Wootton Circular Walk

Yet another windy February Day on the lovely Isle of Wight, so we headed for Wootton with two teenagers. As my friend had new boots we decided to do a short walk to break them in. The Ramblers had written a route of three miles so we decided to follow that.

We parked the car in Brannon Way, and headed off up the road via Mary Rose Avenue until we got to Station Road. Here we turned left, and then left again into Packsfield Lane, following it as far as the railway track for Isle of Wight Steam Railway. We crossed over and followed the pathways through extremely muddy fields full of sheep, and some damp but less muddy woodland; as we entered the field we watched a farmer rounding up his sheep with an apparently incompetent sheep dog in the neighbouring field, who were being watched in turn by a flock of geese. After a while we came to another railway crossing. On the other side of the crossing was a solid path leading through woodland and past fields, covered in leaf mould and little rivulets of water all the way back to Wootton Bridge. We stopped on the way to inspect an ice house that belonged to the Fernhill Estate, the house of which burned down in the 1930s. We also paused to watch three buzzards circling overhead in the strong updrafts that were preceding the coming storm.

This was a lovely walk, with signs of spring approaching - daffodils and catkins mostly, and some lovely winter-flowering cherry blossom. On the final stretch was woodland and a wildlife reserve that need further exploring on a less stormy day. On the way back we stopped for another cup of tea at Briddlesford Farm's Bluebell's Café. Cos we could. Oh yes, we DID NOT GET LOST. Not even once. Whoop whoop!

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4243651.html

Distance: 3 miles

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Ice House Information

Mud glorious mud!