Alexandra Park

Alexandra Park sits on the edge of Waterlooville like a proper breath of fresh air - green spaces that feel genuinely wild rather than manicured. It's a nature reserve, so you're here to spot wildlife and wander through habitats that haven't been fussed over too much. Woodland paths, open grassland, and if you're lucky, you'll clock birds and the occasional deer. Nothing flashy, just the real thing.

The walk takes as long as you want it to. Some people knock it over in forty minutes, others spend two hours poking about. There's no entrance fee and no faffing about with gates - just turn up and go. Best visited early morning when the wildlife's actually awake and the place feels genuinely quiet.

It works well for families with kids old enough to manage a proper walk without complaining every five minutes, and genuinely keen birdwatchers will have their binoculars out all morning. The terrain's manageable - nothing steep - so it's not demanding on the legs.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks - Hayling Island Holiday Park is closest at under five miles - Alexandra Park makes a solid morning out before you head to the coast. Fishery Creek Touring Park, the highest-rated of the lot at 5.0, sits at six miles away and offers easier access if you're already parked that direction. It's not going to blow your mind, but as a free, straightforward walk that actually feels like you're in nature rather than a landscaped park, it delivers.