Swanwick
Children will enjoy looking for signs of wildlife around the little lakes and in the various habitats in the wild garden on this walk.
Ben's Lake
The Basics
Time: Our walk is 50 minutes, although there are other quicker signed alternatives.
Distance: Our walk is 2.7 km / 1.7 miles, although there are other shorter signed alternatives.
Terrain: Our walk is a combination of flat, surfaced paths as well as some rougher woodland paths with mud and steps. There are some shorter alternatives that are entirely on surfaced paths.
Pushchair: Our walk is not pushchair friendly, but there are some shorter, signed alternatives that are.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome but must be on leads throughout the reserve and they should not enter the water.
Refreshments: There are no refreshment opportunities on this walk.
Toilets: If the education centre is open, there are toilets that the public may use.
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location.
Parking: Free car park off Sopwith Way, just before the entrance to the Air Traffic Control Centre (Postcode: SO31 7AY - W3W: ///jaws.sideboard.shapes)
Ben's Lake
Once a claypit for the local brickworks, this nature reserve is now a wildlife oasis with a series of little lakes and a woodland alive with birds. In between Portsmouth and Southampton, and close to the M27, it is easy to access and easy to explore.
The Route
1. Keep the study centre to your left and take the path that starts to the right of the wildlife garden. Follow the path up into the woods of East Valley. At a fork, keep left over the wooden bridge. The path will wind its way through the trees and after some small steps, you should fork right. When you reach an exit gate, turn left to stay inside the reserve. Walk down the gravelly path and turn right at a T-junction. Continue straight down the hill until you arrive at a cluster of signs and information boards.
2. Continue forward around the large metal gate and cross the access track.. Re-join the reserve through the metal kissing gate and then immediately turn right, following a blue marker. Walk around Ben’s Lake, with the water to your left.
3. As you round the end of Ben’s Lake, the smaller Little Lake comes into view on your right. Just after a large memorial bench, you can turn right and follow a summer path around Tom’s Lake and New Lake. In winter, the path will be closed, so you will need to continue your circuit of Ben’s Lake.
4. The summer route, will take you on a rougher path over boardwalks and steps with the water to your left. After a set of longer, steeper steps, go through the gate onto a firmer path again. At a tiny (sometimes dry) pond on your right, the path will fork and you should keep left. Pass a bench and a ‘photo frame’ to your left. When you hit a concrete path with a yellow trail marker, turn right and walk along the wider path. Shortly, turn left off the tarmac, following the yellow markers. Pass a viewpoint on your left with a bench then bend to your right. Turn left after the kissing gate.
5. At this point, the summer route and the winter route meet again. Go through the gate and cross the access track again. This time, turn immediately right on the other side of the reserve, following the red route.
6. As the red route bends left, walk with the security fencing to your right along a long, straight stretch of path. When the path veers away from the security fencing, keep left and arrive back at the car park and education centre.
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Did you know?
The lakes are man made, having been dug out to supply clay for the nearby Burlesdon Brickworks.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this walk at Testwood Lakes with another series of ponds
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