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!