Hound walk 2
A short description of The Parish of Hound
The Parish of Hound has a wealth of rights of way. These provide a fantastic opportunity to explore the surrounding countryside.
The Parish is home to the magnificent Royal Victoria Country Park. This is an area of woodland, parkland and foreshore. It is also the site of Netley Chapel and the remains of the famous Royal Victoria Military Hospital.
In the west of the Parish, another great place to visit is Westwood Woodland Park. Westwood is a 200 acre Nature Reserve of ancient woodland and rolling grassland.
Key
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- Route
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- Temporarily closed
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- Restricted use
Directions
On leaving Netley Railway Station, head along Station Road. At the end of the housing development on your right, turn right onto St Mary’s Road.
Cross here and head for the railway bridge. Next take a way marked path (Footpath 14) following the railway line. The path emerges onto Grange Road, turn left here. Cross the railway bridge and just before the pub, turn right into Westwood Woodland Park, a former landfill site.
Follow the main track as it turns left over Grange Fields towards the woods. You will see deep ditches dug by the monks from Netley Abbey to provide water for their fish ponds. Take the way marked path (Footpath 16) which runs through Westwood from Abbey Hill to Woolston Road and Newtown Road. The exit point is next to Fountains Park and leads to Abbey Hill.
Turn left onto Abbey Hill. Immediately on your left you will see the spectacular ruins of the 13th Century Netley Abbey. Opposite is Netley Castle, now private apartments.
After viewing Netley Abbey, turn left and continue along Victoria Road into the village of Netley. On your right you will note a village pump and horse trough, refurbished and sited by Hound Local History Society.
Pass the Ellis Row Cottages on to the Prince Consort pub. You can stop for here for refreshments before continuing along Victoria Road to the main gates of Royal Victoria Country Park. On your right, before the gates, you will see Netley Hard. Pause here to see unrivalled views of the activity on Southampton Water.
Upon entering Royal Victoria Country Park, take the first turning on the left. Walk along the service road, past the former officers’ mess, towards Hound Gate leading out onto Hound Road. About 100 yards on your left you will see a fenced path which will bring you safely back to your start point at Netley Station.
