Radford Park — Attraction in East Hampshire

In the heart of Liphook, where the ancient Wey meanders, lies Radford Park, a place of quiet transformation. It is not an old manor garden or a noble estate, but a testament to modern care, where nature and history have been woven anew.

A History of Earth and Water

Before it was a park, this land knew a different life. It was a place of work and necessity, a valley cut by the River Wey and shaped by the hands of man. Here, in the 1600s, the Hooke family, local ironmasters, engineered a complex network of water meadows—a unique and clever irrigation system that fed the land, turning marshes into productive ground. The remains of this ingenuity can still be seen in the faint, grassy ripples of the land.

Later, the land was a place of modern industry's cast-offs. In the mid-20th century, a portion became a landfill, a scar on the landscape created by the realignment of the A3. But in a poetic act of reclamation, a dedicated parish councillor, the late Archie Derry, saw not a dump, but a canvas. Through his vision and the labour of many, the derelict ground was healed, restored, and reborn as the public park we know today in 1983.

Being There in a Poetic Sense

To walk through Radford Park is to move through a living poem.

Here, the world slows to the pace of the river that flows through its heart. The Wey, which once felt the weight of history and the burden of industry, now whispers soft secrets to the reeds and rushes. Its waters, no longer bound by strict channels, meander in a gentle, s-shaped grace, their current a quiet refrain to the birdsong.

The pathways wind and curve, inviting you into a world of dappled light and shade. Beneath the canopy of willows and ancient oaks, a hush falls, broken only by the rustle of a squirrel or the sudden flight of a pheasant. The air carries the scent of damp earth and the green, living perfume of wild things.

You cross over small bridges and find yourself on open ground, a broad, grassy meadow that seems to breathe with the sky above. Here, the light is different—broad and open, stretching to the treeline. It is a place of freedom and of breath, where children run on the ghosts of old fields and dogs chase balls in the open air.

The spirit of the place is one of quiet resilience. It is a park that remembers its past—the water meadows, the muddy tracks, the landfill—but does not dwell on it. Instead, it offers a sanctuary, a verdant embrace for those who seek to connect with a landscape that has, against all odds, been given a second chance. It is a place where nature's patience and humanity's care have conspired to create a tranquil,...

Good afternoon, I had this wonderful idea of having wooden pathways over the usual stoney and muddy pathways ,maybe the unpleasant nature such as spiny bushes can be removed because they don't look nice. I have also noticed that people don't keep their pets on the lead because I personally I am afraid of dogs as in the past I was bitten by a dog . Apart from these notices mentioned the park is peaceful and perfect . Maybe a wooden playground for children would be also nice to have on the big field. A good thought is to also...

A beautiful park where I like to go for a walk. I enjoy looking at the stream from the River Wey which runs through the park and sitting on one of the benches for a chat with a friend. The park forms part of a conservation area for wildlife and nature reserve. My children used to have fun playing and running around the park when...