Enjoy a five mile circular walk around the parks and woods of Eastleigh.

Starting from Lakeside Country Park, the route boasts a mix of lakes, parks, nature reserves and woods. 

Start from the car park next to the café and railway station building at the café end. Leave the car park through a kissing gate next to a display board. Fork left away from the railway track and follow the path. Pass to the right of a building (0.12 miles) and immediately fork right on a gravel path with a lake on the left. In 50 metres, fork left. Cross a footbridge over a connection between the two lakes and turn right (0.24). At the other end of the lake fork left and climb some steps (0.40). Cross the miniature railway tracks twice. Go through a kissing gate and straight on across a track and along the side of an allotment fence. The path leads into an area of garages (0.48). Go straight on between them and at the other end the track goes right and exits onto Monks Way (0.58). Go left along the road and then left along Chestnut Avenue. Go clockwise around the roundabout ahead and by the Passfield Avenue road sign enter the grass open space (0.73).

Walk along the left side of this grassland with the Monks Brook to the left until reaching Nightingale Avenue (0.89). Go left over the Brook and then turn right through a kissing gate to follow the west or left side. Cross a paved footpath near a footbridge. On reaching another surfaced path go right over the footbridge and then left (1.18) along the east side of the Brook. The path deviates away from the Brook to follow a line of trees with a Leisure Centre off to the right. At the other end of the line of trees (1.45) fork left with the car showrooms to the right. After 75 metres go left on another path. Cross Monks Brook by a bridge and then turn right (1.56). The path bends left and starts to climb (M3 to the right). Where the path bends sharp left (1.93) go right down to a cycleway and turn right through an underpass under the M3. At the other end go immediately right up another path. When there is a house ahead (2.09) turn left down a grassy swathe that leads back to the cycleway, turn right (2.21).

(Image: Richard Kenchington) On reaching Falkland Road (2.24), cross it and go right and then left through a kissing gate and down steps into the North End Nature Park. Keep to the right of the stream all the way to Bournemouth Road (2.55). Go left to start the route back to Lakeside. Cross a cycleway and go straight on to pass to the left of a roundabout ahead. On reaching Chestnut Avenue (2.68) follow it on the left with ASDA opposite. Straight on at a roundabout still on the left (2.81). Take the third exit at the next roundabout still on the left (3.00). Go under the M3 and on reaching Nightingale Avenue and traffic lights, cross over Chestnut Avenue to the right and then go left along a narrow verge to turn into the entrance road to Home Wood (3.25).

Go left on part of Forestry England’s Chestnut Trail (3.46). Ignore a path to the left (3.53). Cross a board walk (3.60). Ignore another path to the left (3.65). At a T-junction go left downhill still on the Trail (3.79). Through a kissing gate and straight on across Brinton Close (3.99). Take the next left across a stream and then right along a gravel path. Take the right fork in the gravel path (4.15) and 40 metres after at a crossroads of paths go right. After another 40 metres go left along another path in front of houses with flood retention ponds on the right. On reaching Highwood Avenue (4.34) go straight across and in 50 metres turn right on a gravel path to cross Highwood Avenue again (4.41) to another path going in the same direction. After 30 metres go left along an enclosed path. On reaching St Nicolas Church go left onto Stoneham Lane (4.59).

(Image: Richard Kenchington) Turn left along the Lane and on reaching a bus stop, go right onto an old section of Stoneham Lane. On reaching a main road, go straight across onto a bridleway called Doncaster Drove and over a footbridge over the Monks Brook (4.76). Keep to the wide Drove until reaching the start of the walk after five miles.

If you enjoyed it, check out the Eastleigh Ramblers walks programme.

Find the downloadable map of the walk at Ordnance Survey mapping called Daily Echo 15 Lakeside.

Walk written for the Daily Echo by Richard Kenchington, of the Ramblers’ Association.