FORD: Pigeon House Lane

• Overall Rating: 4
• Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire.
• OS Explorer Map 119, 'Meon Valley. Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham'.
• OS Grid Reference: SU650076
• GPS Co-ordinates: N50 86' 40" W001 07' 80"
• To see: The Chairmakers pub for great food, the beautiful Meon Valley, the City of Portsmouth, the Napoleonic forts of Ports Down Hill.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

DANGER: there is a chance of your vehicle becoming stranded or damaged whilst driving this ford, even in the height of summer! (People have done so, trust me.)

Before even thinking of driving this ford (as you should any other), assess its depth by wading in with a measuring stick. Assess the depth of the water, the force exerted by it (the faster the stream, the more likely your car is to be washed away), and the nature and quality of the ford surface. Weight this against how likely you are to damage the watercourse, whether there is any evidence of damage from vehicles that have gone before, and make an informed and sensible decision whether to attempt a crossing. If there is even the slightest doubt, turn back.

In this instance, the surface consists of a concrete road surface providing easy passage through a tributary of the River Wallington. Take it slow enough to avoid damaging the ford and your vehicle, but just fast enough to avoid stalling the engine.

View Untitled in a larger map