Itchen Valley Country Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Itchen Valley Country Park |
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The visitors' centre
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| Type | Country park |
| Location | West End, Hampshire, UK |
| 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). 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.
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.
The park was established when over 350 acres (1.4 km2) of the site were acquired by Eastleigh Borough Council in 1979. The visitor centre was built in 1990. In 2010 work started on a Go Ape adventure course in the park, which opened in Spring 2011.
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.
Gallery
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The recreation field and playground
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Part of the woodland trail
