We set off from The Griffin Inn in Godshill in glorious sunshine and strode along the footpath to the woods; these were full of beech trees and emergent bluebells (need to revisit in a week or two). The ground rose steadily upwards and we headed merrily towards Gat Cliff, up a reasonably steep hill. Ha! When we reached Gat Cliff we realised the previous hill had merely been a slight incline - we were faced with 153 steep steps, followed by a stiff climb up another hill, in order to reach the Worsley Obelisk at the very top. However, the effort was worth it as the views across the Island in all directions were spectacular. We stopped a while to eat our picnic and recover our breath.
When we moved on we headed downhill past the radio towers, and eventually came to the outskirts of Wroxall, where the path led us towards the shell of Appuldurcombe House. This is a lovely building, partially restored by English Heritage, set in manicured grounds which themselves are surrounded by less manicured farmland. There were several ancient Beech trees along the route too. The path led us towards Freemantle Gate, the old entrance to the Appuldurcombe estate, and from there past paddocks of Llamas and woolly pigs (honest!). We headed back to the woods and into The Griffin where we stopped for a cuppa while the children played in the maze.
Distance approx. 5.2 miles
Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_1870373.html
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| Views from Gat Cliff |
