Walk 61. Warsash to Southampton

 It’s another sunny spring day and it’s still very windy - although not quite as bad as last time!

I start today back with the boats in Warsash…

The first part of today’s walk will take me inland, up the east bank of the River Hamble for a couple of miles to the bridge and then back down the other side!

For those with a less strict definition of ‘walking’, there is a small passenger ferry that will take you across the river mouth to Hamble-le-Rice. It’s the bright pink boat in this picture…

The walk up the river is very nice. The path is excellent and skirts a marshland bird reserve to the right and a boat-filled river to the left. And when I say boat-filled it really is! The whole river seems to be one marina after another!

After about half an hour I get to the other end of the bird reserve. The footpath now goes through the middle of a marina and boatyard…

On the other side of the boatyard is a private estate. Now, private estates normally do their best to scare people away with lots of signs saying ‘Private’, ‘No Entry’, ‘Peasants Will Be Shot’, etc, so this is a lovely surprise…

A short walk brings me to Lower Swanwick, where there are more boats…

I find the main road which crosses the river to Bursledon. From the bridge you get a nice view of the river - and some more boats…

This next bit is going to be a bit tricky. This bank of the river seems to be mostly ‘no public access’. There are a few lanes and footpaths heading down to the river but they are all dead-ends. So I’m going to have to cobble together a route using various roads and footpaths, and the map!

I set off down this road…

…past Bursledon railway station and climb a small hill which give me a good view of the River Hamble and some boats…

After a while on the road I am able to take footpaths which seem to take a slightly tortuous route past back gardens and through woodland…

Finally I emerge onto a road which goes all the way to Hamble-le-Rice…

I walk down this road for twenty-five minutes and arrive back at the river near the Warsash ferry dock (and some more boats).

From Hamble-le-Rice I have to leave the river again and head uphill along the road. Soon I come to Hamble Common and can take a footpath through the trees…

This leads back down to the river and a marshy inlet…

The path round Hamble Common takes me back to the coast on Southampton Water, which is being guarded by an old anti-aircraft gun!

According to the map, the coast path follows the beach from here pretty much all the rest of the way to Southampton. So that seems nice and easy then!

What is that jetty in the distance…?

The jetty is part of a large oil terminal, but the path passes underneath along a concrete sea-wall. It gets a bit narrow on the other side…

After the oil terminal the concrete runs out and I have to walk along the pebbles…

About fifteen minutes later I come to the Royal Victoria Country Park, which seems popular with dog-walkers, joggers, cyclists etc. To give my legs a break from the pebbles I use their nice path…

This path comes out in the village of Netley. The beach seems to be very soft mud, so I decide to take the official route which diverts slightly from the coast and follows the village main street for a quarter of a mile or so.

Just to the north of the village are the ruins of Netley Abbey which dates back to the thirteenth Century. Can’t see much from the path though…

Past the Abbey the path opens out and follows a road all the way to Woolston. This is a nice easy walk but a bit featureless!

Arriving in Woolston, I pass an industrial area..

…then along a couple of streets of houses and shops, before arriving at the Itchen Bridge. This bridge, as its name suggests, crosses the River Itchen and takes you to Southampton docks. That will have to wait for next time, however. Today, I’m finishing here!

Walk 60. Hill Head to Warsash

 I’m at Hillhead Harbour to start today’s walk. It’s a lovely sunny day but there is a very stiff easterly wind!

The River Meon flows into the sea here, beneath the road and through the harbour.

Inland is the Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve…

I set off along the sea wall…

As I round the bend the Fawley Oil Refinery can be seen on the other bank of Southampton Water. I’m going to have to walk around all that in a couple of walks time!

Shortly the sea wall ends and the Coast Path heads up onto the top of a low cliff. I have a choice - I could walk along the beach but it looks a bit too pebbly, so I choose the cliff top…

Pretty quickly I regret my choice! The bushes on either side make the path very narrow and there are clouds of midges everywhere! I find a gap in the bushes with a ‘sort of’ path down the cliff. Looks do-able…

Once onto the beach I find it’s not as pebbly as I thought! There is a strip of sand to walk on - mostly…

After about twenty-five minutes I reach the Solent Breezes Holiday Village. The official Coast Path is diverted inland around this but the beach looks passable. I’m here three hours before high tide so it looks like you might not be able to get round when the water is higher. Once again - always check your Tide Times, kids!

Past the holiday village the path continues along the beach with a nature reserve on the inland side…

Across the water the oil refinery is looking even bigger…

I’m now at a small spit where the River Hamble flows into Southhampton Water.

Here I find another ‘path closed’ sign. As usual I don’t fancy the detour, so I decide to ignore the sign and carry on along the path…

Looking good so far…

Here is the broken bit…

Made it to the other end (note impressive ‘barrier’!)…

I turn left and head up the river bank along the easy path…

Little more than ten minutes later I arrive in Warsash, my end point for today. Looks like quite a boaty sort of place, so it seems appropriate to finish at the Harbour Master’s gaff…

Walk 59. Gosport to Hill Head

 Today’s walk begins in Gosport beside the ferry terminal. 

In contrast to the last time I was here, it’s a lovely sunny day and I can see clearly across the harbour to Portsmouth!

A ‘toy’…

The entrance to Portsmouth Harbour…

I set off past the Haslar Marina, which is quite big!

Embedded in the pavement are a lot of stones bearing peoples’ names. I presume there is an explanatory info board or plaque or something somewhere, but I must have missed it so I can’t say who they are…

I pass over a small footbridge…

…then the path comes out onto a road that crosses a bridge to the Haslar Peninsula.

A lot of the Haslar Peninsula seems to be owned by the MOD, so public access is limited. It is home to a submarine museum, so you can go in that bit!

I continue along the road between the high brick walls…

After about fifteen minutes I see a signpost pointing towards the sea…!

I walk through a car park and emerge onto a pebble beach. However, it is immediately apparent that I’m not going any further on this beach…

Beyond this fence is Fort Monckton, an 18th Century fort that today is used as a training centre by M.I.6 - hence the barbed wire!

I turn around and re-cross the car park back to the road. Fortunately, just five minutes further on is a path that leads across a golf course to Gilkicker Point.

Gilkicker Point lies at the southern tip of the Gosport peninsula, and according to the map the rest of today’s walk should be beside the sea!

The path takes me down to the beach where there are great views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight…

There is yet another old fort here, this time dating back to the 19th Century. It is also closed to the public, but for rather more mundane reasons - it is being converted into flats and is currently a building site!

So I set off along the pebbly beach - my favourite surface to walk on, not heavy going at all. Luckily, after a short ten minute plod I reach the start of a proper prom…

This is much better…

I stroll along the prom right round Stokes Bay. At the northern end of the bay is a diving museum with a few bits of diving equipment on view behind the fence…

I am now at Browndown beach, which is another military firing range. It doesn’t appear to be used much these days, and there is no red flag flying so it seems safe enough! I pass the fence and head along the beach - more pebbles…

No idea what this is…

Less than half an hour later I reach the other end…

Once out of the firing range the prom begins again…

I am now walking along the sea front of Lee-on-the-Solent, which is very pleasant but a bit featureless. In the distance is Solent Airport, hidden by buildings and trees but I see several light aircraft taking off and landing.

A couple of miles later I reach Hill Head. The coast path veers inland here as some properties back on to the beach. It looks like it might be possible to walk along the beach though…

Yes! You can…

Past the houses, it is just a short walk along the prom to Hillhead Harbour where the river Meon enters the sea. So this is where I am finishing for today. Next time - up Southampton Water!