Friends of Langstone Harbour
Langstone Shoreline Trail
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The Langstone Shoreline Trail divides into three legs:
The Portsmouth Leg:
Starts naturally at the Eastner Ferry Pontoon (link)
Walk south along Ferry Road past Portsmouth University's institute-of-marine-sciences on your right, the Eastney Cruising Association on your left and the Southsea Marina on your right, and Fort Cumberland on your left.
You won't notice Fort Cumberland on your left - built from 1745 thru 1860, the fort hides behind its own defensive earthworks so well that most Portmouth people don't even know it's there - but it is huge and well worth a visit during thei open days each summer.
Did you know?
Fort Cumberland's builders required 20 million bricks for its construction.
They had to first build four brickworks to make the bricks. After the fort was completed the surplus bricks, and the redundant brickworks, were used to build
Portsmouth as it expanded in the 19th century - so Portsmouth City is in a sense the child of Fort Cumberland!
Gap between houses leading to Eastney Lake shore to the right of No 11 Horsesands Close
Alternatively turn right down Ferry Road which hits the Eastney Lake shoreline a few yards further west.
At the head of Eastney lake, if the tide is not high you may follow the beach below Henderson Park to the northern shore.
(But if the tide is high, or you are not equipped for beach walking, turn right and follow Henderson Road to the Bransbury Park diversion.)
Follow the beach past the allotments and leave the HIWWT Milton Nature Reserve on you left till you reach the Thatched House Inn.
At the east end of the Thatched House Inn cross the car park and the footbridge over the canal.
From there on to the mainland at Farlington Marshes the footpath is new and excellent quality(courtesy new coastal defences)
The footpath passes the People's Memorial, Great Saltern House (now Harvester Restaurant)
Did you know?
Langstone Harbour salt was favoured all over europe according to "The History of Langstone Harbour".
Harbour water was first pumped into open ponds (salterns) around the shore where hopefully the sun would evaporate much of the water leaving a concentrated brine. Later the brine was boiled over coal in flat iron pans and the salt scraped off. It was a huge industry.
Beyond the Harvester is the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre and the Tudor sailing Club.
The footpath then skirts inland of "Kendal's Wharf" a commercial gravel wharf, before the last section crossing Ports Creek beside the Eastern Road.
Did you know?
The western and eastern boundaries of Langstone Harbour are actually the railway bridges to Portsmouth and to Hayling Island
The Bransbury Park Diversion:
This diversion add a mile to the Shoreline Trail, but it offers a firm surface at all tides and is suitable for cyclists and pedestrians.
Turn south to Henderson Road and right and right into Bransbury Park
Follow the central path through Bransbury Park and on up Ironbridge Lane until you reach Locksway Road where you turn right again.
At the east end of Locksway Road is the Thatched House Inn and Milton Lock wher you rejoin the Shoreline Path
The Mainland Leg:
Starts at Farlington Marshes Car Park
Walk East. At the third car park the footpath around Farlington Marshes turns right. This is very popular with bird-watches but adds a mile to the cirxular walk. The path is a good quality cycle route but rather noisy on account of the A27 and its associated litter beyond the fence on your left.
Two alternative footpaths branch right to follow the Broadmarsh shoreline while the cycleway goes on towards central Havant.
Did you know?
Broadmarsh is actually a massive landfill dating from before the installation of the Havant Incinerator (now demolished) and the Portsmouth Energy From Waste Facility. The Broadmarsh landfill and the Southmoor mound beyond must be kept from the harbour environment forever which accounts for the excellent coastal defences and good quality footpath in this area.
The shoreline path turns northwards and comes to the Broadmarsh Slipway
To cross the Hermitage river one must gain the Harts Farm Way bridge and then follow industrialised Harts Farm Way almost to the Brockhampton Road roundabout before turning right to follow the Brockhampton Stream.
The pleasant footpath soon crosses the stream and skirts the Southern Water Wastewater Treatment Works past the confluence of the Brockhampton Strean and the Harmitage River, Regaining the harbour. A short beach walk leads to a good coastal footpath past "Johnson's Mound" (Johnston was a Havant's Chief Engineer who could not construct the |Borough's 1970's incinerator before the landfill rose high above its intended height).
The Southmoor Breach
The shoreline trail is here interrupted by the 2020 breach in the Southmoor Sea Wall which has turned pasture into tidal saltmarsh.
The breach is extensive with no prospect of repair, so while authorities are looking for a long term solution for the several long distance footpaths which used the shoreline footpath at Southmoor, we must make what passage we can.
Currently the best route around Southmoor is via Penner Road (some way up Southmoor Lane) and at the end follow the mill stream south to West Mill in Mill Lane.
Did you know?
In 1885 a train ferry the "Carrier" used to sail from Bembridge in the Isle of Wight to Langstone Village - the trains carrying fresh agriculturel products could reach London much faster than manhandling them from cart to boat to cart to train. The service ceased after 3 years in 1888.
The Hayling Leg:
Starts at the south end of the Hayling Bridge
Did you know?
The low level fields on your left were mined for brickmaking clay.
The famous Pycroft Brickworks operated in these fields as recently as 1980.
Did you know?
The Oysterbeds date from as early as Roman times
The current Oysterbeds were used to cultivate the spatts (baby oysters) before they were transferred to the adult growing area further south.
It was a big industry - trains ran daily from here carrying fresh Langstone Oysters to the shellfish market at Whitstable.
The Langstone Oyster market collapsed when raw sewage was first piped directly into the harbour waters in 1902 and the Dean of Winchester died.
