It was a beautifully sunny January day and Mum and I decided we would take Digby dog to the sea for the first time. I am also doing Country Walking Magazines walk 1000 miles this year and a mini challenge this month was to walk to a lighthouse, so we went for the one nearest to us as we have not been here before.
We parked in Keyhaven opposite the Gun Inn as we wanted to finish our walk here for some refreshments.
Our walk started next to the boat house then along the sea wall towards Hurst Spit. The sea wall was full of different sea birds; big and small, and when the tide is out there are all sorts of sea plants that I am certain you could forage. Digby tentatively dipped his toes and had a small paddle, baby steps plus it must be cold in January!
Hurst Spit itself is a mile long and provides shelter to the salt marshes in Keyhaven, at the end of it is an artilliary fort known as Hurst Castle and Hurst Point lighthouse that directs ships into the Solent. You can either walk the whole of the spit which forms part of the Solent Way or in high season take a ferry from Keyhaven.
Hurst Castle was built by Henry VIII as a coastal defence of the western end of the Solent against Spanish and French invasion. And Hurst Point Lighthouse is still in use today to guide boats into the Western Solent. Both of these places in high season are open to visitors however in January all we could do was admire from afar and enjoy the sea air and unusual sun on our faces.
After going back the way we came we went to the Gun Inn to get lunch, which were very dog friendly. They only serve soup Monday and Tuesday in low season with full menu on other days, however after the cold wind in our faces that is just what we fancied. They also had a great choice of local beers, I had Wight Squirrel, which I thought was delicious.
After today, we decided we'd like to come back here and explore in the warmer months when everything opens up again, and upon looking at the Gun Inn website, I see they sell a birdwatchers guide and a foraging calendar, plus the full menu looks mouth-wateringly good.
