Hayling Island

Langstone Bridge

Hayling Island is set up perfectly for cycling. A quiet cycle route swept us through a tunnel of trees from Havant train station to Langstone Bridge - the crossing point to Hayling. The Hayling Billy track then follows the old railway line that used to carry my dad to his boyhood summer holidays on the island. The train stopped running in 1963, and now the route takes cyclists away from the traffic clogged road, along the west coast past a nature reserve, mudflats and rapeseed fields.

Rapeseed field near Newton

Lunch at the Sunset Cafe

An arrow-straight, tree-lined road brought us to the beach area. Where turf covered sand, studded with gorse, gives way to dusty car parks and pastel coloured beach huts. A seemingly endless bank of shingle runs in either direction before the sea. The Sunset Cafe provided a tasty lunch.

Shingle banks facing Portsmouth

Beach huts and esplanade terracing

Hayling Light Railway sits next to the fun fair

The fun fair feels like the centre of the island. Downwind, the sporadic roar of the rides is carried great distances. Up close, the sudden lack of space becomes suffocating. Hayling Light Railway offers an escape - the rusty rails meandering east beside the beach.

looking over to Wittering

The south-eastern shore offers greater tranquility despite the density of housing squeezed into every available nook.

Sand dunes by the sailing club

Leaving the southern shore, we followed the busy main road north before gratefully branching off to the peaceful country lanes of North Hayling, which perhaps provide a glimpse of the island my dad visited all those years ago.

Calshot Marshes Nature Reserve

Calshot Marshes Nature Reserve

On a scrubby stretch of land at the end of the A326 in Hampshire is a left-over place of shingle, where beach huts turn their backs on the looming presence of Fawley power station. Somehow there's also room for a lifeboat station, coastguard tower, castle, campsite and a giant activities centre.

Calshot outdoor centre

Between the power station and the activity centre lies the scraggy, hunkered down, bristly islands that make up Calshot Marshes nature reserve. Sadly ignored by most visitors, the islands barely bother to raise themselves out of the mud. However, for birds it's a different story. Designated an SSSI, the area "supports nationally important numbers of migratory and over-wintering waders and wildfowl."

Low-lying mudflats of Calshot Marshes

The report from English Nature continues: "It regularly supports more than 1% of the national winter populations of wigeon, teal, ringed plover, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, redshank and dunlin and is thus considered to be of national significance to each of these species. It also regularly holds more than 1% of the world population of the dark-bellied brent goose and is thus considered internationally significant for that species."

Clashot Marshes looking back from the power station

"The numbers of some other species, notably the great crested grebe, gadwall and shoveler, often approach or achieve nationally important population levels. Total numbers of all waterfowl regularly exceed 10,000 in winter and sometimes approach twice that number."

Fawley power station

This protected area is so crucial because of the immense industrial pressures that surround it. From the busy cargo port at Southampton to the thrumming, oil-burning power station right next to it. But, for good or bad, the place wouldn't have the same atmosphere without the menacing vibrations of the power station.

Fawley power station hanger

Christchurch - Bonus Island

The big tree on the right is actually a small island in the Avon that you can see from the northernmost bridge of the post below. It doesn't appear to hold much more than a group of trees in a very pretty location.

Christchurch Pt 4

Following the Avon Valley Path north past the private fishing grounds and under the rail bridge we come to the end of Mill Road where this bridge crosses to an island in the Avon.


Water rushes beneath the bridge that also supports an industrial building.


On the island is a commercial building occupied by Organix and a private home on the southern tip.


A second bridge takes us north off the island to a second unibhabited one.


It looks artificially shaped for some purpose, and does seem to be used for fishing.


The third bridge takes us from one part of the island to another.


This final bridge, the furthest north, takes us off of the island and onto a large green field.

Christchurch Pt 3 - The Ducking Stool and A35

The Ducking Stool

Walking back on the 'mainland' side, we follow a road back to Mill Stream and it's infamous ducking stool. The north part of the island is across the stream.




Following the stream north we meet the Christchurch bypass, the very noisy A35.


Crossing the west bridge on the bypass, over Mill Stream. The north part of the island stretches out ahead.


Grassy pasture, shallow running water, perfect for fishing.


From the east bridge looking northwest.


On the north part of the island.


The bridge off the island.

Christchurch Pt 2 - The Norman House to Place Mill

The Norman House

From the medieval bridge, a thin strip of land flanked by The Avon and Mill Stream (pictured), runs south past The Norman House ruins. This is the thinnest part of a long island that can be divided into two parts. South from Bridge Street has a tarmac promenade that leads to housing and a boatyard. North is the larger, green area of fields and fishing bisected by the noisy A35 which we'll cover in the next post.

Christchurch Priory

Continuing south we pass the magnificent Christchurch Priory which in Simon Jenkins' book Thousand Best Churches was one of only eighteen churches to be awarded 5 stars.


Eventually we emerge from the tree lined path to a clump of new housing. To the east is a kind of gated community of small (holiday?) homes and boat yard.


Next to it is an angular, nautical housing estate that's been crammed in here.


Where the back yard is a large pool for the home owners boats.


This is the view from the southern tip.


As we circle round the estate, we naturally emerge onto this old bridge, taking us off the island.


And to Place Mill that was mentioned in the Domesday Book which now houses some kitsch art exhibitions.

Christchurch - Pt 1

The medieval bridge that hops you from one island to the next.

We went to Christchurch today to find some inland islands. They don't seem to have any official names. Addresses on the island in this post settle for Bridge Street, Christchurch or Rossiter's Quay, Christchurch. A beautiful medieval bridge carries the visitor onto the island, along with the traffic.

West bank with fishing punt

If an island is something as simple as a land mass surrounded by water then these islands certainly fit the bill.

Bridge Street

Bridge Street runs straight across the island and is lined with fine historical buildings and quite a few empty shops.

Rossiter's Quay

Rossiter's Quay is a new development, think Venice in the Little England style.

Rossiter Boat Yard

Once through the houses you get to a great boatyard. Boats scatter the ground and bristle the bank like iron filings on a magnet.

The island's southern tip.

Boat's sail down the Avon into Christchurch Harbour.

The east bridge with added pedestrian footpath

Brownsea Island - day 4

Brownsea holiday cottage

Brownsea Island - day 3

Brownsea shoreline

Brownsea Island - day 2

Brownsea reed beds

Brownsea Island - day 1

Trees in the late evening sun

Isle of Wight - day 14 - Hometime

Bird feeding at a Shanklin tearoom