This nine-mile walk from Netley to Botley offers something for everyone—sea views, salt marshes and a river teeming with birdlife, woodland plus a ferry ride, says John Curtin
This nine-mile walk from Netley to Botley offers something for everyone—sea views, salt marshes and a river teeming with birdlife, woodland plus a ferry ride, says John Curtin
This walk takes you through Royal Victoria Country Park, once home to a 19th-century military hospital, down to the shore at Southampton Water, before striking inland to Hamble and the ferry ride to Warsash. After following a path along the River Hamble and the salt marshes, home to numerous birds, pass through woodland to Manor Farm, from where it’s a short walk to Botley.
Leave Netley station by Platform 1 exit and follow the blue Royal Victoria Country Park sign, left. At the end of a row of houses, take the narrow tarmac lane to a road, where you turn right. With an information board on the left and a lodge house on the right, enter the Royal Victoria Country Park and continue until you pass a large red-brick building on the right. Then fork left to the imposing Netley Chapel (1).
From the front doors, walk to the remains of the pier head at Southampton Water. You’ll be able to see refinery stacks across the water. Go left to the sailing club and down to the shoreline, following this for more than a mile.
Climb the steps and pass under the pipeline ahead (2). On returning to the beach, turn left at the first marker post, signed Strawberry Trail in red, passing a bench in the woods, left. At a crossing, go left, then across a grassy area following the green Hamble Common Circular Trail sign to cross a plank bridge and pass through an attractive stand of beech and oaks.
To avoid the worst of the mud, at the next green sign, keep straight on, slightly right, and emerge by a three-way finger post to your left (the third finger may be missing). Go right towards Hamble village. Reach a minor road, cross and go left to a car park. Turn right through a gate and into the woods, ignoring ways off (3). At the water’s edge, follow the track left, then the red marker sign, right, to reach a car park. Cross to the road, turning right to the waterfront. Turn left and take the unmistakable pink ferry over to Warsash (£1, children 75p).
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