Niton and Bierley

Another walk with friends today, again starting in Niton. We headed up Pan Lane to Niton Shute and up to the top of the downs, filling our faces with blackberries enroute. From here we headed along the ridge towards the Hoy Monument but took a path on the right hand side a few hundred yards before we reached it. This led downhill through a small wood with fallen sycamores and lots of nettles; wild and lovely.

The path led past a cottage and across the top of a field, through a gate and into another field. After a scramble past a fallen willow and up a bank we discovered a large herd of cows and calves. We were a little nervous as the cattle were stood right on the footpath and we had two dogs with us (on leads). However, we got past without incident, passed through a gate and into a shady lane with views to a manor house, and followed a path by a stream through the woods. This eventually turned uphill and to the right, leading past an ancient carp pond on the left and then down to meet another stream where we found a small, hidden waterfall. Gorgeous! We got back on the path, found the road and followed it through Bierley and Kingates to Niton and lunch at the White Horse. Excellent excursion!

Niton and Chale

Gorgeous walk with friends today after a week of miserable weather. We started in Niton and headed up Pan Lane to the downs, then followed the path to the Hoy Monument. Along the way we were picking and eating plump blackberries and admiring the many wildflowers in the hedgerows and in the fields.  We turned left near the monument, walked down the path to a junction and turned left again heading eventually over fields, past a dairy farm, and down to the road. We turned left again and before very long were at the Wight Mouse Inn at Chale. We stopped for lunch, obviously! This was scrumptious, and I recommend the stilton burger.

After lunch we carried on along the road to the junction with the military road, turned left and picked up the coastal path and headed uphill towards Blackgang Chine. The next path went over a field, the oversold car park, and headed upwards to Blackgang View Point car park. Fantastic views up the west coast from here. At the far end of the car park we picked up the next path and headed for a time along the cliff top in a stiff breeze before turning left after a stone wall and picking up a path back to Niton. This led past a wheat field and eventually back to the village. There were more glorious views here, across to the downs in the late afternoon sunshine. We live on a beautiful Island.

Route: www.plotaroute.com/route/907930
Distance: c. 5.5miles

Tapnell Trail

We parked on the Causeway at Freshwater then ate our picnic on a bench overlooking the river Yar, admiring the swans and terns swimming there. After lunch we found our footpath and followed it along, eventually reaching Tapnell Farm after walking across several cropped fields and a sweetcorn plantation. We stopped briefly to use the facilities, then managed to completely lose the path we were meant to be on. After several false starts we said 'Sod it, lets walk across this field' and miraculously ended up in the right place!

The path led diagonally across another cropped wheat field and then another led down to a lane and onwards to the main road, which we crossed quickly. The next path led uphill and then right. We went wrong again, and walked round two edges of another sloping sweetcorn plantation before realising our mistake, retracing our steps and then walking through a sheep field and along the proper path; this was bordered by brambles (juicy blackberries), nettles and roses. We spotted two hares running around in the field opposite us. A magical sight! We turned right into a field and followed the top edge, crunching over wheat stalks, until we met the next path on the right which led past a field with a flock of birds, possibly starlings, that performed a couple of murmurations as we approached. Beautiful. The path came out nearly opposite to the entrance to the Causeway, so we crossed over, walked along, collected the car and drove a couple of hundred yards to the Red Lion pub and had a well earned coffee.

Distance: approx. 8.5 miles (supposed to be 6.5...)

Intended route: http://www.iowramblers.com/easy--access--trails  This is a more up to date version than I have and explains why we got lost!