National Cycle Route 23

The partially signed route passes through Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Southampton; once across the Solent, it continues through Cowes and Newport and ends in Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

Reading | Basingstoke Locally referred to as the Calleva Trail, this route is an important part of Hampshire's National Cycle Network.

It includes both traffic-free paths and on-road sections, running from Basingstoke Town Centre to Chineham, and continuing along quiet lanes through Silchester and West Berkshire before reaching Reading.

The route follows College Walk across the river, turns right onto Domum Road and then continues onto the old track bed of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway alongside the Itchen Navigation, eventually reaching the Hockley Viaduct.

At this point NCR 23 swings left, crossing Stoneham Lane and through a ford of Monks Brook on Doncaster Drove.

The route continues to follow Wide Lane southwards, past Southampton Airport (Parkway) railway station and the site of the former Ford Transit factory, reaching the A27 road at a roundabout.

NCR 23 crosses the A27 and heads south through Monksbrook Greenway, an area of woodland that once formed the grounds of The Grange, a country house that was located near the road.

NCR 23 then makes its way through the Southampton suburb of Mansbridge, travelling along several residential streets before emerging onto Mans Bridge itself, which the route crosses and turns right into Riverside Park.

The route continues past the Bargate, heading directly south along the High Street and on to Town Quay, where the Red Funnel ferry terminal is located.

From there, there are signs that direct the cyclist towards the Town Quay and along cycle lanes on the pavement of Coppins Bridge roundabout.

Beyond Newchurch lies the village of Alverstone, with a final flat crossing with the minor road there before the route arrives at Sandown, on the edge of town between two holiday camp sites.