steam tank engine.

The track winds around the brickwork site and the old kilns, the trust members were really friendly and took any excuse to run the trains, even if there were only a couple of passengers. Everything was really relaxed and it was a great place for children (big ones as well).

The South Hants Historic Steam and Engineering Society also share the site with their collection of steam traction engines, road roller and other interesting vehicles and equipment . Bursledon brickworks is very much an open museum and visitors are encouraged to wander around and explore, which we did and in true character were delighted to discover this lovely steam launch in one of the sheds.