Parks, Playgrounds & Walks on Hayling Island
From a newly built play park at Eastoke Corner to the shoreline walk past the lifeboat station, here is a confirmed guide to play areas, paths and green space on Hayling.
Hayling's main play spaces are Eastoke Corner play park (opened May 2024), the redeveloped skatepark and the Avenue Road play area. Popular walks include the 3km Sandy Point Stroll, RSPB Langstone Harbour at West Hayling, the Hayling Billy Trail and a 26km island cycle loop.
Hayling Island is mostly flat, coastal and easy to explore on foot or by bike. Here are the play spaces, walks and open spaces we can confirm from council, Conservancy and RSPB sources. Facilities change, so check on the day.
Play areas and skate park
- Eastoke Corner play park. Havant Borough Council opened the refurbished park on Saturday 25 May 2024, funded with £200,000 from the council's Community Infrastructure Levy. It has a new fenced play area, a multi-use games area and an exercise zone with strength training units, plyometric equipment and a floor exercise area, and is designed for children, teenagers and adults.
- Hayling Island skatepark. A new concrete skatepark was built in 2022 to replace old metal and wooden ramps, with quarter pipes, pockets, roll overs and other obstacles suitable for all abilities, delivered by the council with the community-led Hayling Skatepark Project.
- Avenue Road play area. Havant Borough Council scheduled a refurbishment of the Avenue Road play area (PO11 0LY) for early 2024, with a community garden phase to follow. Check the council's site for the current state of the area.
Walks
- Sandy Point Stroll. The Chichester Harbour Conservancy describes a flat 3km (2 mile) shoreline walk, easy but with about a third on shingle. It starts at The Nab car park in Southwood Road (PO11 9PS, pay and display), passes Sandy Point Nature Reserve and the Hayling Island RNLI lifeboat station, and has views to the entrance of Chichester Harbour. The leaflet says the lifeboat crews are usually out practising on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. The route can also be reached by Stagecoach buses 30 or 31.
- Hayling Billy Trail. An off-road route along the old railway; see our Hayling Billy Trail guide.
- West Hayling and Langstone Harbour. The RSPB's Langstone Harbour reserve includes the old Oysterbed lagoons on Hayling's shoreline, reached by coastal paths. There are two small free car parks off Havant Road (A3023): the northern one is about a 10-minute walk from the lagoons, the southern one, by the petrol station, about 5 minutes. The RSPB says there are no toilets on site, no barbecues, and that the reserve is pushchair and wheelchair accessible.
- The Kench. A 6-hectare Local Nature Reserve of saltmarsh and mud on the south shore of Langstone Harbour, owned by Hampshire County Council.
- England Coast Path. The Conservancy notes the King Charles III England Coast Path runs along much of the Chichester Harbour coast, with over 56 miles of public footpaths in its area.
Cycling
The Conservancy's Hayling Island Cycle Route is a flat 26km (17 mile) loop on a mix of cycle track and road, with views over both harbours and the Solent. It starts at the free public car park by The Ship pub at Langstone, crosses the bridge and joins the Hayling Billy Trail, and the leaflet suggests allowing about three hours with stops. It passes North Common car park, where a short walk gives a harbour view towards Emsworth.
Planning a visit
For a quick play stop, Eastoke Corner is the newest. For a flat, easy walk with views, try the Sandy Point Stroll. For birds, head to West Hayling. Dog owners should read our dog rules guide, and the kids guide has more for families.
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