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