Itchen Valley Country Park
| Itchen Valley Country Park | |
|---|---|
 The visitors' centre | |
 | |
| Type | Country park |
| Location | West End, Hampshire, UK |
| Coordinates | 50°56′35″N 1°20′42″W / 50.943°N 1.345°W |
| Area | 440 acres (1.8 km2) |
| Operated by | Eastleigh Borough Council |
| Status | Open all year |
Itchen Valley Country Park is a country park in West End, Hampshire, England. As the name suggests, the River Itchen runs through the park, which covers 440 acres (1.8 km2).[1] The park has a number of walks and trails, including an off-road cycling track. There are a number of facilities for children, including a play area and a play trail. The Itchen Way footpath borders the park. The park was awarded the Green Flag award in 2009/10 and 2010/11.[2]
History
The site is on the opposite bank of the river to Southampton Airport, the runway of which is reputedly built over the remains of a Roman villa.[3]
The park was established when over 350 acres (1.4 km2) of the site were acquired by Eastleigh Borough Council in 1979.[4] The visitor centre was built in 1990.[1] In 2010 work started on a Go Ape adventure course in the park, which opened in Spring 2011.[5]
A free, weekly timed 5km parkrun is held at 9am every Saturday, having started on February 29th 2020.
Geography
The park contains a 250-acre (100 ha) water meadow nature reserve, 90 acres (36 ha) of ancient woodland (a third of which is classified as "semi-rural"), 60 acres (24 ha) of grazing land and a 40-acre (16 ha) recreation field.[4]
Gallery
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The recreation field and playground -
Part of the woodland trail
See also
Settlements in the Borough of Eastleigh | ||
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References
- ^ a b Eastleigh Borough Council: Itchen Valley Country Park Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 5 April 2007
- ^ "Green Flag awards". Eastleigh Borough Council website. Eastleigh Borough Council. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ Itchen Locations: Roman Level Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 5 April 2007
- ^ a b Itchen Locations: Modern Level Accessed 5 April 2007
- ^ "Go ahead for Go Ape". Eastleigh Borough Council website. Eastleigh Borough Council. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2010.