Royal Victoria Country Park
The Royal Victoria Military Hospital was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1855 to treat casualties returning from war overseas. The first patients were admitted in 1863 and during the Boer war (1899-1902) the hospital filled to its capacity of around 1000 patients. In later years additional hospital buildings were added to the site and again it was fully occupied during World War II. Part of the hospital was also used for the treatment of psychiatric patients suffering with serious mental illness.
Following a fire in 1963 the main hospital building was demolished and the last operational part of the hospital, the asylum, closed in 1978.
Read more about the history of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital here.
Also on the plaque there is a flock of Swifts. Swifts are migratory birds who like to nest in the roofs of old buildings and can fly at speeds of up to 69mph. In 2021 Swifts were added to the list of most endangered birds in the UK. Find out more about Swifts on the RSPB website.
This is the second marker post on the Hamble Peninsula Trails. From here it is a 20 minute walk or 10 minute cycle north west along the Principal Trail to Netley Abbey.
In the opposite direction it takes approximately 55 minutes to walk south east along the Principal Trail to Hamble Foreshore, or 20 minutes to cycle there.
The longer trail to Bursledon Station in the north east of the peninsula, takes an additional 75 minutes to walk or 30 minutes to cycle.
You can also use the supporting trails to find your own route either along the coast, or inland visiting Netley, Hamble and Bursledon railway stations, where you will find the Parish Posts designed by artist Madeleine Allison.
Royal Victoria Country Park