The Mansion at Coldeast

The Mansion at Coldeast

We asked Frances of WhyMummyWalks to take us on the 5.5 Miles walk from The Mansion at Coldeast across Holly Hill and the River Hamble.

It looks like it was a treat – follow her on Instagram for more!

I’ve been looking to visit The Mansion at Coldeast since they opened ‘Becketts’ recently. They have an informal dining option at breakfast and lunchtimes serving a great menu alongside coffee and some fabulous home-made cake. The afternoon tea looks pretty awesome too.

The dining rooms are tastefully decorated and retain their period features, right up my street.

There is a conservatory area which welcomes dogs and there are highchairs and children’s options on the menu. The staff are welcoming and enthusiastic about what they do.

In the grounds there are some fabulous, heated pods suitable for friends and family gatherings. Best of all though is that it is on the doorstep of a fabulous and fairly easy walk.

We left The Mansion through the path in the grounds by the fountain and found ourselves in Holly Hill Park – a fantastic facility which I have made a mental note to return to with the nippers one weekend.

You can download a leaflet here https://www.fareham.gov.uk/PDF/leisure/HollyHillLeaflet.pdf

If you didn’t fancy sitting down at The Mansion for brunch, the Holly Hill Leisure Centre car park is home to The Holly Hill Café.

They have tables and chairs outside for warmer days or you can take‐away and escape across the road to Holly Hill Country Park, where there are toilet facilities and car parking. You could start a shorter walk from here.

Wind your way through the park, spotting the grottos, streams, and ponds spending as little or as much time here as you like amongst trees and shrubs from around the world. The paths are not muddy and there are accessible routes for those with wheelchairs or pushchairs.

There is plenty of interest for adults and children alike including a sunken garden, reclaimed by Fareham Borough Council from dereliction.

When we were ready to move on, we made our way through the Wendle Home Nature Reserve to the banks of the River Hamble.

We then followed the river to Warsash, admiring the homes on Millionaires Row and spotting some lovely waterfowl such as Egret, Curlew, Cormorant and Brent Geese, migrated here for the winter.

Warsash has public conveniences, takeaways, shops, High Tides cafe and pubs for pit‐stops, if needed.

Along the quay there are some historic D‐Day landing sites to spot. You could start the walk here too; there is a large village car park (fee applicable.)

Next, we used the road to head back towards Holly Hill, then the quieter Brook Avenue, which runs around the back of the huge waterfront houses.

There is a viewpoint down to the river shortly after re‐entering the park and you are soon back at the car park near the beginning.

The area is a real gem hidden amongst the houses of Sarisbury Green, Locks Heath, and Park Gate. The walk was a perfect tonic after our delicious brunch and cakes at Becketts and we certainly didn’t need lunch!