River Hamble Country Park is a Local Nature Reserve which runs along the west bank of the River Hamble between the villages of Botley and Bursledon in Hampshire. It is owned by Hampshire County Council and managed by Hampshire Countryside Service. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and of Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is in Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. History The park first opened in 1979 as Upper Hamble Country Park and in 1984 the Manor Farm museum was opened to the north of the site as a Wartime museum. The museum site was once at the heart of the village of Botley. The ancient duckpond in Manor Farm and the neighbouring St Bartholomew's Church are mentioned in the Domesday book. There is evidence of a Roman road running through the site, which would have been the route between the Roman settlements of Clausentum (Bitterne Manor) and Portus Adurni (Portchester). This park is on the site of the former Royal Navy shore establishment named HMS Cricket. Once decommissioned in 1946, the buildings that were left behind by the Royal Navy were used to house citizens of Southampton who were displaced by bombing during World War II. The site was then known as "The Cricket Camp", until 1952 when it was no longer required for that purpose. Most of the wartime buildings have been demolished, but River Hamble Country Park retains a much smaller "Cricket Camp" which is used by Scouts. Facilities Outside of Manor Farm, which is located within the country park on its North West boundary, the country park's facilities are located around two main fields surrounded by wooded copses. The northern 'Toplands' field contains eight barbecue pitches and has a dog training field nearby for locals. The southern 'Barnfield' site contains a kiosk selling refreshments and a play area and is the start of a number of way-marked walks around the park. In 2019 it was reported that Hampshire County Council would be investing £800,000 into the Country Park through the construction of a new visitor centre, replacement of play equipment and the improvement of wayfinding and walking routes across the site. The western extremity of the site, along the access road, includes the location of Cricket Camp Scout Activity Centre, used by Itchen South Scouts