A Short Detour in Southbourne
In Southbourne there exists one of the shortest yet most picturesque stretches of the Stour Valley Way. In total in cannot be more than 400 meters in length but in that short distance manages to provide some of the finest river scenes you will see anywhere in the world. What's more very few people actually know it's there! Including most of those who live a few meters from its entrance.
The Blue Plaque on the side of the old Victorian printing press commemorating the first publication of Tolstoy's works
As you walk down Iford Lane from Barrack road towards Southbourne, you pass Southbourne Tennis Club on your left then start climbing a slight incline with the road bending round to your right. Keep going until you reach a Victorian building on your left with a tall chimney. It has a blue plaque on the wall celebrating that fact that in 1900-13 Tolstoy's works were first printed here. A group of Russian emigre's/exiles including a Count (Count Vladimir Tchertov) set up a printing press on this site called the "Free Age Press". The building lay derelict for many years then in 1988 was successfully and sympathetically converted into a family dwelling.
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The delapidated gate to the entrance to this short Southbourne section of the Stour Valley Way footpath
A look up river from the entrance to this short section along the River Stour.
Keep walking along Iford Lane for about another 25 meters and you will see a dilapidated entrance on your left to a footpath that actually runs along edge of the River Stour. The path initially slopes steeply down until levelling off and providing a truly wonderful visage on the river.
The path has quite a steep bank on the road side and this tends to significantly reduce the roadside noise which other wise is about the only detracting thing of this path. At the start of the path the river widens out and provides a good turning space for river craft. Most of the properties that form the small group in with the old printing press have mooring s (as you would!) but as this section of the river is at the top of what most would reagrd as the navigable reaches, boat traffic is subdued and occasional..
Along the path by the river Stour walking towards the centre of Southbourne.
As you look out over the river you will see an number small fishing platforms and jetties on the opposite bank. These, on the Christchurch side of the river are on the Meridians Green-space which is an area close to the river and was provided by a developer as part of the packages in order to release land for development. Continue walk down the path and you will soon come to the end where you meet up with the back gardens of a number of house that line the river bank. The path then slopes upward and back to Iford lane. You are about 150 meters from the centre of Southbourne.
Looking down river from about half way along this short 400m footpath alongside the river Stour
Houses along the river push the footpath back to the road. Here's whats beyond.