Hayling Island Tourism Birdwatching Hayling Ferry

North Hayling Tourist Information

The northern part of Hayling Island is less touristy but has some of the island s more historic sites. For great views of Chichester Harbour, the Royal Oak pub on the north side of the Hayling Road Bridge is a popular spot.

In the village of North Hayling, St Peter's Church, built in 1140, is a fine example of a typical village church of the Norman period. The three bells are said to be the oldest in England with the tenor bell dating from around 1350 and cast by the Whitechapel Foundry. Traditionally planted yews surround the church and one is said to be at least 800 years old. However the yew tree in the grounds of St Mary's Church in South Hayling exceeds this believed to be almost 1000 years old with a girth of nine metres.

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West Hayling Nature Reserve - Birdwatching

West Hayling Nature Reserve is on the north eastern side of Langstone Harbour. It used to be known as the Oysterbeds as the man-made beds were dug to farm oysters which had started on Hayling Island's shores in the Roman times. When the oyster farming ceased the beds became redundant but it wasn't long before wildlife starting taking them over.

Conservation work has created saline lagoons, an island and the mud at low tide provides important food resources for a range of birds including geese, waders and ducks. The island provides breeding habitat for common and little terns, black headed gulls, ringed plovers and oystercatchers.

The Hayling Billy Trail brings you to the reserve where you can pick up a circular walk alongside the lagoons.

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Langstone Harbour

Langstone Harbour lies between Hayling Island and Portsmouth. It is popular for recreational watersports including yachting, dinghy sailing, motor cruising, windsurfing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and canoeing. Licences and permits are required for water skiing and jet skiing - available from the Langstone Harbour Board weblink right. All vessels using the harbour must pay harbour dues including vessels visiting Southsea Marina. You can also access Chichester Harbour under the Hayling Road Bridge.

Langstone Harbour is also an important wildlife site and a third of the harbour is owned and managed by the RSPB. The mudflats, saltmarsh and shingle ridges provide fantastic habitat for terns, gulls and wading birds such as dunlin, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, redshank and ringed plover. Farlington Marshes Local Nature Reserve consists of low lying coastal grazing marsh that juts out into Langstone Harbour making it an excellent place to do a spot of birdwatching. Not only can you see the birds mentioned above but a variety of rarer migrants have been spotted here including least sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, broad-billed sandpiper, long-billed dowitcher, marsh sandpiper and lesser yellowlegs, wood sandpiper and temminck's stint.

Check the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and HOS weblinks right for more information and access information.

Due to the conflicts with watersports and wildlife the harbour is managed to protect all interests with areas of the harbour restricted to boat traffic. There is a seed limit of 10 knots in the harbour and restrictions on some activities. Check the Langstone Harbour Board website for more information.

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The Hayling Billy Trail

The Hayling Billy Trail is an off-road walking and cycle trail that follows the Old Hayling Railway line from Havant to Hayling. It stretches the length of Hayling Island and is a five mile round trip giving you some fantastic views of Langstone Harbour. The trail is also managed to provide wildlife habitat in the hedgerows and verges and is open to horseriders as well.

The trail ends at Sinah Common in the south of the island not far from the beaches and the prom along South Hayling. Alternatively you can pick up the cycle tail to Southsea via the Hayling ferry to Portsmouth that leaves from the Ferry Boat Inn.

Check the Hayling Billy Trail link right for a downloadable leaflet and map.

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Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Beauty - Birdwatching

Chichester Harbour and its wealth of sailing and watersports is easily accessible from Hayling Island. Chichester Harbour is designated Area of Outstanding Beauty. The terrain consists of shallow lagoons and sandy flats, perfect for watersports, walking and cycling. Both beginner and experienced sailors will feel at home in the area and a choice of sailing training and courses are available from the many sailing and yacht clubs. Thorney Island, the Island of Thorns, which jutts out into Chichester Harbour is today an army base but limited access is available to the public on foot and only on the island's perimeter footpath. Ancient Thorney Church sits on the edge of the island.

Chichester Harbour is not only popular for sailing and watersports but is internationally important for its wildlife, particularly its migrant bird populations. Autumn is the best time to visit for birdwatching. The part of the harbour around Emsworth and Thorney Island provide a range of habitats like saltmarsh and reedbeds. These provide feeding and roosting opportunities for ringed plover, grey plover, redshank, black-tailed godwit, dunlin, sanderling, curlew and greenshank, bar-tailed godwit, shelduck, teal and dark-bellied brent goose as well reed and sedge warblers.

Walking west from Emsworth towards Langstone Harbour you'll see a good variety of the habitats that make Chichester Harbour and the surrounding farmland so important including woodland and freshwater marsh.

If you want to find out more about Chichester Harbour the Chichester Harbour Conservancy organise year round walks and boat trips. These are aimed at all age groups to help people understand why the AONB is so special. Check the link right for more information.

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