Eling Tide Mill
Southampton
On this walk, children will enjoy purchasing a family trail map, playing on the shoreline, crabbing, a pirate ship shaped play area or a visit to the mill.
There are plenty of boats to watch in the marina beside the tide mill
The Basics
Time: 35 minutes
Distance: 1.5 km / 1 mile
Terrain: Flat, even paths and boardwalk.
Pushchair: This route is suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk and they are allowed inside the mill and café.
Refreshments: Mill Café at the visitor’s centre or there is a picnic area with tables beside the quay.
Toilets: There are public toilets in the car park.
Public Transport: Totton train station is a ten minute walk away or Bluestar bus service 6 between Southampton and Lymington, or 8 between Southampton and Calshot, both stop at Batts Corner in Totton - follow the fingerpost to Eling Waterfront.
Parking: The car park is free, but to access it from the east you will need to cross a toll bridge (£1). You can get that refunded if you visit the mill. Alternatively, there is some roadside parking near the quay (Postcode: SO40 9HB - W3W: ///rescue.vibe.forgot)
The easy loop is full of bridges and boardwalks, from which you can view the wetlands.
A mile long stroll, starting at Eling Quay will take you past Eling Tide Mill, Eling Great Marsh, Goatee Beach, Eling Church, Bartley Reach and will finish at the Visitor centre and café. The whole route has undergone recent improvements making it wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
The Route
From the car park, begin by walking through the cemetery. Take the path directly across it to the other side.
You will then hit the boardwalk and should follow this, passing under some old oak trees along the way. You will sometimes pass viewing platforms and the mill pond should always be to your right. There were a few fairy doors scattered around.
The path will bend around to your right, giving views back to the mill. Cross the wooden bridge going over Bratley Water and turn right. Look out for a reed bed island on your right where swans nest.
Follow the path to walk back towards the mill. You will arrive back beside the picnic area. The shop, visitor centre and café area are also all in this area.
Cross over the toll bridge (free for walkers) with a good view of the quay on your left. We saw families crabbing from the edge of the toll bridge if you fancy giving that a go!
When you arrive on the other side of the bridge, you have a few options. You can return to your car, or turn left and take the road to Goatee Beach. You will pass a play area shaped like a pirate ship and then a shoreline with views across the water to Southampton Docks. This is an important area for migrating birds and we also spotted a large number of ponies grazing on the islands here. You can also walk up through the trees to St. Mary’s 12th century Church.
As a member, you gain instant access to ALL our PDF files. There are 114 walks available as PDFs, with more added daily.
Did you know?
There is reference to there being a mill at Eling in The Domesday Book in 1086, but some historians think there could have been a mill here as far back as Roman times. The current building is about 200 years old and visitors can see a restored wheel and millstones, and observe how the grain would have been milled here.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this coastal stroll at Hamble Le Rice
We are passionate about keeping The Ambling Path as a free resource available to everyone, forever. If you have enjoyed using our walking guides, then please consider leaving us a donation. This will help to cover our costs as well as rewarding the considerable time and effort needed to maintain the site. Thank you.
Follow us on social media to see our new walks and get regular updates on our old ones:
