Guest Post: Buggies and Benches

I was asked to write a guest blog piece for https://www.mumonanisland.com/ about walks for young families. Here you go!

"Well, it has been many years since I had to consider walks suitable for pushchairs, or the availability of benches for sitting and feeding babies on. However, I'm up for the challenge, so have taken my pregnant chum out for strolls so that we can assess some walks.

The first thing that struck me is that we have an abundance of esplanades on the Island, with benches, flat(ish) pavements and, bonus, public loos. One of my favourites is the walk from Ryde to Seaview; there are benches at regular intervals (the ones approaching Seaview are particularly lovely), the paths are solid all the way along and generally wide enough for a big buggy, and assorted adults and children to walk abreast. There is also Appley Beach; sandy and perfect for sandcastles, and when the tide goes out it stretches for miles and the sea stays shallow. Perfect for toddlers to explore. There is also a play park near the tower, and a paddling pool next to the boating lake. If you need a bit of revitalising there are several cafes along the way, and I can personally recommend the tea and cake at The Dell Café.

Cowes to Gurnard is another favourite; the beach isn't sandy apart from a small patch at Gurnard, but if your child likes throwing stones into the sea, the beach is perfect. The path is wide, though not always level from Egypt Point Lighthouse. There are benches and shelters all the way along, and refreshments at regular intervals; lots of pubs in Cowes, then the ice-cream shop near the green, and at Gurnard is the marvellous Waterside Café, and The Woodvale pub. Public loos are available on the Parade at Cowes, above the Green near the ice-cream shop, and on the Green in Gurnard. There is also an excellent play park on Gurnard Green, and the green itself is excellent for running up and down, and for rolling down hills. The beach is pretty good here too, and popular with families.

Totland Bay to Colwell Bay is a short walk, with cafes at both ends; I don't recall many benches but you could sit on the sea wall quite comfortably. The walk could easily be extended to go to Fort Victoria, although there may be patches of path that would be tricky for a buggy. However, there is a good path from Fort Victoria going through woodland with lots of space for running about and squirrel hunting. There's a nice café and loos at the fort too.

The walk from Yaverland to Shanklin along the esplanade is another good one. The majority of the walk is flat, there are multiple cafes and ice cream stops in Sandown and Shanklin, public toilets at regular intervals and lots of benches. Sandown Bay has some of the best beaches on the Island, perfect for paddling and making sandcastles. If your little ones like dinosaurs there is also the Dinosaur Isle museum at Yaverland, near the Isle of Wight Zoo (tigers and lions mostly).

Ventnor to Bonchurch is another lovely seaside stroll. Ventnor esplanade has plenty of cafes, benches and public loos as well as a pleasant, shingly beach. There is a paddling pool at one end too. The stretch from Ventnor to Bonchurch is along the base of cliffs with no facilities, but you could sit on the seawall if needed. The walk could be extended from the Spyglass Inn by walking up the hill and through the car park, to a green space above the sea. The footpath leads round eventually to Steephill Cove but you would have to negotiate several sets of steep steps before that. 

There are also walks inland; the Cowes to Newport cycle track is a lovely walk, but there are no benches until you get to Dodnor picnic site, near the end. You can continue into Newport and stop at the Bargeman's Rest pub or the Quay Arts Centre; loos at both, or there re public loos on Newport Quay. A similar walk is on the Sandown to Newport cycle track; again, not many benches and no loos, but a lovely walk with lots of paths going off the sides. There is a nature reserve at the Sandown end too which is worth exploring. At the Newport end there is a sculpture trail, which is rather lovely. 

The River Yar at Yarmouth is another pleasant walk; this one goes along the riverbank and through woodland. There's lots of space for little ones to run about, and there is the occasional bench if memory serves me correctly. The walk does go round the river on both sides but I think the second side is less suitable for pushchairs. It is worth going as far as the Red Lion pub in Freshwater, although you may need to book if you want to eat. In Yarmouth itself there are several lovely cafes which are child friendly.

If you have an all terrain buggy Parkhurst Forest is worth a visit. The main paths are usually fairly solid (not tarmacked), and there is lots of space for little ones to run about and exhaust themselves! There aren't many places to sit, but there are occasional benches on the main paths, as well as some fallen trees, and there are benches in the squirrel hide. Firestone Copse near Wootton is similar, but with less benches."

November and December 2017

It has been a quiet couple of months as I have been struck down with viral vertigo and unable to do much. Christmas was spent quietly with family, starting off with candlelit Nine Lessons and Carols at St Mary's Church, then a week later the Nativity at Holy Trinity Church, followed by Midnight Mass at St Mary's. I hadn't been to Midnight Mass for years and it was really rather lovely.

Yesterday I dragged a friend out and we went for a soggy stroll around Newtown (I always forget how wet it is in the winter), followed by a delicious cup of hot chocolate at the Cow Co. at Tapnell Farm. Lovely! 

Today I went to the Quay Arts Centre in Newport for their Sunday Recital; this was Paul Armfield and friends and jolly good they were too! Paul was joined by, among others, Tom Thorne on piano, John Thorne on double bass, Wilf Armfield on drums, JC Grimshaw on guitar and mandolin, Angelina Grimshaw on guitar and vocals, other Grimshaw's on violin and guitar, and some extremely talented chaps on violins and mandolin. The start was slightly shambolic, but as more people joined in everything came together and a lovely time was had by all. A great way to spend a damp Sunday morning ( and the tea was good too!).

Wild Nights Out........October

Isle of Wight Cantata Choir

This concert was held at Ryde Methodist Church, a glorious building that I had never been inside before. The church was fairly large, with balconies both sides held up by decorated pillars and faced with painted ironwork. Straight ahead, and above the congregation, was the decorated paperwork for the church organ. Lovely. The concert was jazzy and bluesy. The first half saw a rendition of Bob Chilcott's 'Little Jazz Mass', followed by two solos from the visiting soloist Joanna L'Estrange, and a clarinet solo of a Gershwin medley by local music student Joshua Attrill. The second half gave a performance of Will Todd's 'Mass in Blue', which I enjoyed very much. The soloist was super, and for once was able to address the audience, which was nice. Another pleasant evening out!

 

Isle of Wight Literary Festival
I bought tickets to go and see Professor Jim al-Khalili talk about the new book  that he has edited, about science in the future. This was very interesting, and well attended. I came away with two books, and a signed copy of a Quantum Physics book that I had brought with me. Lovely chap!

Family Get Together

Another trip to the North Island, this time to Winchester for a gathering of the clan to celebrate my Mother's birthday. Several of us arrived early so met at the Cathedral and had a cup of tea in the Refectory Cafe, before heading to the restaurant to meet everybody else. The restaurant in question was the delightful Chesil Rectory; this was a pre-reformation building that had had a number of uses over the centuries, but had been a restaurant for the past 85 years. We were given a large side room and served the most delicious food. I had carrot and cumin soup, followed by lamb (fell apart, yum!) with chickpeas and chorizo, followed by sticky toffee pudding - my brother in law was rapturous about this, and I wasn't far off. Scrumptious! The finale to the meal was a wonderful birthday cake created by my brother-in-law's daughter at Three Little Birds Bakery. Looked and tasted delicious!

After several hours, some of the party headed home, and the rest of us waddled to our cars and headed down to Dorset to the Hoburn Naish holiday park in New Milton. We spent the evening in a cabin, eating more delicious food and telling silly family stories until we all needed to retire.  The following morning began with a leisurely breakfast, and then a stroll along the beach towards Highcliff and back. Glorious views along the coast towards Muddiford, and towards Barton-on-Sea, and across the water to the Island and the Needles.

We all headed home early afternoon, and us Island people managed to get an earlier ferry back thankfully. Tired but happy.

London 2017

Much as I love our beautiful Island, I felt a desperate need to leave it behind for a few days, so the teenager and I packed our bags and headed to the big smoke. After a straightforward journey (despite misreading the red jet timetable) we arrived in Camberwell, ambled to my sister's house through big piles of London Plane leaves (of course we kicked through them!) and spent a pleasant evening eating lovely food and watching 'Keeping Mum' on DVD (recommended).

Next day the sister had to go to work, so the teenager and I bravely jumped on a bus on our own (not sure where we had to get off), and beaded for the Horniman Museum. It was somewhere we had wanted to visit for ages, and we imagined it would be less crowded than the Kensington museums. It was, but was still full of shrieking toddlers; we couldn't really work out why you would take a toddler to a museum as they don't stand still long enough to take anything in! Maybe we're just old farts. However, the main galleries of the museum were fascinating, and full of Victorian examples of taxidermy showing creatures from all around the world. There were also fossils and skeletons. The centrepiece was a huge walrus which had been stuffed by a taxidermist who had never seen one, and thus got rid of all the wrinkles and bumps! Spectacular nonetheless. A major curiosity was an example of a 'merman', brought home by a gullible sailor, and made up from wood, paper and fish scales. The stuff of nightmares! We didn't go to see any of the extra exhibitions as the card machine wasn't working and we had no cash. We bought baguettes at the café (tasty) and afterwards we mooched around the gardens, also full of screaming children. Pleasant though. Worth a visit.

On day 2 we hopped on the number 40 bus and hopped off again at London Bridge. We headed towards St Paul's Cathedral, and found Cafe 101 at the Salvation Army International HQ in Great Victoria Street, next to the Millennium Bridge. After a cheap and tasty lunch we crossed the Millennium Bridge, pausing to admire the views up and down the river and also to admire the teeny tiny pieces of art painted on the floor, on chewing gum. Sweet! We turned left at the end and mooched along the south bank of the Thames, passing the Globe Theatre and, later, the replica of the Golden Hinde, through Hay's Galleria, before coming to Tower Bridge, opposite the Tower of London. Here we decided to do the tourist thing properly and bought tickets for the 'Tower Bridge Experience' (student discount too!). We got in a lift to the top of the north tower, watched a short film about the construction of the bridge, then proceeded along the walkway and stood on the reinforced glass floor gazing at the traffic and river below. Thrilling! After completing both walkways we descended to street level, found the gift shop and then explored the Engineering exhibit (lots of engines). Once finished we bimbled back along the river to London Bridge and caught the bus home. Lovely, bimbly day!

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Engine at Tower Bridge

Globe Theatre 

Wild Nights Out..... September

Shanklin Chine

We decided to end the summer holidays with an evening visit to Shanklin Chine; this meant that parts of the chine were illuminated with ever changing coloured lights and looked delightful. We had a lovely time pottering along the paths, and admiring the view over the English Channel with the lights of container ships glittering on the horizon. Definitely worth a visit if you are down that way.

Mark Steel's In Town, Ventnor Winter Gardens
I was allocated a couple of free tickets to this by the BBC and had a lovely, giggly evening with a friend, listening to Mark take the piss out of Ventnor and the Island #nitonnotnitten #microclimate

Isle of Wight Day
We got more involved than usual with this, although not by much! We started with a visit to the library to peruse the book sale and cake stall, and then headed to Newport to look around the Mosque which was having an information day. A team had come down from Regent's Park Mosque in London and set up some interesting displays about the history of Islam and its culture. There were some very helpful chaps on hand to answer any questions and explain a bit more, and I got free dates (fruit) and a bottle of water. Very pleasant and informative.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Took teenager to the flicks to watch the lovely Colin Firth and chums in action. Not as good as the first film, but still very enjoyable. Worth a watch.

Wild Nights (and days) Out...... August

Fireworks and Jet Planes

As it was the end of Cowes Week, we pottered down to Holy Trinity Church, laden with blankets, card games and coffee, and sat in the churchyard waiting for the evenings entertainment. This began at 7.30pm with an exciting display by the Red Arrows; I still get as excited as the average four year old by supersonic aerobatic display teams and squeaked with terror when the planes appeared to be getting too close to each other during fly pasts. I enjoyed myself and embarrassed the teenager, so all was good! At 9.30pm the annual fireworks display began, and there followed twenty minutes of exciting bangs and crashes and pretty lights in the sky. It always feels as though the whole Island turns out for this event, and the streets were certainly crowded with families, groups of sailors and wandering gangs of teenagers (who seemed oblivious to the fireworks). Lovely atmosphere as usual, and the church were doing a roaring trade in bacon or sausage sandwiches, tea, coffee and cake. Perfect evening!

Red Arrows heart

Chale Show
This annual, two day event is a much glorified village show; however, instead of the village hall there are several marquees full of local arts, crafts, food, bric-a-brac, poultry (fabulous! I'd like a black silkie please!), metal detectorists treasure, political parties, and, of course, entries for competitions such as best cake, vegetables, photography and amateur art,and children's competitions such as best Lego village, best handprint on a plate, and rice crispy cakes.  Outside are more stalls selling plants, cars, antiques, as well as charity fund raising. There are also many burger vans, a collection of vintage tractors and various ancient engines (interesting). Finally, there is an arena where you can watch falconry, horse back stunt riding, quad bike stunt riding, and the ever present Randini Magic Show.  There is also a stage with live music. To top it off, the venue is a field on the edge of the village rather close to the edge of the cliff, with stunning views along the west coast.

Fastnet Race
I didn't realise this was on and went for a quiet walk along the seafront, and ended up elbowing my way through the crowds in order to get anywhere! The Parade and esplanade at Cowes were thronged with spectators, and the cannon at the Royal Yacht Squadron blasted at regular intervals as the various starts took place. I watched the bigger yachts set off, which was very exciting, as the Solent was crowded with vessels getting in the way, which in turn were being buzzed by a helicopter and a drone, both filming I think. Nice start to the day.

Sailing
I was given the opportunity to spend the day on the 'Spirit of Scott Bader' catamaran with friends and spent a lovely day pootling about the Solent. We started from Yarmouth Harbour and sailed towards the Needles, passing through the narrows at Hurst Castle; this section was rather lumpy and we encountered a couple of squally showers. Consequently one of our number went a bit green. Not me! We headed along the coast past Hurst Castle, and eventually got to the Needles where we turned round. This section was much smoother, and we pottered around heading towards Newtown Creek before turning back to Yarmouth. Lovely day, and I got a couple of chances to steer the boat (without crashing) and also had a go at winching a rope (I think there was a more technical term for that!). I have less upper body strength than I thought. Excellent way to spend the day.

The Needles

New Forest Wildlife Park
A day trip to the North Island took us to the New Forest Wildlife Park not far west of Southampton. We spent the day admiring otters, lynx, exotic butterflies, wallabies, boar, bison, deer, owls, and wolves (awesome!). The kids had a great time playing in the various playgrounds too. Lovely day with the family.

Cowes Illuminated Carnival
Very similar to the daytime one in July, but everyone wore Christmas lights. It was a bit shorter too, but still entertaining.

Shalfleet to Bouldner

Having been cooped up for three days with a rotten cold, I felt an overwhelming desire to go for a stroll this afternoon. It turned out to be quite a long one.

I parked at the free car park in Mill Lane, Shalfleet, headed back to the main road, turned right at the pub and followed the road past Shalfleet Manor until I found the footpath on the right. The path led over a stile and around a wheat field, As I walked round the edge small brown birds kept exploding out of the crop and into the hedgerows tweeting madly. At the corner of the field was a wooden bridge across the creek, followed by a railway sleeper in the mud, and then the path led into a wood. I lost the path briefly (hadn't read the map properly, surprise) but found it and followed it until it met a wide farm track which led down to the end of Western Haven, an arm of Newtown Creek. Here was a stone bridge and I paused a while to watch fish swimming lazily below, canoers and a wild swimmer (bright orange) in the creek, and a couple of buzzards that were circling and calling above. Gorgeous.

The track continued for a long while, and I took the right hand fork when it split, and followed it down past Creek Farm and Lower Hamstead Farm. Here the path continued along a private lane to a small quay for small pleasure boats, with stunning views across the entrance to Newtown Creek, the Solent and the Hampshire coast beyond. I backtracked slightly and picked up the coastal path again, newly graveled at this point. It soon came out on the very edge of the creek so was muddy and slightly precarious in places. There were boardwalks every so often to get across the muddier parts, and I was able to pause and contemplate lots of crabs scuttling about in a shallow pool for a while. Lovely.

After this the path led along the edge of a field, through a copse and down some steps to a shingle beach, which I tramped along for a few minutes until the path became turfed. Just off the path was a small memorial in the form of a Celtic cross to three young men who had been lost at sea nearby. Unexpected and rather lovely. The path led uphill parallel to the beach, past some landslip and farmland before coming out at Hamstead Farm. At this point I was greeted on the track by some loud farm dogs - not overly friendly animals, but neither were they showing any intention of biting. They ran off eventually and I continued on my way. The oath continued until it got to a 'proper' lane, and then the coastal path turned right across a field so I followed it, and through a recently cut hay meadow, until I came across houses at Seaview Road. More noisy dogs here, but they were behind a wire fence so I ignored them.

Soon after the path continued into Bouldner Forest and continued along the cliffs past Bouldner battery, and down to the sea via a boardwalk through a reed bed. Nice. Just after this the path split; you could continue to Yarmouth or turn left and follow a lane to the main road and a bus stop! I was tired by now, having had little exercise this week, so turned left and found a bus stop at the top of the lane. After a twenty minute wait (it could have been an hour) the bus turned up, and transported me to Shalfleet, where I retrieved the car and went home!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4602400.html 

Distance: 6.7 miles

Newtown

A lovely walk today, and not too taxing in the summer heat (remarkable considering the miserable weather of the last week). I met a friend in the main car park at Newtown and we ambled along the road past the old Town Hall, and shortly after turned onto a footpath leading along the creek. This crossed a couple of fields, then led through a wooded path and back onto the road.opposite the church. A little way beyond this was a path leading past an old house and down to the Mercia Seabrook bird hide, which we popped into briefly; it had a few people searching for birds on the wetlands and woods beyond, and we decided not to stay. Instead we walked across the field next to the hide and across the wooden footbridge to the remains of Newtown Quay, then out along a strip of land that jutted into the harbour. We stopped here for a bit, admiring the view and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere; there were few people around and we were surrounded by sea and countryside. Absolutely lovely.

We retraced our steps to the quayside then walked round the salt pans and across the field back to the road, and then onto another footpath behind the church, back to the road and along to the ancient house known as 'Noah's Ark'. This is, I think, the oldest building in Newtown and was at one time a pub, and has been many other things too. On the front is a plaque bearing the name 'Francheville', which was the medieval name for the, then, town and translates to Free Town. The plaque displays a picture of a boat and a lion, and is where the current name of the house comes from.

We went back down the road a little and picked up a footpath that led through fields and across the road to Walter's Copse. This is a lovely little copse, full of wild flowers and peace; we didn't walk all the way round it as intended, as we missed a side path. When we came out of the copse, we followed Town Lane back to the car park, and then went to the Town Hall and looked round inside (£4 a head). Upstairs were various pieces of antique furniture, clocks, Hogarth prints, a replica of the town seal and a magnificent fireplace. Downstairs, via a twisting, cast iron staircase, was a cool room with a history of the 'Ferguson Gang', a formidable group of ladies early last century, who bought various properties around the country, including Newtown Town Hall, and presented them to the National Trust. I suspect that I would have liked them immensely! There was also an ancient ring-dial telephone where you could dial up various oral histories of the area, and copies of ancient documents about the town.

Once finished, we followed the lane down to the 'main' road and headed for Shalfleet where we had tasty sandwiches at the New Inn before heading back to the car and then home.  It is amazing that this unassuming village with its wonderful wildlife and countryside was once the most important town on the Isle of Wight. 

Old Town Hall, Newtown

Route: (roughly) https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4596372.html

Route we meant to take: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/newtown-national-nature-reserve/trails/enjoy-the-estuary-newtown-walk 

Distance: 5.5 miles

Parkhurst Forest

I dragged the teenager out for some fresh air this afternoon, and headed for Hillis Gate Road and one of the entrances to Parkhurst Forest. We ambled through the trees, taking random turns along side paths and putting the world to rights. Some of the side paths were very muddy in places, due to all the recent rain, so we didn't stay very clean; however I enjoyed all the verdant greenery on the verges and in the woods, as well as the many fungi we saw along the way. The teenager wasn't particularly bothered by the 'nature'. Ah well.

We were accosted several times by a variety of bouncy, cheerful dogs and their apologetic owners but didn't see a great many other people. I have no idea of the route we took, other than we didn't get to the squirrel hide or the main car park!

Quarr Abbey to Cowes

Another stretch of the coastal path today, starting with delicious tea and cake at Quarr Abbey Tearooms. My friend and I had been given a lift to the Abbey by my Mother, who also had tea and cake, so that we could walk back to Cowes.

Once the cake was eaten, and the piglets had been admired (obligatory), we set off along the path. This was lovely, and led eventually to Fishbourne Lane, coming out just by the pub beyond the ferry terminal, and then following the road to the next footpath on the right. This led into the village of Wootton Bridge, past a house being built near the pub which had lovely sculptures and shells set into the walls, rambled among the housing estate (where we took a minor detour due to an ambiguous signpost), and then onto the long and winding Brocks Copse Road. I had never been down this road, and we discovered some lovely Victorian lodges, a small road bridge over a sluggish stream, and a cherry tree bearing almost ripe fruit. We foraged briefly! We were also accosted several times by a lady whose sat nav was sending her everywhere except Osborne House; she was working here for Cowes Week, had to pick somebody up, and was getting very confused. We sent her in the right direction several times and guessed that she got there eventually when she failed to show up again.

Brocks Copse Road became Alverstone Road, and emerged on the main East Cowes road by The Forge at Whippingham. The coastal path led along the main road from here, so we continued along, stopping for a cup of tea at Osborne House, home of Queen Victoria, and then continued down into East Cowes, poked around the charity shops and caught the new floating bridge to Cowes. Another lovely, rather breezy and occasionally wet, walk completed.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4588940.html

           https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/dbimgs/6.Ryde-Cowes.pdf

Distance: 6.9 miles

Cat detail on house, Wootton Bridge

Lodge gate

Cowes Hammerhead Crane

Floating Bridge

Wild Nights out.....July

North House, Cowes
Popped in to meet a friend whose husband was playing in a jazz trio. Pleasant evening on the terrace listening to lovely music. Lovely hotel too - worth a visit if you can.

Cowes Sailability Club
I attended a reception at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club for this charity. Interesting, with nice canapes!

Cowes Carnival
Had to watch this annual event. Quite jolly with marching bands and a bagpipe - drum duo, and all the carnival queens (wish they would smile!) and locals who had dressed up. Short but sweet.

Blackgang to Whale Chine

Quick walk today as the weather was looking dodgy. We parked at Blackgang Chine viewpoint car park (further up the hill from the theme park, and free), and followed the coastal path onwards Chale.  The path appeared fairly well used, but had nettles growing abundantly alongside it, so longer trousers than mine are to be recommended! And boots rather than hiking sandals. However, not too many stings and they wore off quickly. The path opened onto a field, the overflow car park for Blackgang Chine, led across it and back to the road. We followed the road downhill, over the traffic island, and rejoined the footpath on the left that led to the village. The footpath followed the road again, past the ancient St Andrew's church at Chale, and then turned left at the showground and headed towards the cliffs.

We continued along the cliff edge, admiring the dramatic scenery while also wondering whether we would inadvertently end up on the beach in a cliff fall as there appeared to be rather a lot of large cracks in the ground! The path ended abruptly at a large mound and turned inland over a make shift bridge, then back along the coast past a building that might have been a gun emplacement at one time. Hard to tell! The weather was in turns very blustery and then dead calm, which was odd as there weren't major changes in the landscape or the wind. It felt as though we would take off occasionally, and we laid flat on the ground to have a good look at a small chine (we saw two, Ladder Chine and Walpen Chine), without being blown over the edge! Once we reached, and had a good look at, Whale Chine, we turned back and followed the road until we got back to Chale. This was fairly uneventful, and we saw three beautiful alpacas along the way near the small, thatched Walpen Manor house.

Once we reached the car, the weather changed to wet and windy, so we decided a cup of tea was in order and headed to Isle of Wight Pearl, had a look at the jewellery, and had a cuppa and a bowl of homemade tomato soup to warm our cockles! Lush!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4585224.html
Distance: 4.3 miles

Ladder Chine or Walpen Chine

Landslip with scout signs

Alpacas near Chale

St Andrew's Church, Chale

Chilton Chine to Whale Chine

Parked at Chilton Chine, walked past Isle of Wight Pearl and headed towards Grange Chine via Brighstone Holiday Centre. On the outskirts were derelict chalets, brightly painted, very close to the cliff edge and clearly not safe to use, but round the corner was the holiday centre proper, with chalets, tents and caravans and lots of families clearly enjoying themselves. The footpath led down into Grange Chine, over a bridge and up steps to the cliff top above. I paused for a few minutes to enjoy the view here - lovely.

I strolled along the cliff edge through wildflower meadows, past herds of Guernsey cattle, watching beetles, ladybirds, buzzards, bumblebees, and flies, and listening to crickets in the grass. The path rose steeply as it approached Barnes High, and I found a welcome bench at the top where I stopped to catch my breath and admire the view along the coast to Tennyson Down, and inland to the downs around Brighstone and Shorwell.

The path continued onwards along the crumbling clifftop - much evidence of recent cliff falls -  to Atherfield Bay Holiday Camp at Shepherd's Chine. The path led inland through the campsite here, around the chine, and crossed over above a pond which fed the stream further down the chine. Before I found the path leading around the chine, I blindly followed a path and steps down to the beach; I had misread a sign at the top of the steps saying there was no access to the cliff top from here, and on the face of it this appeared to be true. However, this merely meant that if you walked along the beach towards Blackgang Chine, there was no way of getting back up. I sat on the beach for a bit before figuring out my mistake, and carried on. Beyond the chine, the path continued to Atherfield Point, where there was a unusual homemade memorial to  the shipwreck of the Sirenia on Atherfield Ledge. I was going to stop here and go back, but I thought I might as well continue to Whale Chine, so I did.

I had never been to Whale Chine, and the path down it is closed, and has been for ten years, due to coastal erosion. The chine was by far the most magnificent that I had seen today, with high cliffs sculpted by wind and studded with the burrows of nesting birds. I turned inland here, thinking I would walk back along the Military Road, but on realising that the verges were narrow and sloping, and the traffic was fast, decided to go back the way I had come. This was a delightful walk, with wonderful wildlife and scenery. Gorgeous.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4582754.html
Distance: 10.5 miles



Derelict chalets



Grange Chine



Grange Chine to Tennyson Down



View to Barnes High



Bridge near Grange Chine



Shepherd's Chine



Sirenia information



Whale Chine entrance

Seaclose to Medham

Day three of Travels with Teenagers, so we took pity on them and had a virtually flats walk today. We started at Medina College and walked through the arboretum and across Seaclose Park and down to the Quay Arts Centre in Newport. We followed the road round past the Bergman's Rest pub, along the industrial estate and joined up with the Cowes to Newport cycle track, which we ambled along until we got to a disused and crumbling quayside near the turning to Medham Lane. We stopped here and had an early lunch in the sunshine, then pottered back the way we had come.

This seemed like a short walk, but was actually the longest we had done all week. Hills make a massive difference!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4579877.html
Distance: 8.3 miles

Ventnor to Shanklin

Day 2 of Rambles with Teenagers. There were only nine students today. We were dropped off at Ventnor Botanic Gardens, where teenage wails of "There's no signal" were accompanied by staff guffaws of "Mwahahaha!". However, the portable music speaker was working so we set off accompanied by a better selection of tunes than yesterday. In fact, on the bus Queen was played, and many voices joined in to Bohemian Rhapsody. Jolly.

We left the carpark and right, heading along the main road past the cricket pitch, and down Love Lane. At the bottom we picked up the footpath and headed steeply downhill to Steephill Cove, a lovely little beach full of cafes and tiny shingle and lobster pots. The path led out steeply at the end, and we continued towards Ventnor proper, heading along the cliff to Flowers Brook, up more steps, and then descended to Ventnor esplanade. We pottered along here, walked past the fishery, stopped at the loo, then continued along the revetment to Bonchurch. Interesting fact from the language teacher with me  - 'revetment' in this case doesn't refer to the coastal defences but rather to the Victorian practice of changing for bathing (from the French). I never knew that!

We stopped near the pottery on the seafront for a breather, then set off up some steps into The Landslip. This is a wild woodland area and really rather delightful. It is full of pathways and steps, as well as many trees, ferns, brambles and other wild plants. I had the feeling it hadn't changed much for a hundred years or so. We bypassed the 'Devil's Chimney', and continued through the woods towards Luccombe. There was a thunderstorm last night, so it was very humid in the woods, and we were delighted to plunge out into open air for a while by Luccombe Chine, before heading into more on the final stretch to Shanklin.

The footpath met Luccombe Road so we followed it down to Rhylstone Gardens (another toilet break), and then down steep steps to Shanklin beach, near the chine and the Fisherman's Cottage pub. We continued for a little while longer, and stopped at the Lazy Wave café for lunch. Most of us picnicked, but some bought chips and the staff bought much needed tea and coffee! The last leg of the journey took us along Shanklin Esplanade and Hope Beach, and then up the final steep path to the clifftop and the car park by Winchester House YMCA where we waited for the bus back to school. Another lovely, if rather damp and drizzly, walk.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4579407.html
Distance: 6 miles (with lots of steep bits!)

The Landslip

Cliffs near Shanklin Chine

Culver Down from Shanklin Chine

Beach Huts

Nettlestone to Yaverland

Today I helped take twelve teenagers on a stroll across the east of the Island. We got a coach to Nettlestone and walked towards the Priory Hotel, then followed the footpath round and ended up at The Duver, St Helen's. This is a lovely patch of National Trust land, sprinkled with wildflowers among the short turf. After a quick rest break we headed across the causeway and into the outskirts of Bembridge. The road led along another causeway, past the yacht club and numerous houseboats, and to the Tollgate café opposite the Pilot Boat Inn. We stopped at the café for lunch (some picnicked, and some bought food), then carried on.

This was the point where my dodgy map reading skills came into play, and we pootled up a lane going in the wrong direction. Oops. I soon realised my mistake however, and we turned round and joined up with the path we were meant to be on. We followed the High Street  to Bembridge Windmill and then followed the lane into the woods, across a road, past a holiday camp and onto the cliff path to Culver Down. Some of the kids groaned when they realised we had to climb the down, but they all managed it faster than I did! We stopped at the Yarborough Monument at the top and admired the view, and I admired the wild flowers, had a drink and a snack (I got an ice cream) before walking down the other side of Culver Down to Dinosaur Isle where we met the coach again.

This was a boiling hot day, with teenagers who were generally not used to walking so far, and it went really well. Another route tomorrow.

route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4579015.html

Distance: 7.3 miles

View from Yarborough Monument

Rhythmtree Festival 2017

This weekend was mostly spent at Rhythmtree  Festival on the glorious Isle of Wight. I was offered a ticket in exchange for helping teach children how to make popcorn on a campfire. Seemed reasonable! The way to do it is to make a tinfoil packet, slop in a little oil and add some popcorn kernels, scrunch the top up and put the packet in the embers of the fire and wait for them to pop. Simple. Mostly. We won't mention the burned ones. We also offered tomahawk throwing (not one of my skills or talents I found out), and one chap showed how to make rope out of bramble fibres. Oh yes, we also had quoits, and giant connect four.

As we did this, we listened to the music from the Jill's Wood stage (mostly good. I liked Brighstone Barnacles, Red Sqwrl, and the marvellous Cat Skellington particularly). Behind us was the yoga section, so we heard lots of meditation music, and the jolly fun of laughing yoga. Friday night's headliners on the main stage were the Stereo MCs who were good, and on Saturday were the Lightening Seeds, also good. Sunday night was my favourite, with the Blockheads (awesome) followed by Tankus the Henge (fabulous). Lots of boogying was done (apologies if you were behind us) and fun was had.

There was a fair amount of food to choose from, and I would recommend the ever lovely Tansy's Pantry veggie bus café (I had a delicious falafel wrap), the tea and cake stall with their lovely homemade cakes, comfy hay bales, and squishy sofa, as well as the local burger stall whose name I have forgotten but may have been part of Three Gates Farm who hosted the festival.

This was a lovely little festival, full of locals and those from further afield, and extremely family friendly. Highly recommended!

Main Stage






Brighstone Barnacles

Thorness Bay and Rew Street

Another sunny day, another walk in the blisteringly hot (for the UK anyway) sunshine. I parked at the end of Rew Street, in Gurnard, just past the River Luck, and followed the narrow footpath along the clifftop. As I walked, I disturbed countless brown butterflies and was serenaded by the chirping of grasshoppers in the neighbouring fields. The verges were bursting with wildflowers. The path wound alog, dipping in and out of the shade of trees, and suddenly turned a corner to reveal the glittering blue sea of Thorness Bay below. The path got even narrower as the cliff had fallen away. I paused here and admired the view of the sea, studded with boats, swimmers, and the wake from jet skis and motor boats, and listened to the shrieking of children playing below. In a tree across the landslip I noticed a pair of raptors - probably buzzards but I am not completely sure. Impressive anyway.

I continued along, following the path down past the old 'huts', evoking memories of childhood weekends spent here with friends, making and eating pizza and relaxing. Good times. The path continued towards, and then parallel to, the beach and led across a field to a farm track. I turned left here and followed it to Whippance Farm and then to the main road. Turning left I took my life in my hands and followed the pavementless road, full of blind corners and speeding cars, until I got to Rew Street.

Rew Street still lacked pavements, but was a little less windy and had less cars so I pottered along in a more relaxed manner. Along the way I paused to buy some Broad Beans from a roadside stall, and then bumped into an old friend at her farm, so stopped for a natter. Lovely.  Shortly afterwards I returned to the car, cool in the shade, and drove home for a well earned cold drink!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4573057.html

Distance: 4.4miles

Thorness Bay

Firestone Copse

Well, it was high time I got off my behind and went for a proper stomp again. With that in mind, teenager and I headed off to Firestone Copse near Wootton (on one of the hottest days of the year so far) and went for a shady stroll through the trees. It was lovely! Neither of us had ever really explored the copse so we went wherever a whim took us, turning right here, left there, and eventually ending up on the banks of Wootton Creek. Here the path was riddled with exposed roots and strewn with fir cones, with patches of golden sunlight streaming through. We were enchanted. I had only really seen the creek from the road or the ferry before, so this stretch was new to me. The path continued on and gently up, and we pottered along deserted woodland paths by the banks of dried up streams before eventually turning a corner and finding the carpark. Here we found lots of people returning from dog walking, or starting a family barbecue in the shade of the trees.

Our next stop was Quarr Abbey, where we stopped for a nice cup of tea and some people watching, before admiring the piglets (some very new born and exceedingly cute!) and heading home via the seaside where we stopped for a quick paddle. It's great to live on this Island.

Creekside Path

Quarr Piglets

Log piles