How it started
Lee-on-the-Solent
Lee-on-the-Solent lies on the coast about four miles west of Gosport. In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, it was undeveloped, but Sir John C. Robinson owned the area. He saw the potential of developing the locality into a high class "watering place" similar to Bournemouth. With the help of one of his sons, he constructed Marine Parade, a broad thoroughfare more than a mile in length, together with an esplanade along the sea front. In addition, he started the development of a new housing scheme. A pier was essential to a seaside resort, he believed, and using his own money, he provided one, which opened in 1888. A steamer service made calls there in the summer months.
Lee-on-the-Solent Railway Company
A railway connection too was believed to be essential and the Lee-on-the-Solent Railway Company was established. The engineer R. H. Tigg estimated the expense of the enterprise as £22,052.
The company obtained a Board of Trade certificate, the Lee-on-the-Solent (Light) Railway Certificate 1890, to construct and operate the line on 5 July 1890. The Lee-on-the-Solent Railway was incorporated under the provisions of the Railway Construction Facilities Act 1864 as a light railway. The act enabled the construction of a railway without a special act of Parliament if landowners assented (among other conditions), and it appears that Robinson owned the relevant lands. The 3+1⁄8 mile line was to make a junction with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) at Brockhurst, on the Gosport line.
Board meetings appear to have been poorly focussed on the business of constructing an operational railway, and there may have been financial impropriety by directors. By early 1892 little construction work had been carried out. It is likely that share subscription was slow to be forthcoming, for in November 1892 it was indicated that Robinson was prepared to render the necessary financial assistance personally. This enabled work to proceed, and the construction was substantially complete by the spring of 1893.
From Wikipedia’s article on Lee on the Solent Light Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2