Catherington Lith
Waterlooville
Children will enjoy searching for the wooden carvings scattered throughout this walk.
The woodland of Catherington Lith fills with anemones in spring
The Basics
Time: 50 mins
Distance: 2.8 km
Terrain: Fields, woodland paths, flat. Fields can be muddy in winter.
Pushchair: No, the paths are too rough
Dogs: Dogs will need to be on leads around the village and through pony paddocks. The pub is dog friendly.
Refreshments: The Farmer Inn or a picnic area in paddock next to car park.
Toilets: None.
Public Transport: There are no public transport options at this location.
Parking: Free car park opposite the school on Catherington Lane (Postcode: PO8 0TD - W3W - origins/essential/restriction)
Some of the tree sculptures hidden around the lith
Whilst the grown ups admire the bluebells, wood anemone and other flowers that grow in this little woodland in spring, children can be kept entertained as they look out for the exquisite tree carvings hidden throughout this walk. The route will also take you virtually through the Farmer inn, so it would be a shame not to stop! Just down the road is a lovely play area that we have taken the children too since they were tiny.
The Route
Leave the car park, cross the road and turn left along the pavement. Walk through the black wooden lychgate that you will shortly pass on your right into the churchyard. Pass the church on your left and at the far boundary there is a gate in the hedge with a footpath sign leading out into a paddock.
Swing open a metal barrier and turn right to follow the worn path across the top of the paddock towards a kissing gate. Go through the gate and then walk along a fenced passage with pony paddocks on either side. Pass through a gate at the end into a large open space. Turn left and walk beside the hedge before taking the little gate on your left into the woodland.
This first section of woodland is where the best display of bluebells and wood anemone can be found. Continue straight until shortly reaching the wooden fence of a back garden. Turn right here and follow the path. Shortly, you will spot a clearing with a bench on your left where you see a view to Clanfield and the windmill on the hill. There are wild primroses here in spring. Don’t turn here, but keep going straight ahead on the same path.
Look out for a little information board about bluebells, as this marks the point where children can look for the first carvings. If you go up the path by the sign and turn right after a few metres, you should see two carved tree trunks with dragons and castles. Return to the main path to continue the walk.
Continue until you come to a gate. Go out of the gate to leave the nature reserve and walk along an access track. When you reach a junction, you will see a gate on your right that will take you back into the Catherington Lith Nature Reserve again. Beside the gate is your next carving with squirrels and owls on top.
Walk up the path back into the woodland and very shortly on your right you will see a carving with two fairies on top and with a space hollowed out so you can sit inside. Continue along the path until you reach the same point where you entered the woodland, exiting back through the gate into the large green space again.
Walk along the hedge and take the gate back into the pony paddock. This time, however, turn immediately left and walk along the hedge with an electric fence to your right. Go through the metal kissing gate and then cross another pony paddock all the way to the other side. Exit the paddock and cross the car park of The Farmer Inn and return to Catherington Lane.
If you want to finish your walk, you can turn right at the road to return to the car park. If you fancy finding another couple of carvings with only a small bit of extra distance, cross the road and take the footpath opposite going to the left of a house with a ship in the window. The path passes narrowly between properties before opening to an orchard. Cross the orchard on the permissive footpath to the opposite side. Here you will meet a path *. Turn right to find the carving of Hooty the Owl. Continue past Hooty and take the path across Parsonage Field. This will lead you to the road or the car park.
Just up the road from the car park is a picnic paddock with picnic benches (dogs allowed in on leads). At the far end of the picnic area is the last carving, which is a rather fine woodland chap in the form of a large seat.
We really like the Jubilee Park on the border between Catherington and Horndean. It has an enclosed play area with wooden animal carvings for little ones, an outdoor gym, basketball court, zip-line, tyre swing and a recently revamped climbing area and slide for older children. You can walk there on the pavement by following Catherington Lane in the direction of Horndean, but it isn’t the nicest walk being beside a busy road. It takes about a minute to drive there from the car park in Catherington and has its own large car park.
*If you want an extension, you can go through the gate here onto Catherington Down. This is an open access space with nice views and is popular with local dog walkers.
Did you know?
The carvings were created by the talented Michael Jones of ‘Man and His Dog Carvings’. He was commissioned by Horndean Parish Council to transform the stumps left behind after the necessary tree felling caused by ash die-back disease.
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