Draft:Riverside Park, Southampton

Riverside Park is an open green space located in the Bitterne Park area of Southampton, England. The 32 ha site is located along the River Itchen and bounded by the districts of Townhill Park to the east and Swaythling to the northwest. The park's northernmost point backs onto the M27 motorway with pedestrian access to Itchen Valley Country Park. The southernmost point of the park backs onto Bitterne Triangle and Cobden Bridge. Bitterne Park Primary School and Riverside Pre-School both back onto the park.

The watercourse onto which Riverside Park looks is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The park is popular among families, dog walkers and sports teams.

While managed by Southampton City Council, Friends of Riverside Park is a local voluntary organisation, which facilitates the pitch bookings and organise regular litterpicking events. The organisation also promotes the park with events such as Trifest to advertise local vendors, musicians and traders.

History
In spring 1949, the Southern Daily Echo reported ambitious plans to develop a new park along the River Itchen in the Bitterne Park area of Southampton. More open spaces were required with the growth of the city's population. A shortage of building materials in post-war Britain prevented the city council from implementing its plans.

The area was previously an unofficial rubbish tip, mainly in the area of the present-day sports pitches. In 1952, the tip was 8 ft deep with an estimated 130,000 tones of rubbish which included World War II debris from the city's aerial bombardment. The council reclaimed the land between Cobden Bridge and Bitterne Park using 5,000 lorries fully laden with topsoil.

The park formerly had a Pitch and Putt course. In the late 2010s, facing financial difficulties, Southampton City Council removed the £15,000 annual subsidy for the course. Initially, the family of a fairground operator, Cole and Sons, took over the operation to save it from closure. After a year of operation, the high running and maintenance costs led to the pitch being permanently closed.

In 2017, a multi-use games area (MUGA) opened following a £52,000 deal between Southampton City Council and Veolia Environmental Services.

In 2022, Riverside Park received the Green Flag Award. In February of the same year, as part of The Queen's Green Canopy for the Platinum Jubilee, works began at Riverside Park to plant 70 oak trees from Cobden Bridge to the cycle track, funded by Southampton City Council. The trees will stretch to the nearby Southern Water treatment works. In October 2022, two trees were destroyed in a reported vandalism incident; the council confirmed that these trees would be replaced. In 2023, local residents reported that some of the trees were unhealthy while others appeared to have died.

Sports
The park hosts six full-sized grass football pitches, with changing facilities. The local AFC Riverside play their matches at the park. Two cricket pitches, off Manor Farm Road, are bookable through the Friends of Riverside Park. Basketball, netball, five-a-side football and cricket are played in the MUGA, and the park contains a single, hard-surface tennis court.

A skate park is located near Woodmill Lane, consisting of two quarter pipes on one side with single quarter pipe and flat bank on the other. They are metallic in construction on a tarmac base.

A weekly 2 km junior Parkrun event is hosted at the park, open to children aged 4–14. The course starts next to the tennis court and consists of one short and one long lap. The route covers tarmac footpaths, gravel paths and grass.

Fly Fishing is not suitable at the park owing to the footpath along the riverbank. Fishing is available between Woodmill Lane and the White Swan between March and June. The main catch available in the River Itchen in this area is chub, roach, pike and perch, with the occasional grayling.

Woodmill Activity Centre
Located in the northern sector of the park is the Woodmill Activity Centre, which includes kayak and canoe rentals. Raft building and paddleboarding are also available. On land, the centre has archery and laser tag as well as axe throwing. Outdoor activities such as orienteering, building campfires and bushcraft are available.

Miniature railway
The park hosts a miniature railway run and operated by Southampton and District Society of Model Engineers. The track opened in 1962 after Southampton City Council allowed for a raised track for 3.5 in and 5 in miniatures in the area known as Cobden Meadows.

Cycle training track
Situated close to the riverside and nearby playground, the park hosts a cycle training track complete with road markings and signs.

Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds in the park. One looks out onto the River Itchen and parking from Nursery Road. The second playground is off Manor Farm Road next to Bitterne Park Primary School.

Food and drink
The top of the park and river walk is home to the White Swan. This pub and restaurant dates back to the early 1800s and sits on the bank of the River Itchen and off Mansbridge Road. The location of the pub however is susceptible to flooding: most recently in January 2024, the carpet and furniture was wrecked by rain damage. The water levels reached knee height with the car park also completely submerged.

Opposite the activity centre is the Woodmill Coffee Kitchen. The café offers a breakfast and lunch menu of homemade goods.