thumb|right|250px|[[Netley Hospital chapel in the Royal Victoria Country Park]]

The Royal Victoria Country Park is a country park in Netley, Hampshire, England, by the shores of Southampton Water. It comprises of mature woodland and grassy parkland, as well as a small shingle beach. It was created in 1970 by Hampshire County Council, after the Royal Victoria Military Hospital that had previously occupied the site, was demolished.

The site also has a park office and tearooms. The building housing this was built using 100 different timbers from around the UK and British Empire. It was originally built in 1940 by the YMCA for entertainment, recreation and relaxation for staff and patients at the hospital.

In January 2014 it was announced that a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £102,000 would be used for restoring the chapel and revealing more detail of the former hospital.

Royal Victoria Railway

The Royal Victoria Railway runs for around through Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, Hampshire, England, with views of Southampton Water. It is run entirely by volunteers. The line is built to the popular gauge of and runs every weekend throughout the year and all school holidays.

Netley Military Cemetery

The Netley Military Cemetery to the rear of the hospital site, primarily for patients of the former hospital, is accessible to the public. Among those buried here are 636 Commonwealth service personnel who died in the First World War and 35 in the Second World War whose graves are maintained and registered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who also care for the war graves of 69 Germans and 12 Belgians from the First and of one Polish soldier from the Second war.

Hamble Rail Trail

The park is the start and end point for the Hamble Rail Trail, a path that follows the Netley Hospital Branch Line out of the hospital, and then along a former BP oil tanker rail line. Once at the end, it follows the Solent Way back to the country park. The path in total is 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometres), with it having steel markers along the route.

The oil tanker line was constructed during the First World War to transport aircraft from Manchester to Hamble-le-Rice.

References

  • Royal Victoria Country Park information from Hampshire County Council
  • Royal Victoria Railway