Stansted Park from Hayling Island: forest walks, maze and house near Sandy Point

Stansted Park is the big country estate north of Emsworth, in the South Downs, and it is one of the easiest half days out from Wittering Sands, our exclusive-use house at 14 Wittering Road, Sandy Point, Hayling Island PO11 9SP. It is roughly 13 miles, or about 30 to 40 minutes by car, up the island, over Hayling Bridge and north between Havant and Emsworth. There is no charge to enter the estate and parking is free.

It works particularly well in late autumn and winter, when the beaches are blustery and you want a sheltered walk, a warm tearoom and something for the children. This guide covers what is open out of season, the forest walks, dogs, and getting there.

What is Stansted Park?

Stansted Park is a country estate with an Edwardian mansion at its heart, set in some 2,000 acres of ancient forest and parkland, run by the Stansted Park Foundation, an independent charitable trust. The postal address is Rowlands Castle, Hampshire, but the estate itself sits just over the county line in West Sussex. The 9th Earl of Bessborough bought it in 1924, and in 1983 the 10th Earl gave Stansted Park, its contents and the Arboretum to the public.

The history goes back much further. The forest is a remnant of the most westerly part of the ancient forest of Arundel, and the estate says it was once home to an 11th century hunting lodge built for Roger de Montgomery, the first Earl of Arundel. The great Main Avenue was cut in the early 1680s, and Capability Brown was invited to work on the grounds in 1781.

What is open in autumn and winter?

The main estate is open every day, all year round, although hours for each business can vary over public holidays. According to the estate, that includes:

• The forest and parkland: the forest car parks are open daily from 8am to 5pm.
• The Arboretum and Dutch Garden: open daily from 9am to 5pm.
• The Pavilion Tearoom: in a restored Victorian glasshouse in the Walled Garden, open daily from 9am to 5pm.
• The Farm Shop and Garden Centre: the farm shop sells food and drink from Sussex and Hampshire producers, and the garden centre houses a second-hand bookshop. Opening hours differ by business, so check before you go.
• The Light Railway: a volunteer-run miniature railway that runs about 850 yards through the Arboretum, open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with seasonal or bad weather closures possible. The railway says dogs on a lead are welcome on the trains.

Stansted House and the Chapel of St Paul are a different matter. Their public season runs from Easter Sunday to the end of September, on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in the afternoon, so in autumn and winter you will only get inside on a guided tour or a ticketed event. The estate's What's On page for 2026 lists guided tours and servants' tours on selected Mondays in October and November, Halloween events at the end of October, and Christmas at Stansted House on several dates in December. Check the Stansted Park What's On page for dates and tickets before you plan around it.

Booked group tours of the house need at least 15 people, so a party of nine is usually better joining one of the public tours.

Is the maze open in October half-term?

Yes. The yew maze, in the Lower Walled Garden, has over 500 yew trees and about a kilometre of hedge standing 2 metres tall. It opens at weekends, bank holidays and school holidays from Mothering Sunday until the end of the October school holiday, from 11am with last entry at 3.30pm, weather and staff permitting. The estate lists the 2026 October school holiday as 26 to 30 October, so half-term week is the last chance until spring. There are giant games and three holes of miniature golf alongside, and a viewing platform over the estate. Children must be with an adult, and the maze is not suitable for large pushchairs or motorised wheelchairs.

If you are staying with us over half-term, our October half-term guide has more ideas for the week.

What are the forest walks like?

The Foundation has opened up more than 20 miles of permitted paths and tracks through the forest, and the woodland alone covers about 1,177 acres. It is a working forest, a mix of conifer, broadleaf and sweet chestnut coppice, with old oaks and beech kept among the plantations and large yews along the escarpment.

For a group, the simplest walk is along the Main Avenue, the long grass ride that runs out from the house, then back through the woods. Wildlife to look for includes fallow and roe deer, with muntjac seen more often lately, and barn owls now breed in the park. The old deadwood also supports a host of fungi, including some rare species. Some conservation and limited-access areas are signposted and change with the seasons, so follow the signs.

The Arboretum is worth a slower loop. It is probably of late Victorian origin, and since the storms of 1987 and 1990 it has been replanted with a focus on spring flowers, autumn leaf colour and winter bark. Most trees are labelled with their name and origin, and there is a dawn redwood, a tree once known only as a fossil.

Can you take a dog to Stansted Park?

Yes, to much of it. The estate welcomes well-behaved dogs on the forest footpaths and bridleways, under close control, and on a lead in the Walled Garden. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the Arboretum, the Maze, the Dutch Garden and the House, and dogs are not usually allowed at public events. The estate asks dog walkers to keep dogs under control because of ground-nesting birds and deer, and to pick up after them.

That makes it a good dry-weather alternative to the beach for dog owners.

What is the Keats connection?

The Chapel of St Paul, beside the house, was built by the Reverend Lewis Way in 1807 on the ruins of the original house, which was attacked by Parliamentary forces in 1644. It is Grade I listed and has an unusual East window with Christian and Jewish imagery. The estate says the poet John Keats attended the consecration on 25 January 1819, along with some 300 people, and later used the chapel's imagery in The Eve of St Agnes and The Eve of St Mark. The chapel opens with the house in season, and booked group tours of the house include it.

How do you get there from Hayling Island?

• By car: drive north up the island and over Hayling Bridge, cross the A27 and head north through the lanes by Emsworth Common. The estate asks visitors to use postcode PO9 6DU and the South Entrance for the main visitor car park, next to the Garden Centre and Farm Shop. Some events have their own parking instructions, so check your ticket.
• By bus and train: Stagecoach 30 and 31 run between the island and Havant bus station, with a stop at Sandy Point Reserve. From Havant station, trains on the Portsmouth to London Waterloo line stop at Rowlands Castle, the next station north. The estate describes a walk of about 2 miles, around 45 minutes, from Rowlands Castle station along the Avenue through woodland and grass paths. Check Stagecoach and South Western Railway times before you set out, and allow for muddy paths in winter.
• By bike: there is bike parking next to the Pavilion Tearoom. The estate asks visitors not to cycle in the Walled Garden, the Arboretum or the grounds around the house.

The Walled Gardens, Garden Centre and Pavilion Tearoom have level access, though some paths in the grounds are gravelled, and there are disabled parking bays in the main car park and by the tearoom.

Is it worth the trip from Sandy Point?

For a big group on a grey autumn or winter day, we think so. It is close, parking is free, and it suits mixed ages: a long walk for those who want one, the maze or the light railway for the children on the right day, and the tearoom for everyone else. Pair it with a stop in Emsworth on the way back. Our Emsworth day trip guide covers the millponds and harbour walk.

For a Christmas stay, the December events at the house are worth a look, and our Christmas and New Year guide covers staying at Wittering Sands over the holidays. Our Around Hayling guide has more local beaches, pubs and walks.

What are the stay details?

Check-in is from 4pm and checkout is by 10am. Wittering Sands sleeps up to nine across four bedrooms and five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms. Dogs are welcome at the house, kept off beds and sofas, and parking is available for four cars. Children aged 2 to 12 are welcome, but the house is not suitable for infants under 2. The minimum stay is usually three nights.

Rates vary by season and length of stay. The live calendar shows the current figure for your dates; this guide does not indicate availability.

How do you book?

Check the live booking calendar for current dates and pricing. If you want to talk through the group, dogs or travel arrangements, get in touch.

Opening times, house tours and events, dog rules, maze and railway days, bus and train timetables and parking arrangements can change. Check Stansted Park, the Stansted Park Light Railway, Stagecoach and South Western Railway before you travel.