Rowlands Castle to Portsmouth Harbour (20 mile linear) W2PS8

Edit : Tue 13/8/2019 - I've edited the walk slightly to

• take a more direct route from Rowlands Castle to Langstone via Havant.  The original route was via Emsworth but unfortunately it looks like high tide is both high and right when we would be scheduled to be walking along the beach which is prone to tidal flooding.
• changed the start time from 10:50 to 10:25.  The London train arrives at 10:22 and Portsmouth train 9:46.  London train is the same.  Portsmouth train is an hour earlier (9:24) but it makes sense to enable a slightly earlier start by getting the earlier Portsmouth train in the morning. People coming up from Portsmouth will need to while away 35 mins or so  - there's a good cafe in Rowlands Castle on the high street near the station.

-----

It's the end of the line - the end of the London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour rail line that is. Join me for the last stage in my series of linear walks from Waterloo to Portsmouth - expect fine coastal scenery and a sneaky ferry ride to cut off some miles.  

From Rowlands Castle we head south down through Staunton Country Park before reaching the 'burbs of Havant.  We'll have about an hour of winding through Havant before reaching the coast and the picturesque Langstone.  From Langstone we head cross the bridge to Hayling Island.  On Hayling Island we follow the old Hayling Billy trainline down, with glimpses of the Spinnaker Tower in the distance, to South Hayling beach, with a brief detour to explore the Victorian Oyster Beds, now a Nature Reserve teeming with nesting sea birds (https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/portsmouth/places/222515/)

Once we reach the bottom of Hayling Island we follow the pebble beach, lined with beach huts, around to the ferry station - from where we'll be catching the ferry (£5) across to Portsea Island.  Please bring cash. The ferry runs every half hour, so timing shouldn't be too much of an issue.  It may feel like cheating, but it's a lot quicker (2 minutes!) than the alternative of walking around Langstone Harbour - and gives a chance to rest the legs !

After getting off the ferry we're on the final stretch, with a 5 mile promenade along the coast, passing quintessential seaside piers and Southsea Castle.  We'll head to The Point for views of Spinnaker Tower, which we'll have spied from afar throughout the day, and potentially a drink at the Spice Island or Still&West pub with views over the harbour, desire or time permitting.

Finally we head over to Gunwharf Quays and then around to Portsmouth Harbour Train Station - and the end of the Waterloo to Portsmouth (W2P) series of walks.

Note that it's likely to be a late finish of 7:30 - 8 pm or so due to the long distance covered, potentially waiting for ferries, a scenic harbour beverage and late start due to the time it takes to get to Rowlands Castle in the morning.  Followed by a long train ride back (at least 1.5 hrs) to London, so don't plan too much for your early evening !

 ---

Note that we will need to set a good pace (2.5 miles / hr) over a long day to finish at a decent time, so keep that in mind when signing up.  

---

What's the W2P S8 mean in the title? It stands for Waterloo to Portsmouth Stage 8 - This year I decided to lead a series of 8 linear walks which will took us all the way from London Waterloo to Portsmouth (W2P).  This is the last walk of the series - so you're late to party if you've not been on one.  However if you haven't done any of the previous stages - please still free to join.  This walk on its own should still be a great day out.

media attribution : all photos by me