Titchfield's historic canal

Recommended by

Our view

"Explore a disused canal, a superb wetland nature reserve and a scenic clifftop path along an unspoilt stretch of Hampshire's coast."

Walk directions

From the car park, turn left through the kissing gate onto the towpath, heading south. Continue for about 2 miles (3.2km), with the channel on your right and the nature reserve on your left. After about 0.5 miles (800m) of this stretch, go through a gate, ignoring the gate to your right, and the track becomes tarmac. Pass a bridge and keep ahead. Cross a concrete bridge with sluice gates where the channel diverts, and keep straight on to a kissing gate.

Go straight ahead to visit the Meon Marsh Sea Lock, where the road now crosses the canal. Return to the gate and take the footpath on the right, through the trees. Follow the path as it bends left along the shore, just below the road. At the gate, join the road and follow it over the bridge to Titchfield Haven Visitor Centre and café. You can buy a ticket here for the nature reserve itself. At the time of going to press, the Visitor Centre is due to close.

Return along the road and the top of the sea wall. Pass some wooden chalets, and turn left beside a waymarked gate to walk on the gravel between the chalets. At the end, head left, then right and up the path. Follow this path along the cliff top, where dense wind-sculpted hedges give way to spectacular views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, and ahead to the power station and oil refinery.

Follow the path down in front of Sea House to the beach. Follow the signed path immediately right, inland, beside a barrier. Stay on this track, bearing right after the gate at Lower Brownwich Farm onto concrete. Keep to the drive to reach a fork. Keep ahead, following the yellow waymarker, past the cottages and barns of Little Brownwich Farm on the left. Concrete becomes an earth track. Stay on this for 0.5 miles (800m), passing South Leigh Farm on the left.

Go through a gateway and turn immediately right through a kissing gate onto a permissive path. Follow this along a left-hand field edge, with Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower ahead on the horizon. On reaching a track, turn left through a kissing gate, then right at the fork, and continue down the drive, going through a kissing gate to reach Posbrook Lane. Turn left along the footpath and follow this for 0.25 miles (400m) into Titchfield, passing Posbrook Lane cemetery.

At the T-junction turn left, then right into St Margarets Lane. Turn right opposite the school, and walk down West Street into the village square. Turn left to explore and walk clockwise around The Square. Turn left beside the Co-op supermarket into Church Street and walk up to St Peter’s church. Bear right beside the graveyard, keep ahead and cross a footbridge over the canal. Turn right along the towpath and follow it to Bridge Street. Cross over to return to the car park.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Canal tow path, clifftop path, tracks and field paths

Landscape - Nature reserve water-meadows, coastline, open farmland

Dog friendliness - Some road walking; otherwise under strict control by nature reserve

Parking - Bridge Street car park by canal towpath

Toilets en route - Meon Shore

Walks in Hampshire Dog-friendly walks in Hampshire

About the walk

Sleepy Titchfield, with its well-preserved village centre and several old pubs, lies surrounded by water meadows and woods close to the busy A27 and the sprawling suburbs of Fareham. It’s hard to imagine today, but Titchfield was an important market town and a busy port in the Middle Ages, thanks...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Hampshire’s varied landscape of hills and heaths, downlands and forests, valleys and coast are without rival in southern England. Hike across the chalk downland of the north Hampshire ‘highlands’, meander along peaceful paths through unspoilt river valleys of the Test, Itchen, Avon and Meon, or explore the lonely salt marshes and the beautiful medieval forest and heathland of the New Forest.