Totton: Discover Nature, Trails and Culture

Totton offers a range of activities for your stay: wildlife watching at Testwood Lakes, trails between Totton and Eling, and culture at the Hanger Farm Arts Centre. There is also a historic walking trail and archaeological finds from the Bronze Age. You can plan your time here around the things that interest you most.

Wildlife watching at Testwood Lakes

The wildlife you can spot at Testwood Lakes varies by season. In spring, lapwings, oystercatchers and great crested grebes breed there. In summer, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies gather. This gives you a clear distinction when planning your trip: the bird species mentioned are associated with spring, and the insects with summer. Paved paths run around the nature reserve, and there are also two accessible bird hides. This lets you combine wildlife watching with time on the trails, with different seasonal highlights.

Circular walk and trail network

A specific circular walk runs through Totton and Eling and is seven miles long. It starts at Eling Quay, follows the River Test to Nursling, continues through Totton and Testwood Lakes, and returns to Eling. Its length and sequence form a complete route that you can use to plan your walk. The West Totton Green Routes are different: they form a network of trails for pedestrians and cyclists. The circular walk focuses on the sequence of places and the total distance, while the other option describes a network for two ways of getting around. These offer different ways to include trails in your trip.

Boating activities at Testwood Lakes Sailability

Testwood Lakes Sailability offers adapted boating activities for young people, adults and groups. Activities are tailored to participants’ abilities. Facilities include a wheelchair-accessible pontoon with lifting equipment and qualified skippers. This provides a distinct boating activity alongside wildlife watching and trails. Operating arrangements may vary; if you are making specific plans, check with the operator for the latest arrangements.

Culture at the Hanger Farm Arts Centre

The Hanger Farm Arts Centre is located in a converted 18th-century barn. The centre has a theatre, a café and an exhibition gallery. Its programme also offers a range of events, including live music, comedy, theatre and family shows throughout the year. Individual event dates may change, so it is worth checking the current programme before your visit. This lets you combine the history of the building with attending an event or visiting the gallery, while recognising that these are different experiences.

Tatchbury Mount and Bronze Age finds

The historic Tatchbury Mount walking trail starts at the Hanger Farm Arts Centre and leads up to and around the Iron Age hillfort of Tatchbury Mount. The trail passes through wooded areas, where bluebells and other wildflowers bloom in spring. This route brings together a historic destination and a seasonal landscape experience. If you are particularly interested in the spring flowers, this is the season to plan around.

Another historical point of interest is the finds at Testwood Lakes: an excavation uncovered a jetty, a bridge and a Bronze Age dagger. Together with the Iron Age hillfort, these represent two distinct periods in history – the Bronze Age finds at Testwood Lakes and the Iron Age site at Tatchbury Mount. You can treat these as separate historical points of interest for your trip to Totton.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Fleet, Whitehill, Hook, East Meon, Rotherwick, Lower Froyle, Brockenhurst, Liphook

For the wider travel overview: Hampshire.