The Waterside
Injury assessment, massage and rehab for Dibden golfers and swimmers
Dibden is about 1.2 miles from my clinic in Hythe, roughly three minutes in the car. My name’s Alice Day. Alongside sports therapy I coach strength and conditioning, and I cover pitch-side and event first aid for clubs and events around the Waterside. If your lower back tightens up after a round at the golf centre on Main Road, or your shoulders have stiffened from hours at the computer, I can help you find out why and work out a plan. I also write programmes for people who simply want to get stronger.
About Dibden
From Depedene to Dibden Bay
Dibden’s name is said to mean ‘deep valley’ in Old English, although the village itself sits only a little lower than the land around it. It lies on the eastern side of the New Forest, close to Southampton Water. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it appears as Depedene. Ketil the Steersman held it before the Conquest, and by 1086 it was held by Odo of Winchester. The manor had a saltpan and a fishery, and three of its five hides had already been taken into the New Forest. It was later split into three parts, which William Webbe brought back together in 1594, and in 1862 it was sold to the Romsey Charity Commissioners.
All Saints’ Church on Main Road has a 13th-century chancel and a tower added in 1884. It was bombed in an air raid in 1940, and the architects Pinckney and Gott restored it in 1955.
Over the last century the village has been overtaken by its neighbours: Hythe joined Dibden parish from Fawley in 1913, refinery housing from the 1950s swelled Hythe and Dibden Purlieu, and in 1983 the parish took the name Hythe and Dibden.
On the shore, Dibden Bay was formed largely from material dredged out of Southampton Water. It was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 2001, in part for its invertebrates, which include 21 nationally rare species. Associated British Ports applied in 2000 to build a container terminal and port there. A public inquiry ran from November 2001 to December 2002, and in April 2004 the government turned the plan down, citing the impact on internationally protected wildlife sites.
Places you’ll know
- Dibden Golf Centre
- On Main Road, with a patio that looks over the course to Southampton Water, where you can watch cruise ships sail by.
- Dibden Bay
- A 567-acre SSSI between Marchwood and Hythe, where lapwings nest and wigeon, teal and pintail spend the winter.
- All Saints’ Church
- Grade II listed, at the northern end of the parish, with a churchyard looking out over Southampton Water.
- Dibden Inclosure
- Mostly pine woodland with paths, just off Beaulieu Road near Dibden Purlieu.
Staying active
Golf on Main Road, lengths and forest paths
Dibden Golf Centre on Main Road has an 18-hole par-70 course, a 9-hole short course for a quicker round, a Toptracer driving range and indoor golf. For lengths, gym sessions and classes there is Applemore Health & Leisure on Claypits Lane in Dibden, and the Inclosure paths are close by when you want a walk.
A long session at the range can leave golfers with a stiff lower back, tight hips or an aching elbow. Swimming and gym work load the shoulders, and longer forest walks or rides can bring on knee, hip or Achilles pain if you build up too quickly. An injury assessment pins down the cause, then hands-on treatment, usually sports massage. Myofascial cupping is an option for a stubborn shoulder or calf. Rehabilitation exercises aim to get you back on the course, in the pool or out in the Inclosure.
How I can help
- Sports Massage From £30
A full 18 on Main Road and a session on the range afterwards can tighten up the lower back, forearms and shoulders, and regular hands-on work can help keep that in check between rounds.
- Injury Assessment From £55
If an elbow that started aching on the range, or a knee that niggles on the Inclosure paths, will not settle, an assessment pins down the cause and sets out the next steps.
- Strength & Conditioning From £50
A programme built around your swing, your swimming or your walking is designed to build strength for the things you already do close to home, and the first step, an online consultation, is free.
Also available: Rehabilitation, Myofascial Cupping, Sports Taping, Pitch-side & Event First Aid.
Getting here
Getting to the clinic from Dibden
You’ll find the clinic at 3A Ferryboat House, Pylewell Road, Hythe SO45 6AR, about a mile from Dibden in a straight line, or roughly 1.2 miles and three minutes by road, which makes a run of rehabilitation appointments easy to keep up. Hythe Pier is only a short walk away, and Hythe Marina is close by, as is the village centre. Allow a little longer at rush hour, when the Waterside roads get busy.
Applemore is where several Bluestar routes meet on their way into Hythe. Route 9 links Southampton with Langley, Fawley or Calshot, calling via Millbrook, Applemore, Dibden Purlieu and Hythe before Holbury and Blackfield. Route 8 comes from Southampton via Totton and Pooksgreen to Applemore and Hythe, and the H1 and H2 run from Applemore to Hythe via Dibden Purlieu, Buttsash and Langdown. Check the current timetable with the operator before you travel.
I see people by appointment only. Book online (opens in a new tab), send an enquiry or email mendandmovest@outlook.com.
Also close by: Hythe, Dibden Purlieu, Applemore, Marchwood, Langdown, Fawley, Beaulieu, Totton.
Postcodes covered
- SO45 5
- Dibden village, including Main Road and Claypits Lane
- SO45 4
- Much of neighbouring Dibden Purlieu, along with parts of Hythe
- SO45
- The wider district, which also covers Hythe and my clinic
Services & pricing
Prices
The same prices apply wherever you travel from.
Treatment & assessment
Rehabilitation & extras
Programme costs may vary depending on individual requirements. Please enquire for current availability and appointment location.
Price list with full detailsGood to know
Questions from Dibden
- Can I get the bus from Dibden to the clinic?
- Yes. Applemore Tesco is a stop on Bluestar route 9, which carries on through Dibden Purlieu into Hythe. Get off at the Hythe Pier stop and the clinic is a short walk away. Check the current timetable with the operator before you set off, as roadworks can mean diversions.
- My lower back aches after a round of golf. Is that something you can help with?
- Yes. Back, hip and elbow aches are common whether you play a full 18 holes or spend most of your time at the driving range. First we work out what is driving the pain, then I combine hands-on work, sports massage included, with exercises that build strength and movement for your swing.
- I’ve hurt my elbow at the range. Do I have to stop playing while it settles?
- Not always. It depends on what the injury assessment shows. Sometimes it is possible to keep some golf going, such as nine holes on the short course instead of a full 18, with sports taping to support the elbow while we build strength in the forearm and shoulder, and I’ll set out a clear plan for stepping back up to full rounds and range sessions.
Ready to make a start?
Book online in a couple of minutes, or send me a message if you’d like to talk it through first.