Prinsted
Emsworth
On this walk, children will enjoy the shoreline and the bridges and boats around Thornham Marina as well as a treat from The Huts.
Children enjoy watching the boats come and go at Thornham Marina
On this page, you will find two walks. One short and easy route around Prinsted Bay and Thornham Point, taking in Thornham Marina and The Huts. The other longer route covers all of the same ground as the shorter route, but starts in Emsworth and additionally includes Slipper Mill Pond, Emsworth Yacht Marina, Marina Farm Nature Reserve and Prinsted village.
The short route from Prinsted:
The Short Route - The Basics
Time: 40 mins
Distance: 2.5 km / 1.6 miles
Terrain: Flat coastal paths with some narrow bridges and steps, a few muddy sections in winter.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs due to the steps and bridges.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk if they are OK with steps and narrow bridges.
Refreshments: The Huts Emsworth for light lunches, snacks and drinks or coffee and cake from the scout hut at weekends.
Toilets: There are toilets at the marina car park (get the key from The Huts).
Public Transport: The Coastliner 700 bus stops at Jubilee Mews on the A259. From here, it is a short walk down Prinsted Lane to the start of this walk.
Parking: On Prinsted Lane, there is a small parking area near the sea scouts, free (Postcode: PO10 8HT - W3W: ///verdict.amazed.inefficient)
There are lots of little footbridges on the walk
The short route starts from the slipway in Prinsted and follows the shoreline to Thornham Marina where you can get refreshments from The Huts while watching the boats. After rounding Thornham Point, the walk returns via quiet lanes.
The Short Route
Leave the parking area by heading to the shore and slipway. Face the water and turn right, taking the shoreline path. Walk with the water to your left and then when you reach the marina, go through the gate into Payne’s Boatyard. Go over the first, black footbridge and pass The Huts on your right where you can stop for refreshments. Children will enjoy having their own hut to sit in with a view of the boats.
Continue after The Huts and go over the next little bridge. Exit the marina and then walk over wooden boards before approaching a larger, newer looking bridge. Cross the bridge and continue with the water to your left.
The footpath will reach a natural corner at Prinsted Point where there is a bench. You should turn right here away from the water and then continue straight. After about 200 metres, the path will bend to the right. Continue forward, returning inland and passing some bungalows on your right where the path will then turn into the tarmac Thornham Lane. Walk along the lane, passing the entrance to Thornham Marina on your right and then also pass the entrance to Payne’s Boatyard.
Take the next lane after the boatyard on your right, which is Prinsted Lane. It is signed as a footpath and also to Prinsted House and has a long white wall running along the initial portion. Follow the quiet lane passing a few large properties and a pony paddock on your right before arriving back at the parking area.
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.
Prinsted: The Short Route
The longer route from Emsworth:
The Causeway at Slipper Mill Pond, Emsworth
The Long Route - The Basics
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Distance: 6.5 km / 4 miles
Terrain: Flat coastal paths with some narrow bridges and steps and sometimes uneven, pavements, quiet country lanes.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs due to the steps and bridges.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk, if they are OK with steps and narrow bridges.
Refreshments: The Huts Emsworth for light lunches, snacks and drinks, coffee and cake from the scout hut at weekends or The Deck overlooking the yacht harbour in Emsworth.
Toilets: There are toilets at the marina car park (get the key from The Huts).
Public Transport: The Coastliner 700 bus stops along the A259 in Emsworth and it is also on the London Victoria to Portsmouth trainline.
Parking: Palmers Road pay and display car park in Emsworth (Postcode: PO10 7DB - W3W: ///raves.glory.cities)
Slipper Mill Pond in Emsworth
Our longer walk starts in the harbour town of Emsworth and crosses the river before passing Slipper Mill Pond. The route then takes you over fields to Prinsted, a village full of characterful thatched cottages. The route then joins up with the shorter route above to pass through Thornham Marina and The Huts before making its way back through Marina Farm Nature Reserve to Emsworth Yacht Harbour.
The Long Route
At the far end of Palmers Road car park, you will see the entrance to Brooks Meadow Nature Reserve. Follow the path over the river and along a board walk. Continue forward until you see the underpass on your right. Use this to go under the A259 and then continue along the path on the other side. When you emerge at the road, cross over and walk with Slipper Mill Pond directly to your right and the busy A259 to your left. At the edge of the mill pond, turn right into Slipper Road. Follow this with the mill pond to your right until you reach Slipper Mill Cottage.
Immediately after the cottage, turn left into Roundhouse Meadow. Proceed and then bear right, picking up the footpath again next to house number two. Pass narrowly between fences and then ignore the kissing gate and continue straight with a barbed wire fence and a pony paddock to your left. When you reach the road, cross it and re-join the path directly opposite. The path will guide you along the backs of some properties and you should keep in the same direction until a wooden bridge over a ditch brings you out onto a lane.
Cross the lane and follow the public footpath signed to 136 Prinsted Cottage. At the cottage, continue on the footpath to the left of the brick wall. You will soon emerge at a field and you should follow the fence in the middle to cross it in a straight line. Open the barrier on the other side and then keep right when you reach the village, passing Rose Cottage to your right. At The Square, keep right again and walk down the hill.
Opposite the blue clad building of the Sea Scouts, turn left and walk up the slipway. Turn right and follow the King Charles III England Coast Path with the water to your left. Continue along the shoreline and then go through the gate when you reach Payne’s Boatyard. Cross the narrow black bridge and you will then see The Huts on your right where you can stop for refreshments. Go over the second little bridge and then proceed forward until you leave the marina. Walk over some narrow wooden boards and then cross the larger bridge that you will see in the distance.
When the path reaches a corner and a bench at Prinsted Point, veer right and walk away from the water. After about 200 metres, veer right again at the next corner. The path will soon bring you past some bungalows and turn into a tarmac lane. Pass the entrance to the marina and then the entrance to the boatyard. Keep going on the lane until just after the sewerage works, you will meet the road at a little parking area.
Cross the road and use the kissing gate to enter Marina Farm. Follow the path in a straight line through the nature reserve. As you approach the yacht harbour, walk with the water to your left and some ‘stilt’ houses to your right.
Pass through a black post and rail fence and then turn immediately right to walk through the middle of the boats. Just before a red and white barrier, turn left and walk through the black and white bollards (currently next to a boat called ‘My Ovadraft’). Walk with more stilt houses to your right, and then turn left when you reach The Deck. Veer right after the restaurant and go through the gate next to the green building of Cutler Marine. Go out the harbour through the next gate.
When you reach Slipper Mill Pond again, turn left and cross the weir with the mill pond to your right. Turn right at the corner and walk up the causeway to the kissing gate at the other end. Follow the path under the house and then cross the road to re-trace your steps through the underpass and back to the car park.
Download or print this walk.
This download includes a kid’s activity map.
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.
Emsworth to Prinsted:
Did you know?
Prinsted has retained many of its old thatched homesteads. The big brick and stone manor house bears a panel inscribed 1663 and other houses in the village show the remains of timber framing which may date from the 1500s.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one just along the coast at Nutbourne, or even combine it with either of the routes above.
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