A Ramble with a Paddle, and a Traversal to a Castle

This walk is a staple of the OutdoorLads schedule, but this version includes a ferry trip from the harbourside hamlet of Keyhaven to the sea-guarding stronghold of Hurst Castle. The boat ride will give great views of the multitudinous marsh of the harbour and the precarious mass of the castle, precarious because Henry VIII's and Victoria's great guardian of The Solent has just been stopped from collapsing into the sea. The Henrician part is safe and open to visitors, but the Victorian part is unsafe and closed while it is rescued by English Heritage. The attractive town of Lymington is at the start and end of this walk where the New Forest meets the sea and we shed our clothes to go swimming in it. Plus, as it'll be the 200th walk I've led for OutdoorLads, it'll be ice creams on me.

The sights:

Lymington: The New Forest visitor website states: 'The historic town of Lymington offers plenty for the visitor to the New Forest. This colourful coastal town is an ancient seaport with a rich maritime history. Situated on the west bank of the Lymington River, on the edge of the Solent, Lymington is a major yachting centre with three marinas...  From the Middle Ages and up to the 19th century, Lymington was well-known for its salt making and from the early 19th century a thriving ship building industry. Much of the architecture you see today in Lymington is Georgian and Victorian. The High Street, which looks predominantly Georgian, is in fact made up of an eclectic mix of Georgian, Victorian, Art Deco with some traces of Medieval architecture.' 

Keyhaven: A pretty hamlet with a harbour beside Keyhaven Marshes and behind Hurst Spit. There are no shops, but some attractive cottages and a pub.

Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes: Forming in the lee of Hurst Spit, the combined area of the two nature reserves covers over 1200 hectares. It includes mudflats, salt marshes, shingle banks, coastal grazing marshes, and saline lagoons. The nature reserves support important populations of birds and rare and specialist plants and invertebrates. Salt harvesting was a source of income for local people from Roman times to 1865 when the last salt pan closed. For information click the link here. The ferry goes from Keyhaven across the harbour to Hurst Castle continuously. The fare is £5. If there are many of us, we'll have to cross in shifts.

Hurst Castle: English Heritage website states: 'Built by Henry VIII...it was one of the most advanced artillery fortresses in England. Commanding the narrow entrance to the Solent, it offers stunning panoramic views. The castle was used as a prison for eminent 17th century captives, including Charles I. It was later strengthened during the 19th and 20th centuries and played a role in defending the western Solent from invasion threats from the Napoleonic Wars to the Second World War...In February 2021, a section of wall on the 19th-century east wing of the castle collapsed, after the sea exposed and undercut its foundations'. New rock armour has been laid to protect the castle and the structure has been secured but not restored. For more information click the link here. If you would like to go in the castle, it costs £6.

Hurst Beach and Spit: A mighty bank of shingle that half-closes off The Solent to the English Channel. Naturally formed by longshore drift but now requiring the regular artificial replenishment of its material to avoid being breached by the sea. A breach would be disastrous for the nature reserves behind the spit and for the commercial shipping and leisure boating in The Solent. 

The route:

We'll head south from Lymington town centre to the Flushards area. We'll then follow lanes heading southwest to Normandy across the boatyards which is where we'll pick up the Solent Way to take us across Pennington and Keyhaven Marshes. At the jetty for the ferry we'll embark on the two kilometre trip to Hurst Castle. After lunch and a possible look at the castle we'll walk along Hurst Spit and have a swim and ice creams at Hurst Beach. The return journey will entail walking along the harbourside at Keyhaven and then along a byway through Pennington and then a lane through Woodside which is a suburb of Lymington. A route north will bring us to the High Street in Lymington which we'll walk down to end up at the quayside for a drink or the station for home.

Dogs:

I love having dogs on my walks and this walk is suitable for them apart from during very hot weather. There is sea for them to splash in much of the way but little shade. A dog off the lead must be obedient.

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(Picture credits: Mount Lake, with a line of moored boats: Photo © David Martin (cc-by-sa/2.0); Shingle on Hurst Beach: Photo © Trevor Harris (cc-by-sa/2.0); Smallcraft moored on pontoon jetty, Lymington: Photo © Andy F (cc-by-sa/2.0); New Forest: Solent Way: Photo © Lewis Clarke (cc-by-sa/2.0); The Solent Way: Photo © Shazz (cc-by-sa/2.0); Landward side of Hurst Castle: Photo © David Martin (cc-by-sa/2.0); Hurst Point lighthouse: Photo © David Martin (cc-by-sa/2.0); Lymington Quay and Ship Inn: Photo © Mike Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0); Captain's Row, Lymington, Hampshire: Photo © Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0); Quay Hill, Lymington, Hampshire; Photo © Christine Matthews (cc-by-sa/2.0). All images are designated 'Free to share and reuse' and are here attributed to their copyright holders under Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 2.0.)