Royal Victoria Country Park
Netley
On this family friendly walk, children will enjoy the play area, fairy garden, shoreline, bluebell woods and train ride.
The Royal Victoria Chapel is all that remains of a once enormous military hospital. There is a free exhibition inside.
The Basics
Time: A walk around the park typically takes around 30 minutes to an hour
Distance: The whole park is 200 acres, The Heritage Trail is 2.5 km
Terrain: Flat, mostly paved paths
Pushchair: Yes
Dogs: Yes (not inside buildings)
Refreshments: The Cedar Rooms Restaurant and Cafe
Toilets: Yes
Public Transport: Netley Train Station is a few minutes walk away as are stops on Blue Star bus route 15 from Southampton to Hamble
Parking: 5 different car parks, pay on exit, March to October: 8am to 9pm and November to February: 8am to 5pm (Postcode: SO31 5RE - W3W: fumes/reach/silly)
One of the sculptures inside the fairy garden
Royal Victoria is a country park with something for everyone from woodland to shoreline to parkland. Throughout this landscape you will find historical buildings, play areas and a miniature trainline. The whole park is flat and has marked trails, making it easy to explore.
The Route
There are a few different trails marked on a map available to download. We recommend the Heritage Trail as a way to take in all of the highlights of the park. On this trail you can look out for:
The Cedar Rooms Restaurant Cafe and the shop
The Fairy Garden with exquisite carvings and natural play structures
The beach at Southampton Water
The Royal Victoria Chapel with free exhibition, cafe and shop
The woodland where bluebells can be spotted in season
The Royal Victoria Railway (weekends and school holidays)
Children’s play area
Did you know?
The Royal Victoria Military Hospital stretched across the site for a quarter of a mile. It opened in 1863 and treated military personnel from across the British Empire. The hospital building was demolished in 1966 and now only the Chapel and tower remain. There are fascinating photos and information boards around the park that help you to picture the important role of this building.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at River Hamble Country Park which is not far away
We are passionate about keeping The Ambling Path as a free resource available to everyone, forever. If you have enjoyed using our walking guides, then please consider leaving us a donation. This will help to cover our costs as well as rewarding the considerable time and effort needed to maintain the site. Thank you.
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