Southampton
Children will enjoy the waterside play area, shoreline, woodland and abbey ruins on this walk.
The ruins of Netley Abbey can be visited on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 40 mins
Distance: 2.2 km / 1.4 miles
Terrain: Sometimes uneven woodland paths, pavement beside road, a busy road crossing.
Pushchairs: Off-road pushchairs could probably make it around, but it won’t be a smooth ride.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome but should be on leads at the abbey.
Refreshments: Cherrywood Kitchen by The Water has a coffee van at Abbey Hall, opening times unknown.
Toilets: There are public toilets at Abbey Hall, although these were locked on our last visit.
Public Transport: Netley train station is a mile away or Bluestar bus route 15 from Southampton to Hamble stops at St Edwards church, just across the road from the start of this walk.
Parking: Abbey Hall Recreation Ground, Victoria Road, free, height barrier (Postcode: SO31 5FA - W3W: ///sage.wiped.plug)
The woodland at Westwood are full of bluebells in spring
This isn’t a long walk, but it has plenty of interest to keep children busy. Right beside the Abbey Hall car park you will find a large grassy public space. At the top end is a row of colourful terraced cottages and at the other end, Southampton Water. It is a perfect place for a picnic and right beside the shore is a children’s play area. The walk follows the coast path before heading into Westwood Woodland Park, where in May, bluebells are showing in pretty woodland glades. The walk ends by taking you straight past the magnificent Netley Abbey, cared for by English Heritage. The substantial ruins are free to enter and and make an interesting finish to this walk.
The Route
From the car park, walk down to the water’s edge and the play area. With the play area to your right and the water to your left, walk along the coast path. Just after Netley Castle, cross the little wooden bridge on your right, heading away from the water. Cross the grass and then turn left at the paved footpath. When you reach the edge of the open area with the sailing club just visible through the hedge ahead of you, turn right and walk up the hill on the paved path.
Cross the road at the top with care and enter the woodland through the green gate directly opposite. Keep right of the information board about Westwood Woodland Park and walk up the gravel path going slightly up hill. The path will twist and bend through the woodland and you should stick with it, avoiding any smaller paths leading off. At a staggered cross paths, bear right and you should immediately see a picnic area up to your left.
Keep the picnic area to your left and follow the path that curves around it. Continue through the woodland and shortly after a wooden barrier in the path designed to stop motorbikes, take the next path on the left. The glades along this path are some of the best places to see bluebells in spring. Just after you pass an ancient oak tree with a long, low branch to its right side, fork right and pass a bench to your left. Turn right at the junction shortly after. When the path forks with a slim path to the right, take the slightly wider one to the left. At the next junction where a compacted gravel path goes to your left, keep right. Keep left/straight at the next fork, passing under the branch of an oak tree and then at the next little junction with a barbed wire fence ahead of you, turn left. Follow the path out of the woodland with horse paddocks to your right.
Go around the gate at the end of the path and turn right beside the white pillars of Fountains Park. Follow the tarmac access road out to Abbey Hill and then turn left and walk along the pavement. The next gateway will be the entrance to Netley Abbey (open daily 10-4, free) and then it is a short walk further along the pavement to the car park.
Gain access to the member's only area of our website where you will find the complete A-Z library of all our PDF files. This includes over 220 self-guided walks ready to print or download, as well as various children's activity sheets. You will also find a digital membership card, giving you access to our current discounts.
Did you know?
Netley Abbey is the most complete surviving abbey built by the Cistercian monks in Southern England. It was founded as an abbey in 1238, but after Henry VIII’s reformation it was converted into a Tudor mansion. Occupied until 1704, the house was then torn apart for building materials. Work stopped when a worker was killed on site and the ruin was then left to nature. The ivy-clad ruins became famous during the Romantic movement and poets and painters, such as John Constable, came to seek inspiration from it. It is even thought that Jane Austen based her novel Northanger Abbey on a visit to Netley.
Today the ruins have been cleared of vegetation and debris and all traces of the Tudor renovations are now gone.
If you liked this walk…
…try this one to Titchfield Abbey which also has a magnificent English Heritage ruin.
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