A place for walking and enjoying nature, heritage, and conservation.
Lepe Country Park is a beautiful coastal park featuring a mile of beach, pine fringed cliffs, and historic D-day remains. It’s popular among tourists to the New Forest due to stunning views across the Solent and Dark Water estuary and is a haven for nature lovers. Additionally to the beach, where people can search for seashore crabs and children can make sandcastles, there are woodlands, an accessible sensory garden, and a lovely restaurant to enjoy panoramic views with something to eat and drink. It is open throughout the year and has several groups that run out of the park, all of which benefit from the unique landscape.
Activities available
Numerous groups meet every week, offering activities from walking and birdwatching to volunteering. These have been listed below.
- Wellbeing walks – run every Thursday for around 90 minutes from 9.30am to 11am. These are led by rangers at Lepe Country Park and aims to be as inclusive as possible with walkers able to walk at different speeds. The group will usually go to the Lookout restaurant for a hot drink and a chat after the session. Parking for people attending the group is free.
- Birdwatching – runs every Wednesday from 9am. The birdwatching group spends time in teh hide, reached using the sensory trail and is fully inclusive with individuals who use mobility scooters able and encouraged to attend. The group will usually go to the Lookout restaurant for a hot drink and a chat after the session.
- Thursday volunteers group – runs Thursdays between 9am and 3pm. The aim of this group is to encourage people to get involved in conservation work and is suited to individuals who may need some support. The volunteer group may join with the wellbeing walk group on occasion and can be involved in survey work, conservation tasks, and helping the visitor centre. Potential participants are welcomed to join rangers at Lepe prior to joining the group to discuss involvement.
Friends of Lepe
Friends of Lepe (FoL) is a group of volunteers who support the Lepe staff team by carrying out conservation management and other maintenance tasks in the park. One of the proudest achievements of Friends of Lepe is the creation of the Sensory Cottage Garden which they continue to maintain. In addition to this FoL can also help with events for both adults and children held at the park, provide support to the reception desk at the Lookout, carry out wildlife surveys, litter pick, and generally act as ambassadors for the park. As a member, for just £5 a year you can also get four newsletters about the park, with upcoming events and projects, can attend meetings and events such as evening talks, guided walks, and social events.
What participants at Lepe Country Park can expect
- There are various groups based out of Lepe Country Park that interested people can choose between to suite their needs, interests, and schedules. See ‘activities available’ above for details of each.
Where sessions take place
- Groups are based at Lepe Country Park, but specific locations will depend on individual activities. The address for the park is Exbury, Southampton, SO45 1AD.
When sessions take place
- The day, time, and length of sessions varies depending on the activity. See ‘activities available’ above for details of each.
- It is worth noting that Lepe Country Park and the Lookout is open from 9am until 5pm April to October and from 9am to 4pm October through to April.
Who can participate?
- Lepe Country Park is open for all to enjoy the surroundings.
- The wellbeing walk lasts around 90 minutes so is best suited to those who can walk for that length of time and are alright with mixed terrain. Children would not be able to participate unless the are supervised by an accompanying adult.
- The birdwatching group is open to all adults over the age of 18. The route to the hide is fully accessible so individuals that use mobility scooters are encouraged to come attend.
- Thursday volunteer group is open to all. The group has been designed to run with small numbers so that individuals who may for whatever reason require some support to attend be able to access and benefit from the group. Prior to joining the group, it is essential for volunteers to meet the ranger staff so that they can best support their needs.
- Friends of Lepe is open to all adults. The work can involve handling sharp tools and be on uneven terrain so anyone who is keen to volunteer should bear that in mind when considering.
Cost:
- Free
- If you wish to join Friends of Lepe membership is £5 per year and includes four newsletters amongst other benefits.