Lepe Estate, including the beach, is private property and access is restricted.
The beach at Lepe between the Dark Water and Gypsy Lane has been privately owned by the Lepe Estate since 1879. There is no specific footpath along the beach. Instead there is a general pedestrian right of way across the whole beach down to the low water mark at spring tides. Below this, the river is owned by the Beaulieu Estate.
There used to be a permissive footpath along a wooden revetment on the beach which was installed by Hampshire County Council in 1992. It decided to discontinue this in 2012 and the path was mostly destroyed by a gale on 14 February 2014.
Lepe Estate has agreed the route of the King Charles III England Coast Path along the beach with a roll-back at very high tide along the road. This section of the Coast Path, which forms part ot the 'Lepe Loop', is yet to be approved by the Secretary of State.
There is a public footpath down to the beach from the Exbury/Inchmery crossroads along Gypsy Lane. The public footpath to East HIll Farm can be accessed by a permissive footpath across the field from the western overflow car park of Lepe Country Park.
