Keyhaven Harbour
Summary
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Keyhaven Harbour Accessible Trail
This 1.5 mile coastal walk uses gravel paths.
Key
- Trail Starting Point
- Trail
- Point of Interest
- Car Park
- Public House
- Public Toilets
- Trail steps
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Keyhaven Harbour Accessible Trail
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.
This route follows the path alongside Keyhaven Marshes, a nationally important habitat for a wide range of plants and animals. A series of docks and canals amongst the lagoons enabled barges to import coal for the boiling houses and to export the salt.
Trail Overview
- Start/finish:
- Keyhaven Amenity Car Park.
- Grid reference
- SZ 306 914
- what3words:
- what3words.com/tenure.mimes.paraded
- Ordnance Survey map:
- Explorer OL 22 New Forest.
- Distance:
- 1.5 miles (2.6 km) – 1-2 hours.
- Local facilities:
- The car park has four accessible bays, easy access toilets and a pub.
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
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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.
