Councillors, scheme partners and project team members gathered at Netley Station, near Southampton, recently to mark the unveiling of a series of self-guided trails, using specially crafted wayfinding markers, of the history, character and ecology of the Hamble Peninsula, incorporating the parishes of Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice and Hound.
The Borough of Eastleigh said the Hamble Peninsula offers a uniquely varied mix that encompasses historic shipbuilding, pioneering aviation, sailing, railways, early industries and agriculture, ancient monuments and warfare, together with a natural environment that includes shoreline, ancient woodland, riverside and heathland.
The trail can be explored by navigating through the numbered markers and illustrated map or by scanning the QR code on a marker to read about its location on a smartphone or tablet.
Hamble Peninsula Trails were commissioned by Eastleigh Borough Council with support from South Western Railway and the Parish Councils of Bursledon, Hamble and Hound. All three of the routes start from the local railway stations.
Local residents have already started testing the trails during free organised walks and activities led by the Council’s Country Parks team.
Chair of Bursledon Hamble & Hound Local Area Committee, Councillor Tonia Craig said: “The Hamble Peninsula offers some great walks with an interesting mix of history and the natural environment. I encourage local people to visit our web page and download the map to plan their own walks to explore the Hamble Peninsula trails.”
The three trails are: The Principal Trail from Bursledon to Netley (approximately 2.5 hours), the Netley Circular (1 hour) and the Hamble Circular (1.5 hours).
More details on the walks, including a downloadable map, can be found here.
