Lee-on-the-Solent to Southsea, Portsmouth
KC3 ECP Leg Number 19
31st August 2022 – 2nd September 2022
29.0 official miles
32.8 miles walked
Guest walkers:
Ani The Dog
Despite this leg's name, it starts in Lee-On-The Solent, from where it is around 7.5 miles back to Gosport. The first part of the walk is along the coast, overlooking the Solent, teeming with boats. On the occasion we were there, the broken down aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sat forlornly in the water. The route turns inland at Fort Gilkicker, to reach Gosport. From Gosport, the path winds northwards along the harbour front, before turning inland to go round the Royal Naval Base, at which point the path joins the rather busy A32 Gosport Road for a couple of less fun miles. Then round the inlet at Fareham, back down the other side, and round the coast up to Portchester. There's some more busy road walking along the A27, over and under the M27, and then along the side of the M275 into Portsmouth. It's a fascinating walk through Old Portsmouth, to the Round Tower, which is the official finish of Leg 19, but not our end point, as we walked along the front and back down the Southsea to finish by our accommodation.
Day by day
Leg day 1 · Overall day 15
Lee-On-The-Solent to Gosport Ferry
31st August 2022
7.7 miles | 114ft elevation
Leg day 2 · Overall day 16
Gosport Ferry to Portchester
1st September 2022
14.7 miles | 156ft elevation
Leg day 3 · Overall day 17
Portchester to Southsea
2nd September 2022
10.4 miles | 118ft elevation
How we approached this leg
We walked this leg over three days. On day 1 we parked in Gosport, and caught the bus back to Lee-On-The-Solent. On day 2 we caught the Gosport Ferry, and walked from Gosport up to Portchester at the northern side of the harbour, then the bus back to Portsmouth. On day 3 we did the reverse bus journey from Portsmouth to Portchester, and walked back to Portsmouth and then on down to Southsea to reach our accommodation.
Where we stayed
We stayed in trendy Southsea, close to the beach. Lots of fresh air and eateries, and some history besides in the form of Southsea Castle.
Useful links
Places to stop
Drift Southsea
Starting point for our entertainment on evening 1
Algarve’s Grill
Excellent food at this Portuguese restaurant, we ate here on our first evening.
Castle In The Air
Pub stop on day 2
The Jolly Sailor
Pre-dinner drink on day 2
Bonitas
Mexican food on the evening of day 2, with two for one cocktails!
Hilsea Lines Cafe
Nice coffee stop on the morning of day 3, watching the wakeboarding
The Beach Club
Drink stop on the homeward stretch at the end of day 3
The Courtyard at Southsea
Drink stop end of day 3 in The Courtyard of Southsea Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1544
The Briny
Nice seafood restaurant for an end of trip celebration on the evening of day 3
Southsea Beach Cafe
Luxury breakfast on our final morning, though it did lash with rain on us!