Brook Meadow Walk, Emsworth

A lovely area I came across by chance one day, when looking for a flat relatively easy shortish doggy walk for my husband who suffers with his knees. We do a circular walk, starting from the far end of the car park, walk over the bridge, and turn left down the steps into the start of the trail. Walk through the woodland area until it opens out and up onto raised gravel paths.

It is a wetland area, hence the raised path for the winter or wet months. If dry, we walk straight over path into the meadow area, and let the dogs off the lead to run around a bit. Walk straight ahead to far right corner of meadow, where you come to a railway bridge and stream ( and glimpses into a fab garden under the bridge that the stream runs through.Continue left along gravel path, where dogs usually like to go in the stream, and continue round until to get to the pedestrian bridge out of the meadow. Dogs back on lead, walk to gate and turn right, going north along the path and under the railway bridge. A short distance after the bridge, turn right again down a twitten, which goes between two lovely private gardens, one wild, one landscaped (which you peeked through the bridge arch earlier).

Continue to another bridge over the river, and ponder there for a minute to view the amazing garden of Lumley mill on the left, which is the most amazing property. If you go left over the bridge, you can have a quick walk past the mill and garden, which is well worth a look as is stunning (you can continue that way for an extended circular option). After a peek of the fab Lumley mill, go back south down the lane, past some beautiful cottages on the right, who have the stream running past their front gardens. A short way past there, their are two tracks on the right. The first path, go down and turn right onto path into Brook meadow again. The second track further along takes you over a wooden bridge, but ends up further down past the Brook meadow access, but still on the continuing path of track one.

On this walk, go down second track, over the bridge, and walk past another fab house on the right with their own lake, then continue down the path with another large pond on the left. Walk to end of the path and turn right, continuing on path to the start of the Brook meadow trail, then bridge and car park. If you go under the subway before the bridge, you can walk around the equally stunning Slipper pond, which is also circular and ends up (or can start) at the Lord Raglan Pub, which are very dog friendly, and do great food, especially the sunday lunch!