Well this was always going to be a slog! I had planned to make a day of this but, I can quite honestly say, I didn’t really enjoy this walk for a lot of different reasons.
Getting to Hayling on public transport is not easy. I planned to drive to a carpark on he island and walk 17 miles in one hit just to save myself the rigmarole of arranging lifts.
Much of the coastline so far has been flat and estuarine which is quite beautiful in its own often bleak way at this time of year but, Hayling for the most part in my opinion was not beautiful.
The day was grey overcast and drizzling on and off. I knew from my ordinance survey map that I was going to have a problem getting close to the shore on the eastern side of the island as there is no path and most of its privately owned. I also had arranged to meet Heike (from my Thorney Island Walk) at 1300 hours at the west car park so I knew I had to keep a fairly brisk pace so I would be on time.
I parked up by the bridge on the North end of the island just after 0830 hours on the Saturday morning. Already the traffic was building on the only route onto the Island. I crossed over and headed along the road the northern road to Northney. I wanted to try out an area that has what looked like a path near to the marina. What I found was a great place to bring my dad for bird watching in the future. There is a small car park and a short walk to an area of scrub and salt marsh full of waders and Brent geese. There appears to have been some sort of building here as there are cement paths between the brambles. It made me think of an abandoned military base but I could find no reference to it when I looked up the history. Anyway I realised I would have to retrace my steps as there was no obvious coastal way along this bit.
I got back to the road and pretty much marched through the village of Northney stopping once to look at the very pretty 12th century St Peters church.
I had to break my own rules and avoid the roads to the coast, primarily because there is no onward route and I would be constantly backtracking. I turned onto Woolgaston Road at Frey and hoped my maps would be right and I would find a footpath along the coast edge. I did but it was not particularly edifying as there was building work going on and the route was rubble strewn. This walk was not a pleasant as it could have been!
I ended back on the busy road and I decided a footpath inland would be better. Gradually I made my way south. I did meet a very nice lady who made sure I was on the right path around Tournerbury Golf Course.
I trudged to the the southern end of the island and decided to stick to the roads as it is ‘Bungalow land’ with no access to the coast.
Halying is sort of bell shaped and Sandy Point nature reserve is right at the south eastern end past ‘Bungalow Land’. This area of scrubland was a respite from the rather run down looking town. From here I marched along a most unimpressive south coast line of imported shingle and granite boulders, presumably to stop ‘Bungalow Land’ from being washed away!
I was pretty much dead on time to meet Heike and her dogs and bless her she had made a flask of tea! I sat in her car for my lunch and the wonderful hot tea. I was feeling quite tired and my legs ached. When we set off for the last few miles, it took me a few minutes to get moving again!
Watching Heike’s dogs run to the beach and into the sea, is lovely. Such happy creatures running like maniacs!
We cut across to the remains of the Billy Line for the last few miles up the western side of the Island and this was a much much nicer walk. The Billy Line was a railway line opened in 1865 that ran from Havant to the bottom of the island. It intially transported goods and about ten years later people to the island. It was full in the summer months as holiday destination (and practically empty during the winter). It closed in 1963 after being plagued with problems of erosion by the sea. I can imagine it being used by the Victorian holiday makers and it was probably a picturesque route, much as it is today alongside arable farmland.
As we neared the north of the island again, we walked past the oyster beds which have been a nature reserve since 1996. They have had a chequered history since the Victorian era having been productive on and off and even used as a rubbish tip between 1963 and 1974 eek! Anyway now it’s a haven for wildlife. Not that I noticed as something in my right hip was really begining to hurt now and I was just happy to see my car!
Heike took her dogs back along the old rail track and I headed home to a well earned hot bath!!
I’m sorry if you love Hayling as a lot of people do but, I’m glad to see the back of it!
The Travelling Bee 