We took advantage of the sunshine, bundled two children into the car and set off for the National Trust car park on the downs above Brighstone. Once there we toddled off down Strawberry Lane, passing the remains of a lime kiln on our right and admiring primroses on our left. After a while we found a footpath and headed across the heath to the Longstone; this is a 6000 year old pair of monoliths which were once part of a neolithic burial mound. I was told, when at primary school, that the one lying down was an altar where human sacrifices took place. Clearly wrong! We took a detour to the top of a nearby hill, where there were also earthworks, to take advantage of a spectacular view along the west coast of the Island; we could see from the cliffs of Tennyson Down almost to St Catherine's Point. Wonderful. We then headed inland, up the downs and eventually into Brighstone Forest where the kids romped among the trees (and found a bivouac made of big sticks), got stuck in brambles, and generally had a wonderful time whooping and exploring. The adults nattered and followed the path back to the car park. Flapjacks and hot chocolate were then consumed and we headed back towards home, having a wee detour to Winkle Street on the way. Very pretty.
Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/account
Distance: 3.75 miles
