Walk 62. Southampton to Eling

 Today is still very windy, but in contrast to last time it’s very grey and overcast.

I’m at the lowest bridge across the River Itchen, one of the two main rivers that flow through Southampton into Southampton Water. It’s quite a high bridge, presumably to enable shipping to pass underneath! So I set off…

The wind is blowing straight into my face, and the higher I go the stronger the wind gets! The possibility of getting blown off adds an extra frisson to the crossing! 

The view from the top - the River Itchen and Southampton…

Once over the bridge it is a short walk to Southampton docks. The docks cover a huge area and the only way past is to walk along the city roads all the way to the bridge over the River Test - the other of Southampton’s main rivers. This bridge is four miles away!

It starts off OK - some nice buildings on the way and the Red Funnel ferry terminal to the Isle Of Wight…

Soon the scenery becomes more industrial and the road gets busier. My plan was just to follow this road, the A33, all the way to the Test bridge, but after half an hour I hit a snag. The pavement runs out and there is no verge to walk along. Not that it would be an appealing idea anyway, because the road looks like it turns into virtually a motorway!

Consulting the map, it appears that I need to head north (even further away from the water) and cross the railway, then turn west through the streets toward an area called Freemantle. However, just before the railway I notice a path heading into the bushes…

I decide to chance it. The path runs between the A33 and the railway. After ten minutes I pass a footbridge over the railway - should I go that way, I wonder? Nah…

I battle on through the foliage as the path gets more and more overgrown…

About fifteen minutes after passing the footbridge I hit a dead end. Bugger!

So I turn round and go back! Over the footbridge and through the residential streets, and soon I am reunited with the A33. Luckily it seems to have stopped pretending to be a motorway, and is now just an ordinary road lined with various businesses.

Eventually, an hour after crossing the railway, I finally reach the bridge over the River Test.

The view from the bridge looking south - the cranes on the left are part of the container port area of the docks…

From here it is just a short walk along the A35 into Totton. Turn left down here…

…and ten minutes later I arrive in Eling. At last, some nice scenery!

There is a small toll bridge across a creek here, which is where I am finishing for today. It’s not been the most picturesque of walks, but the city is now behind me and ahead lies the New Forest! That’s got to be better, right? (What was that about an oil refinery…?)

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…