Eastleigh Lakeside Country Park
On this walk, children will enjoy the miniature steam railway, amphitheatre and play area.
The Basics
Time: Walking around the circumference of the park will take about 40 mins
Distance: Approx 2km around the circumference of the park
Terrain: Well maintained and surfaced paths
Pushchair: Yes
Dogs: See boards around park which show zones for dogs on leads, dogs off leads and no dogs at all
Refreshments: Plenty of space for picnics or The Lakeside Café
Toilets: Yes
Parking: We parked in the miniature railway car park which is free at weekends and four hours free on weekdays (Postcode: SO50 5DP - W3W: deputy/judges/hills)
A walk and a ride on a train! This little country park on the edge of Eastleigh has a circular walk passing ponds, a steam train, a play area, a nature reserve and an amphitheatre.
The Route
Using this PDF map download from Eastleigh Borough Council website, or using the map boards around the park, it is quite easy to find your way around. Here is the route that we did:
We began from the miniature railway car park. With the station on your right, walk down the path starting from the lakeside edge of the car park and turn left immediately.
This path goes past the nature reserve and resident herd of cows towards the lakes. Keep the lakes to your right and take the outer path, following the edge of the park. This curves round in a semi-circle shape and you should always have the lakes to your right.
As you round the northern corner of the park, a path to the left will take you up to a picnic area. Over the train tracks and through a gate on the left is a play area.
Turning right after crossing the tracks takes you along a long straight path parallel to the railway. When you spot the crossing point, go over the tracks and enter the nature reserve on the other side. There is an art trail here where children can look out for the metal images of different wildlife species.
If you are not doing the art trail, this long, straight path will lead you back down to the lakes.
Did you know?
As well as walking, train rides, fishing, orienteering, weightlifting, cycling and running, you can take part in organised water port activities such as learning to paddle board.