Enjoy an 8.5km circular coastal walk through Royal Victoria Country Park, Hamble and Netley with Ordnance Survey on our latest walk of the week.
Head out of the Roy Underdown Pavilion car park and turn right onto a marked wooded path following the old disused railway track as part of the Hamble Rail Trail. Keep walking straight under the canopy of trees for about ten minutes until a main road.
Cross over and head left, passing Hamble Primary School before arriving at the recreation ground and cricket pitch on your right. Walk diagonally across, making your way towards a green bench in the corner of the field. Take a tarmac path to your right and join the National Cycle Path, which rises to a ridge flanked by oak trees with woodland and vegetation below.
Turn left, leaving the railway and chapel tower behind you, and head straight up the path and past some gates. When you arrive at a half gate, follow the fork that takes you left up a wide track. You’ll find yourself passing children’s adventure playgrounds and country park car parks.
After passing some old buildings with distinctive chimneys on your right, head straight over the crossroads for the downhill mud track path distinguished by heavy vehicle tyre marks. Carry on down, past evidence of heavy tree felling, and choose left when you reach a wooden post marking out a fork in the road. This will take you under tree cover along a banked path.
Turn left and back into the park, walking beside the football and cricket pitches beside the road. Once you reach the pavilion and can see the Chapel tower dominating the skyline, cut diagonally across the grass towards it. Turn right on the pathway in front of the main entrance and head along here to the edge of the grass, before heading downwards on your right along a path which takes you beside a boatyard and in between two mansion buildings towards the sea. This will bring you out to a junction in front of a works factory.
Follow the England Coastal Path sign and head straight over. At the next sign, head into the copse. From here you will encounter an unusual mix of beachline, woodland and industry, as the path snakes up and down on trees beside the sea on one side, and industrial sites on the other. Keep on the path and it will eventually bring you out onto the pebble beach, with Fawley Refinery across the water.
Cross straight over School Lane, turn left and follow the path that runs beside the road. At the first fork in the road you see, head right and this will take you alongside the marina. You’ll rejoin the coast path, taking you through the wooded part of Hamble common until you reach the village. Turn right and head down the road to the quayside.
Take in the views before wandering up the cobbled High Street past The Bugle pub. The road climbs to The Square, and from here head diagonally across the main car park towards Meadow Lane. Turn right and follow the path that will bring you back up to the playing fields and the car park where you began.
• Written by David Jones, Ordnance Survey
Walk at a glance
Distance: 8.5 kms
Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Difficulty: Easy
URL: explore.osmaps.com/route/10685656
Map: OS Explorer OL22
Toilets: at car park
Nearest Pub: The Bugle, High St,
Nearest Café: Jenny’s Cafe, High St,
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