Romsey was an important junction where the lines from Salisbury to Eastleigh and Andover to Redbridge crossed. This latter had been a long time in the making as the powers were first granted in 1847 to the Manchester & Southampton Railway (who then agreed to build a joint line with the LSWR, construction by the latter), but this line wasn't built and powers lapsed. It wasn't until the Great Western showed an interest in using the route to enter Southampton that the LSWR pulled its socks up, finally obtained powers in 1863 and built the line, which opened throughout on 6 March 1865.

The junction between these lines was controlled by the Signalbox at Romsey, opened circa-1871, and which would have been one of the oldest in service at the time of its closure in 1982. As built, the 'box was probably of all-wooden construction with the base being rebuilt later in brick (probably about 1925). The structure was actually deeper than it was long because, in accordance with the practice at the time, the corner posts extended skywards above the roof to carry the junction signals!

An 18-lever Stevens frame was installed in 1884 in conjunction with the doubling of the Redbridge line. By 1925 the 'box had been extended with a flat-roofed section on the operation floor and the lever-frame extended to 25 levers, which by 1944 it is believed to have had 26.

Passenger traffic was withdrawn from the line between Romsey and Eastleigh in 1969 and in 1972 that section was converted back to single-track, controlled by Direction Lever working. Block working to Redbridge and Dunbridge was by standard BR(S) 3-position block instruments. Over a period from 1972-76 all the semaphore signals were replaced by colour-lights and the frame was shortened to 23 levers.

With the expansion of Eastleigh panel, Romsey box was closed on 17 October 1982 and scheduled for demolition. However it was purchased by the Romsey & District Buildings Preservation Trust and re-located on a new base built on land at the rear of a nearby school, within sight of its original home. Here it is looked after by the Romsey Signal Box Project and is opened regularly to the public.

photograph reproduced by kind permission of John Hinson

The brown and white-striped lever is a "direction lever" which is electrically interlocked with Eastleigh 'box to control movements over the single line, which has no token system. The block instrument at the far end of the shelf is for the Southampton branch, working to Redbridge box.

photograph reproduced by kind permission of John Hinson