Itchen Valley Country Park
BEST FOR
Ages 0-14
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Five free play areas, woodland trails and an alpaca walk to try, all in a park where entry costs nothing.
This is a proper wander-and-play sort of place. Five outdoor play areas are dotted around, each with its own character: The Den has toddler swings and a climbing turret for the smaller ones, Woodlarks has a mud kitchen if you don't mind the washing pile getting bigger, and The Warren is the one the older kids will remember, with its zip wire and big slide. Worth knowing the accessible section of The Warren is currently closed for repairs.
Under-sixes get The Holt, an indoor play area with animal sculptures, useful for the days the sky can't make its mind up. Beyond the play areas there are three trails to pick from depending on how far little legs will go, from a gentle 1.5km Family Trail up to a 2.7km Nature Trail, plus an off-road cycle route through the woodland if anyone's brought bikes.
Entry is free, which is rare enough for a place with this much going on, but you do pay for parking on an ANPR machine, £2.20 for an hour up to £5.20 for four hours or more. The alpaca walks with Hensting Alpacas are the sort of thing worth building a visit around rather than a spontaneous add-on. Saturday mornings bring a free 5km parkrun at 9am too, if you fancy getting there early.
The Woodland Café opens at 10am (9am on Saturdays) and does vegetarian and vegan options along with allergy-aware food, though it shuts at 4:30pm same as the toilets, well before the park gates close at 8:30pm. Portable barbecues are banned over fire risk, so if you want to grill you hire one of the site's own. Dogs are welcome off-lead on the open fields, though they need to be on a lead on the trails and only assistance dogs go into the play areas.
What’s on here
- WED7
Halloween Trail - Spirit Of The Woods
10:00 · from £3 · 120 more dates
- THU8
Walk & Talk Itchen Valley
10:00 - 11:00 · Free · 17 more dates
- FRI16
Go Ape at night! Sundown Adventures
16:15 · 23 more dates
- SAT24
Autumn Market
10:00
- TUE27
Ghost Bunting
10:30
- WED28
Spirit of the woods mask
10:30
- SAT31
Fiends, Flames & Folklore
16:45 · from £10
- TUE3
Little Explorers - Birds
10:30 - 11:30 · from £8
- SUN8
Botanical Print Workshop
10:00
- TUE17
Craft & Natter - Willow Lantern
10:00
- FRI20
Willow Wreath with Star Workshop
09:30
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 0 to 14, though The Warren's zip wire suits the older ones best
- Parking
- ANPR pay machine parking: 1 hr £2.20, 2 hr £3.50, 3 hr £4.40, 4 hr+ £5.20
- Food
- Woodland Café with fresh food, easy-on-the-go options
- Dogs
- Welcome: off-lead on open fields, must be on lead on trails/marketplace/café
- The Warren's accessible play section is closed for repairs at the moment
- Portable barbecues are banned, hire the site's own near the café instead
- The dog wash is card only, so no cash option
- Buildings like the café and toilets close well before the gates do at 8:30pm
Plan your visit
How much does it cost to get in?
Getting into the park is free. Parking is where the money goes, on a pay machine that reads your number plate, from £2.20 for an hour up to £5.20 for four hours or more.
Do we need to book the play areas?
No, all five outdoor play areas are open without booking. Some special events do use timed entry, but everyday visits don't need it.
What's there for a toddler?
The Den has toddler swings, a climbing turret and tunnels, and The Holt is an indoor play area for under-sixes with animal sculptures.
Is there food on site?
The Woodland Café does fresh, easy-on-the-go food with vegetarian, vegan and allergy-aware options. It's open 10am to 4:30pm, 9am on Saturdays.
Can we bring a picnic or barbecue?
Picnics are fine and there are picnic areas with seating. Portable barbecues aren't allowed because of fire risk, but you can hire the site's own barbecues near the café.
Are dogs allowed?
Dogs are welcome, off-lead on the open fields but on a lead on trails, the marketplace and café. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the play areas, and there's a dog wash for £4, card only.
Is it OK for pushchairs and wheelchairs?
All paths are wheel-friendly and the outdoor play areas are pushchair and wheelchair accessible. There's a wheelchair accessible toilet and priority Blue Badge parking too.
How long do people stay?
It stretches from a couple of hours to a full day depending on how many trails and play areas you take on.
What time does the park open and close?
Gates are open 7am to 8:30pm daily, though the toilets and café keep shorter hours, 9:30am to 4:30pm and 10am to 4:30pm.
Can we do the alpaca walks any time?
The alpaca walks run with Hensting Alpacas as a specific activity rather than something you just wander into, so it's worth planning around it.
Is the park open over Christmas?
It stays open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, though the café and toilets are closed those days.
Is there a running club or event on Saturdays?
A free 5km parkrun happens every Saturday at 9am, timed and open to anyone who wants to join.
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