Wickham Water Meadows
Children will enjoy swimming and paddling in the river on this walk.
Spotting little fishes at Wickham Water Meadows
The Basics
Time: 50 minutes
Distance: 3.3 km / 2 miles
Terrain: Flat, well maintained or paved paths and some quiet lanes with no pavements. One set of steps.
Pushchair: The whole route is well suited to pushchairs other than the long flight of steps up from the water meadows.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk and they can enjoy a swim.
Refreshments: It is a short additional walk to Wickham village centre with lots of choices or there are picnic benches by the river.
Toilets: There are public toilets on Station Road.
Public Transport: Stagecoach service 69 Winchester, Bishop’s Waltham and Fareham. Alight at Wickham, The Square, and walk down Bridge Street to Mill Lane and the start of this walk.
Parking: Free car park on Station Close off Mill Lane (Postcode: PO17 5HY - W3W: ///immune.feasting.snippet)
Paddling and wild swimming at Wickham Water Meadows
Wickham is a large village with plenty of charm. Attractive buildings surround the village square, housing independent shops and restaurants. Just a couple of minutes from this, you will find the water meadows; a place where families can come to picnic and play in the River Meon. Our walk passes by this popular spot and then much of the route uses the old track of the Meon Valley Line.
The Route
From the car park, look for the large sign indicating the Meon Valley Trail. Turn right along the trail and you will almost immediately go over a bridge over the river. Continue along the straight line of the trail. Soon, you will go over another bridge, this time over a road and with good views of the village church.
Your next point of reference will be the wooden steps on your right which lead down to the water meadows. If you are looking to do the walk and paddle/picnic at the end, then you should not go down the steps, but carry on along the trail. Continue with occasional glimpses of the river and various back gardens. The path will narrow and eventually you will spot a golf course on either side of the path. Keep going until the gold course gives way to a vineyard.
There are two little wooden gates that lead into the vineyard on your right. They look a bit like garden gates and have ‘please shut the gate’ labels on them. You can take the first one at the beginning of the vineyard and then go over the small humpback bridge, or you can continue further along the trail for around a hundred metres or so and take the second gate. If you take the second gate, turn right immediately and walk along the edge of the vineyard, with the vines to your left until you come to the same small humpback bridge.
Veer right after the bridge and walk down the tarmac drive with the golf course to your right. This drive will soon become Tanfield Lane which has houses on the right and more golf course behind the hedge to the left.
Tanfield Lane will end at Winchester Road, the main road through the village (turn left if you want to go to the shops and restaurants of the square). Cross this and head for the opening left of the barbers and right of the Indian restaurant. Go around the gate to enter the water meadows.
Follow the path as it bends to the right to arrive at the river. This is an excellent spot for paddling and is almost deep enough for children to actually swim in parts. There are a few picnic benches scattered around the grassy banks. To complete the walk, cross the bridge and head up the steps before turning left when you meet the Meon Valley Trail again.
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Did you know?
The water meadows as the public space we see today, were created as a millennium community project. The area around the river has been used for foundries, tanneries, smithies and breweries and more recently for grazing cattle. A trust of volunteers now help to keep it as a beautiful space where the public can access the river.
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.
