A Place for People and Wildlife The water meadows have areas rich in plant life. After the clear felling one third was left to regrow and Wild flowers such as the Southern Marsh Orchid became what is now the Woodland Nature Reserve. This Itchen Valley Country Park is 440 acres of and Water Avens can still be found in places that woodland has been coppiced for centuries to supply the water meadows, ancient woodland, conifer escaped agricultural improvement. The local community plantations and grazing pasture located ditches support many damsel and either side of the river Itchen between with firewood, dragonflies including the nationally rare building and craft Countryside Service Eastleigh and Southampton. southern damselfly. materials. This ARK The Park is one of 30 countryside sites Until 1869 commercial barges used the form of P owned by Eastleigh Borough Council. It is Itchen Navigation to carry goods to and management also managed by Eastleigh Countryside Service from Southampton. Since its decline, creates excellent to provide informal recreation, enhance due mainly to competition from the conditions for and conserve wildlife habitats and provide railway, most of the waterway has silted wildlife and so is an educational resource. up. The towpath still provides a continued today. pedestrian link between Southampton High Wood Barn Visitor Centre Trees such as Ash, and Winchester. Bluebells and Wild Garlic OUNTRY Southern Marsh Orchid Hazel and Alder Built in the style of a 17th Century are cut to the ground in winter leaving a coppice stool C Hampshire Aisle barn, this is the ideal place to from which new shoots sprout and grow into thin straight begin your visit. Inside you will find information, Hedgerows and Hay Meadows poles. Taller trees, known as standards, are left to grow to interactive exhibits, the Woodland Cafe and a shop selling maturity providing larger timber. Today the wood is sold The Park’s many hedgerows countryside gifts and publications. Staff are on hand to to make paper or charcoal. assist with enquiries and a classroom is provided for contain shrubs such as ALLEY educational visits. Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Coppicing a section of the Guelder Rose and brambles V History and Wildlife of the Wetland woodland each year creates providing food and shelter a mosaic of different The River Itchen, famous for its clear waters and excellent for birds, small mammals conditions that provides a fishing, meanders through the Park. Views along the River and insects. home for over 4000 species can be enjoyed from the bridge but there is no access to No fertilizers or pesticides of mammals, birds, insects the banks which are owned by Lower Itchen Fisheries. are applied to the extensive and plants. In spring TCHEN Bluebells, Primroses and I Beyond the river, the Itchen Valley Nature Reserve covers grasslands which are grazed Wild Garlic carpet the 250 acres of floodplain. The maze of ditches is a reminder or mown for hay. The top of of the floated water meadow system that operated here High Hill Field flourishes in woodland floor providing a until the 1930’s. Dug by hand, this complex system summer with many grasses food source for insects while irrigated the land, enriched it with nutrients and protected and flowers providing the denser thickets attract nectar for butterflies until breeding birds such as it from frosts so the grass grew earlier for grazing in spring. Roe Deer It also provided a valuable wetland habitat. However, as the meadow is cut for hay Blackcap and Garden Lakeside farming methods changed the land was drained, fertilizers in late Summer. Warbler. Speckled Wood butterflies can be seen in the Country and pesticides were added and the value for wildlife was dappled shade. Branches are used to build ‘dead hedges’ Park reduced. In 1979 Eastleigh Borough Council bought the History and Wildlife to protect the new coppice shoots from Roe Deer that live land and declared it a nature reserve. Cattle grazing and of the Woodlands in the Park. flooding have been reintroduced to improve conditions for In the early 60’s, before the Council owned the land, the wildlife. Some features of ancient woodland on this site was the floated system, such as brick bridges, have been clear felled. Two thirds were restored. replanted with Scots Pine, Corsican Pine and Western Red Over 100 species of bird Cedar to produce commercial have been recorded with timber. The conifer woodland is 50 of these breeding on dark and dense attracting few the reserve. The area is plants and animals. Half eaten particularly attractive to pine cones are evidence of Grey Eastleigh Countryside Service warblers including Sedge Squirrels that make the most of and Whitethroat. In winter this abundant food supply. As part of Eastleigh Borough Council the Countryside flocks of Fieldfare and Service manages 300 hectares of land on 30 sites, ranging Redwing feed on the Amongst the conifers there are from small urban woods, to SSSI’s and busy Country abundant hawthorn areas of broadleaved trees where Parks. It aims to conserve their rich wildlife and historical berries. The flooded areas the ancient woodland is still interest as well as encouraging recreational and educational Snipe (Dennis Bright) attract ducks such as Teal surviving. Wildlife thrives in use by local people, schools and tourists. and Mallard, while the tussocky grassland provides cover ancient broadleaf woodland and so the for Snipe. In spring and autumn the river valley is used as conifers are being thinned to let the light in a migration route. and encourage the broadleaves to spread. Kingfisher (Dennis Bright) To Bishopstoke ITCHEN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK Welcome to Itchen Valley Country Park. In a walk around the Park you can enjoy a variety of habitats from wetland to woodland, hedgerows to hay meadow. It is an ideal place to begin For further information about any facilities or services and for Visitor Centre exploring the countryside and discovering the history and wildlife of a landscape shaped by opening times contact Eastleigh Countryside Service, High Wood Barn, hundreds of years of traditional farming and woodland management. Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, West End, Southampton SO30 3HQ, High Hill Field is ideal for ball games and group activities. It also has an adventure play area N E or telephone 023 8046 6091 for the under fourteens that includes an aerial runway. Behind the Visitor Centre is a play area H C for the under nines and giant woodland animals designed by local school children and built T e-mail: [email protected] by sculptor Andy Frost are found along the Play Trail. I R website: www.eastleigh.gov.uk/ivcp E WOODLAND The Woodland Café provides a range of refreshments but if you bring your own there are V I NATURE RESERVE plenty of picnic sites. There are two permanent barbeques behind the Centre available R for hire, but disposable barbeques are not allowed. CATTLE GRAZE REMAINS OF OLD BRICK KILN Waymarked trails help you to MAY - OCTOBER discover the different areas of the Park. The Forest Trail is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Stout footwear is recommended and in winter wellington boots are advisable HIGH HILL FIELD as the Park is prone to flooding. ITCHEN VALLEY GO APE P N CABIN Dogs must be kept on leads O NATURE RESERVE I P everywhere except High Hill Field. The park is a ‘poop scoop’ area. T (Unsuitable for Walking KINGFISHER P There are dog bins in various locations around the park. A late Autumn - late Spring) BARN P P G WC I P Coloured symbols along the route Cycling can be enjoyed in High Hill Field and on the cycle V A help you to follow the trails. route but is prohibited on the footpaths and elsewhere in N N the Park. For horse riders there is a bridle route for E P H Forest Trail (Suitable for special needs) which there is an annual licence fee. T C I 1 1 1 /2 km/1 mile /2hr We offer various children’s activity trails, HIGH WOOD both permanent and seasonal. Details of BARN P Woods & Meadows Walk these and the orienteering course are VISITOR CENTRE 1 1 available from the Visitor Centre. 1 /2 km/1 mile /2hr WC Woodland Nature Trail 1 1 2 /2 km/1 /2 mile 1hr Meadow Nature Trail (Unsuitable for walking late Autumn - late Spring) 1 3 km/2 mile 1 /4hr M MANSBRIDGE 2 7 Honeysuckle Trail A LOCK ANE L 11/ km/1 mile 1/ hr 27 N ON To Fair Oak 2 2 T M G N a I P Parking Viewpoint with seating Off-road Cycle Route n L s L WC Bridle Route (no b R I V E R I T C A Picnic Site Toilets r H E N pedestrians or cycles) i 1 d g e 0 100 200 300 400 /2km R o Barbecue Woodland Cafe Itchen Way a d 1 0 /4 mile Play area Information Telephone Other Footpaths To Southampton Dog Bin Cattle Grazing Play Trail.