Meander along the Meon

The River Meon bubbles up from a spring just north of East Meon and makes its way through southern Hampshire, passing villages such as Exton, Meonstoke and Wickham before reaching the wetland nature reserve of Titchfield Haven. Just beyond this, it ends its journey to the sea at Hill Head Harbour. The Meon is our local river and we have included some of our favourite walks in this guide, which is ordered from source to sea.

At the start of its journey, the Meon flows beside the main street in East Meon. You can drop down and see it after experiencing the gorgeous valley views on this walk from the popular outdoor café, The Dell.

The walk follows part of the old Meon Valley Railway track bed before reaching Warnford. You can see the river on a visit to this little park before making your way to West Meon with a pub and village stores.

Starting high up on Beacon Hill Nature Reserve, this linear walk will bring you down to the pretty village of Exton ,where The Shoe public house has a garden right on the bank of the river.

An old favourite of ours, this walk includes a couple of spots where children can paddle and another section of the Meon Valley Trail. A highlight is tea and cake in the little churchyard café.

Make your way down from the White Lion pub to St. Clair’s Nature Reserve where you can go for a wild swim, depending on the seasonal depth of the water.

One of the best known places for a wild swim, Wickham Water Meadows also has an adjacent picnic area. We would highly recommend extending your walk to enjoy the independent shops and cafes around the village square.

You will need to pay an entrance fee to walk in this wetland nature reserve, which is close to the end of the river’s journey. Children will enjoy the bird hides, fairy doors and adventure back packs for hire.

Taking water from the Meon Estuary, the now disused canal meets the sea near Hill Head Harbour, the mouth of the River Meon. You can visit the beach here as a half way point on this walk.

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Perfect for Paddling