Keyhaven Accessible Trail
This route follows the path alongside Keyhaven Marshes, a nationally important habitat for a wide range of plants and animals.
This coast walk starts from the historic Keyhaven harbour, used by small boats since at least 1206 when it was used for transporting cattle and sheep from the Isle of Wight to the water meadows on the mainland. A series of docks and canals amongst the lagoons enabled barges to import coal for the boiling houses and to export the salt.
Trail information:
- Start/finish: Keyhaven Amenity Car Park. Grid reference SZ 306 914 what3words.com/tenure.mimes.paraded
- Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest.
- Distance:5 miles (2.6 km) – 1-2 hours.
- Local facilities: The car park has four accessible bays, easy access toilets and a pub.
- Accessibility: The paths on this route are a mix of quiet roads and gravel paths, which can be uneven in places. There is one gate at the start of the gravel track.
Directions
- Keyhaven Harbour
Exit Keyhaven Amenity car park and turn right to briefly follow Keyhaven Road, passing the Gun Inn on your left. Take the first right down Lower Pennington Lane to cross the mouth of Avon Water. Turn right onto a gravel path and go through the gate out onto the gravel path
- Fishtail Lagoon
Continue along the sea wall from which there are good views of the Isle of Wight and the Needles, the site of many a wrecked ship. On your left is Fishtail Lagoon with a large bird nesting island in the middle. At the end of this lagoon there is a path leading off to your left down steps following alongside a wide-cut channel. Ignore this path and continue following the path ahead which bends to your right
- The Jetty
Eventually you will come to the jetty on your right, a good place to rest and admire the views over The Solent. To complete the route, retrace your steps back to the car park.
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New Forest code
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