Avington
Children will enjoy looking for trout in the river and a huge tree swing on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Distance: 4.3 km
Terrain: Mostly flat, fields, tracks, quiet country lanes
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but you will pass by cattle in fields
Refreshments: None on the route, but The Plough in Itchen Abbas is nearby.
Toilets: None
Parking: Free car park on Avington Park Lane (Postcode: SO21 1DE - W3W: cutlets/reboot/wolves)
This delightful walk starts out with views across the lake to Avington Park, the first of many beautiful homes you will see. It then follows quiet country lanes to bring you to The River Itchen. Much of this section of the river is privately owned, but you do get some decent glimpses of the water as you cross over bridges. The highlight of this walk for children will be the swing hanging from a giant oak half way around the route.
The Route
Leave the car park and head onto the grass where you can see two little wooden benches. This area provides wonderful views across the water to the magnificent Avington Park. Be aware that cattle also freely graze this area.
Walk away from the Avington Park and follow the grassy path back to the lane. Bear right and walk over the cattle grid or through the gate.
Walk down the lane (we didn’t meet any cars along this length) with woodland to your left and right. Pass the yellow house on your right and then a cottage to your left. Just after this, look out for a footpath on the right that immediately crosses a bridge.
Follow the footpath with water meadow vegetation rising up on either side. Continue to a little wooden footbridge and then an information board, detailing the wildlife found on or near the river. Just beyond this, you will come to a larger bridge with metal railings that crosses the Itchen. The water here is as clear as glass and you stand a good chance of seeing trout and probably some ducks too.
Once over the bridge, continue as you approach some houses. Cross a stream and then meet the road. Turn right here and then look out for the footpath on your right, just after an iron gate with a brick wall behind. The narrow path follows the high wall boundary of a property and then goes under trees which create a tunnel effect.
Fields will open up to your left and then you will reach a gate. Go through the gate into a large meadow that borders the river. Cows graze this area. Follow the path that goes straight across the meadow. Go through the gate on the other side into a smaller meadow. Here you will find the large wooden swing hanging from an oak tree.
After enjoying the swing, go through the gate where there is a cross path of drives. Take the path straight ahead, signposted ‘The Itchen Way’. Follow the path down towards the village. At the bottom, the surface will become gravel. Turn right when you reach a road.
Walk with the graveyard to your right and follow the lane, going over a series of bridges. You will pass the entrance to Avington Park just after a bridge with a little waterfall. Continue past the entrance to the T-junction.
Cross the road and beside the entrance to the golf course, look for the footpath going right. This path will travel parallel to the road, just a few feet away. On your left will be fields, and at the time of writing in August 2023, these fields were full of the blueish purple flowers of borage, a crop grown for its oil.
The footpath will eventually lead you down onto the lane again as it reaches Avington. It is worth a quick peek into the churchyard here as it is very pretty and beautifully kept. Back on the road, keep going and turn left with the road to pass a pretty row of cottages with a large wooden well in front. Keep going and take the next turn on your right down Avington Park Lane. Cross the cattle gird and return to the car park.
Did you know?
Avington Park’s current owners host weddings and events, but the house actually had a reputation as a party house for centuries before today. Kings and Queens have long come to the riverside retreat, stretching as far back as Charles II. You can read more about the history of the estate here.