10 Best Things To Do In Hamble Le Rice

Thinking of visiting Hamble Le Rice and want to know more?

We have lived in Hamble Le Rice for over 8 years and love where we live. As a family we travel and live abroad for six months a year, however, home for us is, and has always been Hamble Le Rice. It’s a fantastic village on the River Hamble that has three marinas and two yacht clubs – perfect if you’re into sailing like we are. We all sail, paddle and swim in the River Hamble, and we also enjoy fun activities like crabbing on the foreshore, walking the local trails and spending time with our friends and family. Cliched as it sounds, there really is something for everyone!

We’d love you to come to Hamble Le Rice and experience it for yourself. We’ve put together our guide to tell you more about what makes the village so amazing, a bit about its history and then X fun things to do there. Hopefully, we’ll see you there soon!

1. Take a walk through the village

There are lots of great walks to enjoy in Hamble and most of them are dog-friendly. This is great as we have a dog and love exploring our local area. Most people new to Hamble start by walking through the village itself and of course, head to the foreshore to take in the waterfront on the River Hamble. From there you can also walk right along the shore and, towards Hamble Common which then takes you around the peninsula towards Southampton Water. Or, you can head back towards the main part of the village and onto the Hamble airfield.

The view is of the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble Le Rice from the water. There is the slipway next to it.

2. Relax on the foreshore

As soon as it’s dry (sunny or not) you’ll find people relaxing on the foreshore. This is where the High Street meets the The Quay road. There’s a little car park there which is great if you’re thinking of bringing a paddle board or kayak with you, but it does get very busy in summer! Its the perfect place to sit and watch the world go buy, on a summer day you’ll see lots of people on the water, paddling, swimming or sailing. And on the foreshore itself (the small beach), kids playing and families hanging out. We love nothing more than to head there (whatever the weather) with the kids scooters to burn off some energy and then top them up with an ice cream from The Beach Hut Cafe.

3. Go crabbing

The foreshore is packed in the summer with families armed with crabbing nets and packets of bacon having a go at crabbing. And yes, we’re one of those families! Crabbing is very simple, you pop some bacon on the end of a crabbing line and wait for the crab to “bite” with its claws. Then you slowly lift it up and put it into your bucket of water with some more bacon to nibble on until you release it back into the water. Cam, our son, who is just three years old a bit of a pro at crabbing, and loves it so much that we’re there a few times a week in the summer.

There is a toddler on the quay in Hamble Le Rice and he has a crabbing net in his hand and a bucket of crabs in front of him. Opposite is another older boy who is looking into the bucket at the crabs. There is a man standing behind the toddler as you can see his legs.

You can buy crabbing gear from The Beach Hut Cafe, and if they have run out then the Post Office on Coronation Parade as you come into Hamble also sell them. As well as a crabbing line, net and bucket, you’ll also want to pick up a pack of bacon, there are a couple of Co-op’s to head to, just bring some scissors or a knife to cut it up with.

Top tip from a local: We tried crabbing the winter once. It didn’t take us long to discover that the crabs hide in the mud in the winter to keep warm!

4. Have some paddling fun

If the weather is right, as in sunny and not much breeze, then paddling on the Hamble River from the foreshore is a good fun family activity. You can’t hire them in the village so you’d have to bring your own. We often take ours down there, pump it up in the car park and then head upriver (paddle towards the left once you’re in the water) which takes you to The Jolly Sailor. When you get there you can tie up your board and pop in for a drink or bite to eat. It’s about a mile long and takes around half an hour. We love kayaking with our kids!

If you don’t have your own board then you can hire one at The Paddle Centre at Swannick Marina, and then paddle to Hamble and then back.

There is a woman in a kayak chatting to a little boy who is sat in front of her wearing a life jacket. In front of him is another little boy. Next to the kayak is a woman kneeling on a stand up paddle board and laughing at the little boy chatting to his mother.

Top tip from a local: Always check the tide times before you go paddling. You’ll want to paddle around one hour before high tide and one hour after. That’s because this is when the tide is at its weakest. If there’s a strong breeze and tide then you can get taken along the river. You’ll then find it’s hard work to paddle back to where you started from.

5. Sailing, of course!

Most people know Hamble as one of the main places in the UK for sailing. Interestingly, we live part of the year in Antigua where Carl sails. And lots of people in Antigua have heard, worked in, or know someone from Hamble. If you’re into sailing then Hamble is one of the best places to head to and get onto a boat to give it a go. It won’t surprise you to hear that it’s got three marinas and two yacht clubs. Plus there are more marinas further up River Hamble at Swannick and Bursledon.

If you’re new to sailing there are several schools to head to, we’d recommend Hamble Point Sailing School. For those of you with some experience then you can join one of the many Facebook pages looking for crew. And there are usually places on race, cruising or delivery crews. Or there are ones, where you can say that you’re looking for a place on a boat.

This is an image of the River Hamble and on it are lots of small dinghies all racing each other. The dinghies have red and black sails.

Carl loves dinghy sailing in Hamble River and has a membership at River Hamble Sailing Club. He sails twice a week in the Foxer racing with his friends. It’s great if you want to launch your own dinghy or want to have dinghy sailing lessons. There are also a could of other dinghy sailing clubs outside of Hamble in Netley that sail o Southampton Water.

6. Enjoy some great walking

If, like us, you’re really into hiking and walking then there are some great circular routes that you can enjoy. This means that they start and finish in Hamble Le Rice. One of the most popular is the one that takes you over the Hamble River to Warsash. It then heads back to the village via the Hamble airfield. There is also another great one that goes from the village along the foreshore to the Common. And if you follow it along the waters edge you’ll get to Royal Victoria Country Park and back through the village. Those are two of our favourites and what’s great is that you can take dogs on them too!

There is a foot path in the centre of the image and to the left is a small marsh area with a bridge going across it. In the distance are some trees. This path is part of a walk from Hamble Le Rice to Warsash.

7. Eat at the local pubs and restaurants

Hamble Le Rice is well known for its fun and diverse food and drink scene. I used to work at The King and Queen and it’s where Carl and I met each other. Depending on what you are looking for, there’s pretty much something for most tastes. There are fantastic cafes such as Jenny’s and The Beach Hut. Through to full-on restaurants such as Thaiger Lounge or River Rat. And if you’re looking for delicious pub food then you won’t go wrong with either The Bugle and The King and Queen. Finally, if you’re looking for waterfront views then there is Banana Wharf in Port Hamble Marina. There’s usually a good post-work drink vibe there on a Friday evening.

8. Wildlife spotting

Being on the River Hamble means that there are usually lots of chances to see different wildlife both on the water and off of it. Down on the foreshore, there are different birds and some local swans. If you walk through the common then you’ll also find animals such as deer to spot too.

9. Take the pink ferry to Warsash

When you head down to the watefront in Hamble Le Rice you are bound to spot the brightly painted pink Hamble ferry shuttling passengers over to Warsash and back. There’s been a ferry crossing here since 1493, though I’m pretty sure the original one wasn’t pink! It’s a lovely way to cross the river and you can then walk along the path from the ferry shelter up the river. Turn left when you get off of the ferry and walk up to Swannick. There’s a circular walk that you can do that then takes you back to Hamble Le Rice.

There is a white footbridge on the left of the image that is there to take people down to a floating pontoon on the River Hamble. Parked alongside the pontoon is the pink ferry that takes people from Hamble Le Rice over to Warsash.

10. Play on the beach

There are a few beaches in Hamble Le Rice. There’s the small one on the foreshore next to The Beach Hut which is good fun and perfect for families. You’ll often find us down there playing because it’s a combination of sand and shingle so you can use beach toys there. It’s also free fun in Hampshire, which we like a lot! You can swim in the water there as I’ve been in cold water swimming there quite a few times. However, you’ll need to be aware of the tide and the boats in the area as they can both make it a little unsafe unless you’re a confident swimmer.

There is a little boy in a blue jacket with his back to the camera. He is walking on a shingle and sand beach on the River Hamble. The river is in front of him and there are boats moored in the middle of the river.

Further along the coastline near the Royal Victoria Country Park, there are some other small beaches to enjoy. These have pebble beaches and also aren’t ideal for swimming as they’re tidal. We’ll often take our dog for a walk there as it’s nice for him to be able to go for a swim.

Where is Hamble Le Rice

Hamble Le Rice is a small village is a peninsula on the south coast of England. It’s southeast of Southampton and surrounded by Netley, Butlocks Heath, Bursledon, Southampton Water and the River Hamble.

Its great location on the River Hamble is the reason that it’s so popular with sailors, water sports enthusiasts and walkers. Most of the “action” in Hamble Le Rice is focused on the older part of the village running down to the waterfront. It starts at one end of the High Street at the Church of St Andrew. Runs towards the main square with some local shops. And then down to the waterfront where you’ll find both The Quay Road and Rope Walk. There’s a lovely old cobble road down to the waterfront which really takes you back in time (however, watch out, cars do come along it!). Our son loves nothing more than bombing down the cobbles on his scooter!

Outside of the older part of the village, there are some other great places to head. Such as the marinas, the common which is full of wildlife along the beaches to Royal Victoria Country Park.

Is it Hamble Le Rice or Hamble?

You’ll probably have heard of the village by two names, Hamble Le Rice and is shortened name of Hamble. On the official road sign at the entrance to the village you’ll see Hamble Le Rice which is its correct name. The meaning of the name comes from the land that rises above the River Hamble, “Hamble the Rise”. Which slowly became Hamble Le Rice. However, when you speak to anyone that lives there and it’s simply called Hamble as we all drop the “Le Rice”.

Whilst we’re at it, another little quirk of Hamble is the name of the river that runs past the village. If you follow river naming protocol, then it should be the Hamble River (like most others such as the Avon River, Beaulieu River). However, it’s actually called the River Hamble.

A Brief History of Hamble Le Rice

The early settlement of Hamble Le Rice

Historically, the estuary at Hamble welcomed everyone, from the Saxons invaders to the Jutes then the Danes. The risen piece of land, on the west edge of bank of the River Hamble was a perfect location for a settlement. This was the beginning of Hamble Le Rice. This was also a fantastic landing place for the Christian missionaries, who arrived over from Europe.

At the start of the 12th century, the Bishop Giffard from Winchester had started a small group of Benedictine monks in Hamble Le Rice. Interestingly, at Lent time the monks from Hamble would give 20,000 oysters to Bishop in Winchester. In exchange, they’d all recieve clothes and be given 21 loaves of bread and well as 43 flagons of ale each week. The oysters were collected from the massive oyster beds that had grown for centuries in the estuary at Hamble. We have to assume that the oysters weren’t taken all at once, because that’s a lot of oysters to eat in one go!

It’s early shipbuilding history

It was perfect for mariners because the 13th-century boats could unload their catches from near and far. By the 14th century boat building was well established when the Hamble gave 117 mariners and 7 ships for the Battle of Crecy.

During 1377 the French attacks on the south shoreline saw their defences in Hamble as being easily targeted. It didn’t take long until they had become useless. At that point King Henry V decided to retaliate he picked the William Soper boatyard in Hamble. They made a large part of the production of what was to be King Henry’s great ship, the ‘Grace Dieu’. Today she rest at the bottom of the Hamble river covered in mud.

A busy fishing port

The estuary at Hamble was once a great fishing port, so you can easily imagine what it once would have been like when it was bustling with the fishermen and their families. Families who traded all types of lobsters, fish, as well as scallops.

It became a shipbuilding force to be reckoned with

Hamble boatyard at one point competed with nearby Portsmouth as a sucessful naval dockyard of immense size. Earlier we covered the building for King Henry V of the greatest ship of the time, the Grace Dieu. During the time of King William III, two huge warships were constructed in Hamble. Historically lots of boatyards worked their boat building trades along the shore of the Hamble river, establishing their slipways far out in the water of the busy river. King George II then also had a number of other warships built at the yards of Hamble Le Rice.

This area is still a popular place with sailors and the busy scenes on the quaysides at the weekends are filled with sailors and their boats of different sizes and shapes. Boat yards, marinas and their repair and building workshops are still found in large numbers along the Hamble River even today!

From the sea to the sky

Hamble might initially be most infamous for boat building however, it was also the historical setting for a number of amazing aircraft engineering feats at the beginning of the 20th century. It started in 1912 when a seaplane prototype was engineered in a site on Hamble Point. Then Fairey Aviation founded a factory in 1915, for the explicit manufacture of these seaplanes. Later in 1916 there was factory established by A.V Roe and by 1929 was bought by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. They then founded an Air Service Training (AST).

AST then delivered aviation training to both military and civil pilots. It was then that he Hamble airfield became the location of one of the busiest aircraft training departments in the second world war for planes like the famous Spitfire, as well as the Lancaster Bombers along with the Wellington.

Nearby Attractions To Hamble Le Rice

Visit Manor Farm Country Park which is great for families as kids can get close to the farm animals and then burn off energy in their Play Barn. It’s one of the best things to do with kids in Hampshire!

Take a high speed boat over to the Isle of Wight for the day. It’s possible to take a motorboat and get to the Isle of Wight from Hamble in under 20 minutes. There are quite a few yacht charter companies in Hamble that can arrange to take you there either in a motorboat or a sailing yacht. We’d highly recommend getting boat to Colwell Bay and enjoying a long lunch at The Hut.

Spend an afternoon in the Royal Victoria Country Park. We live near to the walk that takes you from the village into the park. And head there a few times a week because we think it’s fantastic! There is so much to do, there’s a steam train, a few cafes, several play grounds as well as the beach. And if that’s not enough, then it also host a mini festival called Big Eats each year too!

Final Thoughts On Hamble Le Rice

We absolutely love where we live. We’re lucky enough to travel between different towns and countries,. However, Hamble Le Rice is really such a great village that we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. There are so much fun things to do and see there. Choose from crabbing, to paddling to sailing, plus a beautiful village to walk through and nature to enjoy. We really hope that you visit and see for yourselves!

Thinking of visiting Hamble Le Rice and want to know more?