Countryside Sites in Eastleigh
General Information
Eastleigh Countryside Service, as part of Eastleigh Borough
Council, owns and manages over 800 acres of countryside. We have
more than 30 sites, ranging from the largest Itchen Valley Country
Park at 440 acres to the smallest Lionheart Way at less
than 2 acres.
Some of our sites, namely Itchen Valley Country
Park, Lakeside Country Park, Telegraph Woods, Hiltingbury Lakes and
Hamble Common have their own leaflets.
To obtain a copy of these leaflets, or for more
information about our sites and the work of the
Countryside Service, please contact us on tel:
023 8046
6091 or e-mail:
ivcp@eastleigh.gov.uk.
Doggy stuff
To make everyone's visit to the sites as enjoyable as
possible, we would be grateful if dog owners could abide by a
couple of simple rules:
- Please pick up after your dog - dog bins have been installed at
many of our sites to help you.
- Please keep your dog under close control many sites have
sensitive wildlife, and not all other visitors are fond of dogs
(especially muddy ones!).
The Sites
Itchen Valley
Country Park
Size: 182 hectares
Parking: On site - car-parking charges
apply.
Site features: Situated in the Itchen Valley
either side of the River Itchen, the Park has a variety of habitats
including water meadows, coniferous and semi-natural ancient
woodland, hedgerows and hay meadows. Over 100 species of bird have
been recorded on The Itchen Valley Nature Reserve. Remnants of the
floated water meadow system can still be seen, and some features,
such as ditches and brick bridges have been restored to working
order. The Woodland Nature Reserve consists of semi-natural ancient
woodland, which is still managed using the traditional method of
coppicing.
Visitor facilities: Visitor Centre with
displays, shop and café. 2 children's play areas and a play trail
with animal sculptures. Various way marked trails, with Forest
Trail suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs (electric buggy
available from Visitor Centre). Cycle route and licensed bridle
route. Picnic sites and two barbecue sites. Events programme and
various children's activities throughout the year.
Size: 24 hectares
Parking: free visitor parking for up to 4
hours on site
Site features: Formerly a sand and gravel
extraction site, the area has been restored and landscaped to form
three interconnecting lakes surrounded by woodland and
meadows.
Visitor facilities: footpaths around the
lakes and plenty of picnic benches. The lakes are available for
water activities including canoeing, windsurfing, dinghy sailing
and model boating. Changing facilities and showers are provided for
watersports users.
Day fishing permits are available from
Home Stores Tackle on 023
8055 1974. There are fishing platforms around the lakes
suitable for use by disabled anglers.
Eastleigh Lakeside Railway operates on
weekends and throughout school holidays. There is a cafe for snacks
and beverages. For further information on special events and
opening times, please contact the railway on 023 8061
2020.
Avenue Park
Size: 5.4 hectares
Parking: Doncaster Sports Pavilion Car Park,
off Chestnut Avenue
Avenue Park was once part of North Stoneham Park, owned by the
Fleming family. At its prime, the park would have been over 400
acres in extent. In 1775, Sir John Fleming engaged the services of
the famous landscape architect, Lancelot "Capability" Brown to
redesign the park.
There are a number of events as part of the Shrine restoration and
information can be found
here.
Much of the parkland remains intact, and is now a haven for
wildlife with its rich flower meadows, large old trees and water
features. If you are lucky, you may see kingfishers and kestrels
along with numerous other birds.
Hamble Common
and Copse
Size: 31 hectares
Parking: Free parking at Hamble Point and
School Lane Car Parks
Much of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
because of its wide range of habitats including coastal heath,
woodland, saltmarsh and mudflats. Hamble Common is one of the few
remaining coastal heathland sites in Hampshire. Other features of
interest include a Second World War Bofors anti-aircraft gun and
remains of a Napoleonic gun battery, Tudor castle and Iron-age
settlements.
Visitor Facilities: Waymarked circular walk
and information panels.
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Hiltingbury Lakes
Size: 7 hectares
Parking: Lake Road or Lakewood Road
The predominant features of this site in Chandler's Ford are
water and woodland, with the lakes covering nearly 2 acres.
Interspersed with the pine woodlands are oak and hazel trees, which
are home to many common species of bird and mammal. Waterfowl
including mallard and moorhen nest on protected parts of the bank
and island.
Visitor facilities: Footpaths and information
panels. Fishing by annual permit.
For fishing enquiries and permits,
- contact: Home Stores Tackle
- Tel: 023 8055 1974
For site enquiries,
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Size: 6.5 hectares
Parking: Please park considerately on local
residential streets
The Council declared Hocombe
Mead Local Nature Reserve on 22 February 2008.
This wooded stream valley between Ashdown Road and Hocombe
Road is a site of varied habitat, including mixed woodland and
ancient meadows, with small areas of valley bog and remnants of
heathland. The woodland is at least 400 years old, figuring on old
maps as far back as 1588, when it was known as Eagles Copse. The
site holds a particularly wide range of butterfly.
Visitor Facilities: Extensive footpaths and
information panels.
Contact: Dave Payne
As part of the partnership with the
Grasslands Trust,
Hocombe Mead now
has a website giving information about volunteering, events,
history and much more. Why not take a look?
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Ramalley
Copse
Size: 2.8 hectares
Parking: Ramalley Lane.
The name "Ram Alley" appears in maps and documents as far back
as the 16th Century. Cherries were harvested here during
the 17th 19th centuries, and wild cherry
trees can still be seen in the copse. The ancient art of
coppicing has probably been practiced here since medieval times and
still continues today, producing a rich mosaic of different
habitats. The sheltered glades of the copse attract many
butterflies, whilst birds nest amongst the denser thickets.
Visitor facilities: Information panels and
footpaths.
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Westfield
Common
Size: 2 hectares
Parking: Free car park on site.
This small linear site features a short clifftop walk. In
spring, flowers carpet the site, whilst several species of
butterfly can be seen here throughout the summer months. A special
feature of the site is the World War 2 pill box which looks out
over the Solent.
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Wildern Nature Park
Size: 9 hectares
Parking: Coltsfoot Close, or Hedge End Town
Council Car Park off Turnpike Way
Situated in the middle of Hedge End, Wildern consists of four
separate sites (Hogsty Copse, Goodall's Meadow, Gully Mead and
Bridget Mary Gardens) managed by Hedge End Town
Council. The sites are different in character and together
provide a rich variety of Wildlife habitats. Wildern Nature Park
has good access with waymarked footpaths, bridges, pond dipping
platforms and picnic areas.
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West End Copse
Size: 6.5 hectares
Parking: Local residential streets
This site features traditional coppice (predominantly hazel
coppice with oak standards), whilst willow and other scrub can be
found along the stream valley. The stream has been dammed at one
point to form a pond. Until 1994 the coppice had been severely
neglected and had become overgrown. Since this time, work has been
carried out by the Countryside Service to thin the coppice and
allow light into areas of the wood to encourage ground plants and
insects, including butterflies.
Lapstone Farm
Size: 5.5 hectares
Parking: None nearby
This site is now managed by Fair Oak and Horton Heath
Parish Council. It has been planted with oak, ash and crab
apple (along with many other species), which, as they mature, will
become a community woodland. Other features of the site include
wildflower meadows and grazing land. There is no parking for the
site; hence it is mostly used by local people. There are several
benches on site, where visitors may rest and enjoy the view.
Hound Corner
Ecology Park
Size: 1 hectare
Parking: in cemetery layby on Hound
Road.
This park was developed with the help of local volunteers from
what was derelict land. The site contains an established wildflower
meadow, a pond which is home to smooth newts and a butterfly
garden. During the spring, migrating nightingales have been heard
singing from deep within the scrub along with the many common birds
which visit the site.
Telegraph Woods
Size: 19 hectares
Parking: Lay-bys on Telegraph Road or
Moorhill Road.
This beautiful area of woodland features Douglas firs and
sweet chestnut coppice as well as patches of heathland, a variety
of habitats and a rich diversity of plants and animals. Roe deer
which inhabit the wood can sometimes be seen feeding in the
surrounding fields. Near the Telegraph Road entrance to the wood,
the remains of an Armada beacon can still be seen, marked by a
perfectly circular bank. Further west is the site of an Iron Age
Fort dating back to 600BC. With its waymarked paths, picnic tables
and spectacular views, Telegraph Woods is a lovely place to spend
time.
Lionheart Way
Size: 1 hectare
This small woodland site features a pond, which is home to
smooth newts, and a short circular walk.
Size: 13 hectares
Parking: Residential streets off Woodside
Avenue
Boyatt Wood today is a small remnant of the once much larger
wood shown on old maps. The wood harbours wildflowers such as
bluebells, wood anemones and violets. The main footpath through the
wood is also a high voltage cable route maintained by the National
Grid. This means that tree growth below the cables has to be
controlled for safety reasons, but on sunny summer days this grassy
ride attracts many types of butterfly such as peacock, red admiral
and common blue.
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Page Last Updated: 7/2/2009
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Eastleigh Borough Council, Civic Offices, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9YN
Telephone:023 8068 8068; Fax:023 8068 8257; Text:07797 877001
Email:
direct@eastleigh.gov.uk