Southampton and Dorchester Railway

The Southampton and Dorchester Railway was an English railway company formed to join Southampton in Hampshire with Dorchester in Dorset, with hopes of forming part of a route from London to Exeter. It received parliamentary authority in 1845 and opened in 1847.

It was promoted by Charles Castleman of Wimborne Minster and became known as "Castleman's Corkscrew" because of the meandering route it followed.

Its route across the New Forest was determined by the requirements of the Commissioners of the Forest. West of Brockenhurst, it ran via Ringwood; at that time Bournemouth was not considered an important settlement and Poole was served by a branch to Lower Hamworthy, across a toll bridge from the town.

In the late 19th century, a shorter route, via Christchurch and Bournemouth, was built and the former main line between Lymington Junction and Hamworthy Junction was reduced to the status of a local branch line, finally closing in the 1960s. However the end sections, from Southampton to Lymington Junction and from Hamworthy Junction to Dorchester, remain operational and form part of the important South West Main Line.