These saltmarshes are well protected from the prevailing south westerly winds thanks to Hurst Spit and form a vital habitat for many species of birds and plants. You'll likely see plenty of wading birds as well as Brent geese, grey plovers, sandwich and little terns, cormorants, merlins and marsh harriers.

There's a footpath that hugs the shoreline, taking you through the marshes and providing outstanding views. The Solent Way and final stretch of the Bournemouth Coast Path also use this path.

Mike Cree

May 5, 2024

Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes is a beautiful area of coastline. The internationally important coastal marshes and mudflats are teeming with fish and, as a result, thousands of sea birds and waders flock here.

The Trust leases the offshore coastal marsh and mudflats to help protect this unique and historical coastal habitat.

Covering nearly 740 hectares between the mouth of the Lymington River and the village of Keyhaven, this coastal reserve offers fantastic views across the Solent to Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight.

Although this is our largest nature reserve, it is not one for exploring but for admiring the stunning vistas.

Visit in the spring to see arriving migrant birds such as wheatear, swallow and tern. Vast numbers of black-headed gull can be found nesting on the islands among the mudflats and open water. Out at sea, cormorant dive for fish beneath the waves.

Listen to the distinctive high-pitched sounds of redshank and oystercatcher as they wade through the marshes, looking for crustaceans, fish and molluscs to feed on.

In summer, discover specialist, salt-tolerant plants among the shingle banks on Hurst Spit. Yellow horned-poppy, sea campion and sea aster flourish here, surviving the salt spray carried on the breeze.

Rona 🐶 + Dad (John)

June 26, 2025

If you're walking with a dog that has a tendency to find mud, I recommend keeping it on a lead on the sea wall if the sea is any distance at all from the wall. Smelly, gloopy mud is present just about anywhere between Lymington and Milford-on-Sea!

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Distance 1.05 km

Uphill 0 m

Downhill 0 m

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Tuesday 14 October

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Max wind speed: 16.0 km/h

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Location: Milford On Sea, New Forest, Hampshire, South East England, England, United Kingdom

Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes

1. Keyhaven Harbour — New Forest National Park

2. Normandy Lagoon Nature Reserve – Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes loop from Lymington Town

3. Keyhaven Harbour – Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes loop from Fox Pond

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