This summer the Exbury Gardens steam railway opened, realizing one of Leopold de Rothschild’s dreams; to build a railway in Britain.  This new narrow gauge railway is part of a major extension and improvement project at Exbury, which opens up a previously unused area and increases access to the Gardens.

A former landfill adjoining Exbury Gardens, revegetated over the years to rough grassland and scrub has been included within the route of the railway which links the “Summer Lane Garden” to the northern area of Exbury Gardens.  The works involved major landscaping in addition to construction of the railway itself.

Robert Long Consultancy was first commissioned in 1999 to carry out site investigations in for former landfill including soil sampling and gas monitoring, topographical surveying and setting out for the construction works. Our involvement continued during the earthworks and building programme.

Company Surveyor, David Evans, who managed the project comments, “We are proud of our contribution to this project; it combines land remediation works with a major improvement to the world famous Exbury Gardens. Not many landfill restoration schemes are this imaginative!”