We were looking forward to our stay at Watercress Lodges. The location is lovely, quiet and very rural. There was no communication prior to arriving, an email might have been... read more nice pinpointing arrival time and facilities on site etc. Unfortunately, it looks as though these lodges haven’t been upgraded since they were first constructed. We stayed in Ropley Lodge where the sofa is far too uncomfortable and the TV is far too small for the room. The paintwork and furnishings are tired and are in desperate need of a lick of paint and updating, along with a table lamp upstairs that doesn’t work and a shower that has obviously been leaking for a long time due to the numerous water stains on the downstairs ceiling. Parking is also limited so it was a fight to get the last space. That being said, we did enjoy our time at the Watercress Line. Would we return to Watercress Lodges? No, not until they’ve had some time and money spent on them so that the quality of what is provided is reflected in what you pay.

  We had a fantastic time staying in Clarabel, one of the safari tents. The interior was fab – lots of animal print throws and cushions, a log burner which was... read more used every evening, a comfortable (and huge!) bed and small sofa bed. Four adults fitted in nicely.
Hannah was easily contactable re. booking and making prior arrangements and was very accommodating - tailoring things to our needs which was kind. Our friends were able to pitch a 4 x man tent next to the safari tent, so it felt we had our own little area.
We had some wonderful evenings – having a gas stove and fire pit made for some great BBQ’s! The fridge also gave a feel of luxury as we didn’t need to live out of cool boxes.
We were impressed with the site facilities. The large shower/toilet block was kept very clean throughout our 3 x night stay and the Covid-19 precautions were reassuring – lots of sanitizer spray available!
Great location – beautiful surroundings on the Watercress Line and lots to see and do around. We spent some time exploring Winchester, headed over to the Royal Victoria Country Park for a picnic and walk but also enjoyed time outside at the campsite!
Highly recommend Watercress Lodges Campsite – would love to return!

  Our second visit in 9 months.This time with the longer, lighter June evenings. The excellent accommodation has been described in my earlier post and by others and I cannot praise... read more it highly enough. Our visit coincided with the Diesel Gala held by the Mid Hants Railway, who also operated a mid week steam railway service. Red Kites were seen circling over Ropley station and visitors to the garden area that we could see from the lounge window, included a very large Hare and Pheasant.



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  We have just returned from a week staying in the Alton lodge. What a wonderful place the setting is by the watercress railway line and is beautiful with amazing views... read more and an abundance of wild life. The lodge itself was perfect and very clean. All amenities are catered for with plenty of kitchen utensils. The inside is comfortable and cosy a great home from home. We also travelled with our dog Charley who was also made very welcome and loved the open space to roam around. Jo the owner is lovely and very helpful if you need anything at all especially with knowledge of the area and attractions. It is worth using the railway as it’s a lovely ride to near by villages on old steam trains all the staff are volunteers and the stations are so smart and well kept. This is a fantastic base for the surrounding areas we visited
Winchester
Salisbury
Portsmouth
Southampton
Alresford
Stone henge
New forest
Chichester
South Downs national park
Beaulieu
Recommend eating places in the area for us were
The ship inn
Horse and groom
Thai lounge
Cricketers
The millennium walk around Alresford is also beautiful for a stroll in lovely surroundings
I would highly recommend watercress lodges for a simply fabulous holiday with everything you need if you are a camper the site is also fabulous with great pitch areas and lovely facilities thank you jo and team for a wonderful break if we decide to return to the area in the near future we know where we will stay
Karen send andrew chapman

  We took the grandchildren (age 3 and 7) for two nights. Luckily the weather was dry but quite cold in the evenings. The wood burning stove with oven was very... read more useful - in fact it would have been too cold without it. We cooked jacket potatoes very successfully. Also had a gas stove on the veranda.
The bed settee was big enough for the two children. The duvets provided were very cosy and the bed comfortable, lots of fluffy blankets also provided. There were also robes and flip flops, and hot water bottles.
It was quite dark inside the tent so we were glad we had taken a good camping lamp to add to the side lights provided.
Good supply of pots and crockery but no frying pan!
The wash block was really warm and sparkling clean. The showers were good and hot, and spacious, with room to put your clothes without everything getting wet.
The campsite is right by the Mid Hants railway station at Ropley. Great excitement when we heard the trains firing up in the morning for the Steam Gala. We could see the trains from the fence without going onto the station.
We were the only people camping so had a lot of space and privacy.

  Location is quiet, overlooking farmland. Watercress line very near to watch steam trains traveling up and down the line. At Ropley there are engine sheds and a station which made... read more this place fascinating. The lodge was very well equipped and made for a comfortable stay.
Joanne was exemplary in looking after us. I wanted a short stay; muddled up the booking which could have been a disaster!
We enjoyed our stay. I would recommend and we are talking about a return and longer visit.