Northney Ramble

 This is a pleasant ramble around the northern part of Hayling Island that includes some splendid views and varied terrain. It's about five miles, fairly flat, so it's easy going but a bit tricky in places as some of the

paths are not well marked.

The start is in the little car park, just past the bridge on the right hand side opposite the petrol station. From here there's a lovely panorama stretching from the bridge to the east to the remains of the Hayling Billy railway line to the west; in summer there are plenty of yachts moored to add to the interest. The walk starts by taking the well marked path to the old railway line and following it south past the West Hayling Nature reserve.

It's not difficult to imagine what the line was like before it's closure in 1963. Linking the main line at Havant to the seaside it would have been busy during the summer, full of excited holiday makers. Little tank engines pulled four coaches at a time across Bridge Lake chuffing away, blowing out clouds of steam.

Like all railway walks it's straight and and easy to follow. When you reach another car park turn left, cross the main road (carefully, it's busy!) to take the track that's heading east. At the end of the houses there's a footpath, head right for a short distance the continue east through fields until you reach Northney. Don't go as far as the graveyard, keep to the right and the main road just south of the church.

Turn right for a short while until you reach St Peters Avenue on the left, take this road and follow it up to the Riding stables at the end. Here there's a gap in the hedge which you can take that leads down to the harbour and the Emsworth Channel. You may not find this marked on your OS map to take care, its relatively new. Unfortunately there's only a short stretch of path that's accessible to walk along the sea wall but the views south, over Gutner Marsh and north, up to Emsworth make up for it. 

Wooden railings across the path clearly mark how far you can venture, go right up to these, cross the stream and then follow the path between fields that leads back to the Main Street. Here you have a choice, either go through the church yard to follow a footpath back as shown on the map or take the road which gives you the opportunity to visit Northney Farm where you can get a cup of tea amongst other things. 

Where the footpath meets the road there's a pond which usually has a few Mallard on it, take the track here

that goes west from the road and continues on as a footpath. This leads past the back of another riding stables (popular on Hayling!) then heads north up to the Garage, by the bridge, at the start of the walk.

Fishbourne Meadows

 The head of the harbour at Fishbourne is one of the most interesting parts of the harbour as are the

adjacent meadows; this short walk of just over two miles covers them both. 

Whilst you could start from the north by parking near the pond it's much easier to use the little car park near St Mary's church at Apuldram that's well marked and usually has free space. There's a pleasant path leading past the little riding school to the churchyard where you bear left across a field to the harbour. Please keep dogs on a lead to respect the graves that you pass through; there's some interesting ones

there from the Second World War including a flying boat pilot.

The harbour has many moods dependant upon the weather and tides. At times it's just an expanse of mud, at high water springs it's almost covered with water with the moored yachts floating happily instead of leaning at unnatural angles. Heading north you're soon on the sea wall and passing over the outfall of the Lavant which follows a winding channel out to the sea. This is not to be confused with the sewage farm outlet which is underground.

This channel is a favourite spot for wildfowl that like to preen themselves in the fresh water; there's usually mallard and swans, in winter many more migrants.

The sea wall winds around and protects a small meadow that juts out into the harbour; at the end it's possible to climb down onto the marsh. Here, there are fine views of the northern part of this arm of the harbour which is a favourite roosting site for Dunlin, Lapwing and other waders. In the middle are the remains of a tidal mill that stood there, it's ponds are now reed-beds, an important and increasingly rare habitat. 

The path follows another stream leading out into the channel, at the end head out across the field towards the other church and the meadow. These meadows are regularly grazed by cattle preserving some particularly interesting flowers, in particular orchids and Chequered Fritillaries. In spring it's a haven for butterflies, especially orange tip. 

The stream that flows along the side of the meadow adds interest and is a

favourite playing ground for children in the school holidays, there's not much life in it but it's fine for poo sticks. The pond that's nearby attracts plenty of Mallard so you'll often see them flying overhead along with Kestrels and even a Barn Owl if you're lucky.

Returning to the harbour there are fine views towards Dell Quay; closer by the hedgerows are magnets for songbirds. The overgrown areas you

pass on the return to St Mary's provide cover for deer that often venture near the paths even though they are so popular with walkers. 

Although it's only 2.3 miles long it's a charming walk which provides more opportunity than most to see interesting bird and plant life, remember to take your binoculars!

A Short Walk Around the West Side of Medmerry

 Sometimes a short walk is all that you can fit in, this three mile ramble many not but long but fits in some bracing sea

views as well as one of the more active areas at Medmerry. This large flood area has matured since it's construction a few years ago and has become an important home for wildlife. The start is from the RSPB car park at Earnley which is well signposted.

The first stretch is down the lane, past the holiday camp, which soon opens out onto fields leading to the shingle beach. It's best to stay out of the camp but fortunately there are a couple of stiles to negotiate which keep you on the right path. 

The beach stretches from Wittering in the west to Selsey in the east, with the remains of groynes that are gently rotting away since the defences have changed. There are fine views across to the Isle of Wight of Bembridge and Culver Down; The Spinnaker Tower and Portsmouth can also be seen. If the weather is vigorous there are impressive breakers, always inspiring to watch.

Further to the east it's possible to see the inlet that allows the marshland to flood as the tide rises. It's a shame there are dire warnings about how unstable the beach is, it's a pleasant spot. This short stretch of coast used to be a range in the Second World War; shells a cases can easily be found on the mud at low tide left over from Spitfire training sorties.

Heading east it's not far to the sea wall which is the inner line of defence around the flood area. Massive granite blocks mark the exposed end, walk round them and up onto the permissive path that follows the earthworks. The top makes a good vantage point to view the channels on the right that wind around, filling and emptying with the tide. To the left are several lakes that attract a variety of wildfowl,

perhaps as they are not tidal. On most days there are plenty of mallard flying about, herons, cormorants and little Grebes. If it suits them there's often a skein or two of Canada geese honking and making a nuisance of themselves.

Heading north along the bank the terrain turns from mud to meadow which is grazed by the Three Harbours herd. This is where there are many skylarks nesting, hopefully undisturbed, where they can be seen close to the ground rather than high in the air. All too soon the

path drops down towards a signpost and the bridleway leading to Marsh Barn. Here you head left either along a path or the track returning to the car park after a pleasant meander along some fields.

It's one of the largest flood protection schemes formed by re-aligning the coast. The variety of habitats is impressive and well worth seeing.

Colner Creek and Bosham

This is a short walk that takes in the rather interesting area around Colner Creek on the North East corner of Bosham Channel, Bosham village and it's foreshore. It's only two and a half miles long but good to take the dog for a walk in the morning to see what's happening in that part of the channel.

Parking is by the Hamblin Centre which is on a side road off the A259. It's not particularly attractive walking along the main road and crossing, but it doesn't take long to arrive at the foot path heading south across the fields to the harbour.

At the sea wall take the left hand path which goes over Colner Creek and follows the edge of the harbour round towards the South. The creek is very tidal, here it's low water
but at high tide most of this is submerged. It's a haven for wildfowl and waders so also very popular with wildfowlers.

Heading south there are good views of the harbour, especially Chidham Creek on the opposite bank. Usually there's plenty of geese, redshanks and widgeon in the winter as well as less obvious birds like Godwits.

Further on the path leads though some houses, along a road and down to the village where there's a coffee shop and the Anchor Bleu which is an excellent pub.
You can also see the main part of the harbour and the road that regularly floods at high water much to the dismay of visitors who have parked there.

Unfortunately the church yard is out of bounds to dogs so we didn't go there. If you follow your nose, you end up on the green in front of the Sailing Club which is a delightful place to be in summer; there's always something going on on the water there.

Turning right there's a foot path clearly marked that goes through several houses and out onto the foreshore opposite the spit on the other side known locally as the Wreck for
obvious reasons. This part of the path is tidal but it's only on high spring tides that it's impassable.

Between the houses is the site of the old boatyard with it's slip still in place although the rails are rather rusty; it all looks rather sad, it such a shame that it couldn't remain a working yard.

The path then rejoins the one taken earlier which you follow back along Colner Creek with a different perspective this time. If you're lucky there are huge packs of wigeon at the head of the harbour here in winter, hundreds all clustered together at the same time.

Emsworth and Warblington

Emsworth is always a lovely place to visit and this walk is an excellent excuse to go there. It can be as little as two miles long or can be extended at either end into Langstone or Emsworth itself;
naturally there are plenty of good places to go for a drink or something to eat. You do need to check
the tide however, it's impassable at high water.

The start of the central part of the walk is at the end of Warblington Road, where it meets the harbour; there's usually plenty of space. Heading west along the coastal park you soon come to Nore Barn
Woods which you skirt keeping near the estuary. It's very tidal here with acres of mudflats that are exposed much of the time attracting many waders and waterfowl, especially in Winter. Once past the woods the path heads south to go around Conigar Point before resuming in a westerly direction towards Langstone which is now visible in the distance.

It's a pleasant walk along the foreshore where the high water strand line is, always worth keeping an eye on. Along this stretch in winter will be plenty of Brent Geese, Redshanks and Oyster Catchers on the mud. In the gutters there will be wigeon and teal, especially where the Warblington Bunny flows out into the harbour. This is an old, local name for a stream and is a favourite spot for wildfowlers who follow the stony bed right out to the main channel keeping well clear of the soft mud either side.

Soon after passing this there is a sea wall and a signed footpath heading inland towards Warblington Cemetery which you need to take to make it a circular route.
This crosses a field that can get quite muddy in winter then enters the cemetery through an Iron gate. The path is well marked through this extensive burial ground that extends to the south and east of the pretty church. It's a rather busy place and fortunately, well looked after, with attractive iron gates at the entrances.

When you reach the road turn right in an easterly direction to return across farmland. These fields make a pleasant change from the coastline; if you look back you'll be able to see the remains of
Warblington Castle towering in the distance like a folly. The path crosses the stream that we saw earlier, drops down into a meadow then enters the north western corner of Nore Barn Wood.

There's plenty of Oak, Ash and Elder here which attract a variety of birdlife including many woodpeckers. Being so close to Emsworth it's a popular spot, especially for dog walkers so not an ideal place to see wildlife but there are plenty of squirrels and butterflies in summer.

Bosham Hoe

The start of this walk is the little car park at the end of the delightfully named Smugglers Lane which traverses the Hoe. It can be as little as 1.7 miles long if you're in a hurry, as the trail on the map shows, or about double that if you extend it by taking Shore Road around the harbour into Bosham village for a cup of tea.

Follow the short but attractive path through the woodland glade down to the harbour. If you carry
straight on you'll end up on the bank where the Ichi-bosham ferry can be boarded and carry you over to sample the excitement of Ichinor which is clearly visible.

By turning to the right you'll stay in more tranquil parts following a path that winds round the edge of the harbour between the marsh and farmland. Don't try this at high tide unless you've got waders on, the high water mark is well above where you can walk.

The channel on the other side of the marsh is a haven for wildfowl and waders especially when the tide is reasonably high so you can see more from the path. The winter, naturally, is best with plenty of Brent Geese filling the air with their croaks. The mud usually attracts many Redshank and Oystercatchers together with a few Curlew; if you're fortunate there will be a trip of Dunlin flying around like starlings.

In winter the mud is quite sticky so boots are a sensible precaution especially where small streams flow out from the fields. The views to your left of the Chidham peninsular are particularly attractive if you like boats as you pass the sailing centre and so many moorings in the channel. This is the part of the walk to be savoured rather than rushed, there's plenty of wildlife to see if you take the time to
notice it.

After half a mile an old landing stage comes into view leading to Bosham Harbour itself to the north. Here you can expect to see Mallard and Teal with a few Shelduck to liven up the landscape. It's a picture postcard view of the harbour from this side with the church, houses and moorings conveying a classic, timeless feeling.

This is where you can carry on along Shore Road to the village or head back the other way along the road back to Smugglers Lane. Whatever you do don't park on this road if it's anywhere near high Tide. Many have, and found to their cost that the substantial looking road floods, quite deep enough to cause a lot of damage to a car!

Returning along the road is pleasant enough as there's little traffic and the fields are quite interesting. To the left there's a shoot so in the winter months you can clearly see many pheasants lurking in one of several patches of cover crops. To the right are fields where birds pick and poke at whatever food they can find; crows seem to like it here too.

Not one of the longest walks in the harbour but always a good vantage point to see what's happening on the water, whatever your interest.

Church Norton

This is a brief circular walk starting off at Church Norton where there's parking.  The highlight is the view of Pagham Harbour, the sea is also good, then it returns along an inland path. St Wilfred's chapel, a pretty little church that was built in the 13th century sits in the midst of an extensive graveyard. It's now redundant but apparently is on the site of an earlier monastery built by St Wilfreds and was the parish church for Seal Island or Selsey as it's more usually know now.

Adjacent to it is Church Norton Mound which is what remains of a Norman castle built at the end of the 11th Century. There's some impressive earthworks and a moat of sorts but not much else to comment on apart
from the occasional moorhen.

The path leads down to the harbour which is frequented by bird watchers,

usually seen lugging great telescopes and tripods with them. In the picture there's a group of them, they like being together, perhaps a rarity has been reported which is certain to attract a band of twitchers. The Harbour is managed by the RSPB and renowned for the Little Terns that breed on an island in the middle; however this is winter and they aren't there today, just lots of seagulls.

You can follow the edge of the harbour round to the spit which leads out to the harbour entrance. This adds a bit of interest to the walk as well as making it a bit longer; there's usually more opportunity to see wildfowl here.

Following the sea for a short while, there are excellent views of the coast past Bognor where the Butlins camp is prominent, and on to Worthing. It's always good to see the sea and if it's blowy there can be some quite impressive breakers on the banks offshore.

Heading south you pass some reed beds which look like they're being well maintained which is good to see as they're such an important habitat.

It's not far before you come to a signpost indicating the path inland through some trees and across a field to some farm buildings, welcome to Pigeon Farm. The path turns right in front, and is littered with the rusty wrecks of various old bits of machinery; all sorts from caterpillar dumpers to cranes. One day it's going to cost a fortune to remove them all.

Further on there's what seems to be the remains of a small factory with a several radar domes in the yard at the back. They're clearly maritime in nature, what went on here in the past? Maybe something dating back to the Second World War when there was so much activity here.



At the end of the path is the road leading back to the Church and the car park. It's only 1.9 miles to go round, another mile or so if you go out along the spit; a route to savour the moments rather than the miles.