Nettlestone to Sandown

Well, it's that time of the year where I help take 16 teenagers rambling around the Island. We were dropped off in Nettlestone, and wended our way towards Priory Hotel, round the side, and down to a footpath by the side of a caravan park. This led across fields to St Helens and the Duver, bone dry in the heat, and across the causeway to Bembridge. We then pootled along the Embankment and stopped for an early lunch and loo break at the café.  

 

After lunch we headed up through the village and along the road to the windmill, passing it on our right before plunging downhill into the woods and a break from the sun. We missed our turning here, but followed the road back round until we found our footpath, crossed another road and walked through another holiday park until we found the coastal path again. From here we turned right and headed along the cliffs and up Culver Down to the monument, had a brief pause and then leapt downhill across the downs until we reached Yaverland and Dinosaur Isle where we met the bus home.

Lovely walk on a beautiful day. The views across Sandown Bay were magnificent, and the water was so blue and sparkling. Gorgeous place to live!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4776930.html

Distance: c 7.75 miles



Sandown Bay



Culver Monument

Bembridge

Oh, it's frightfully nice in Bembridge! We parked by the RNLI Lifeboat Station (once we'd figured out how the road system worked - a tad confusing), bought a pencil sharpener to get change for the parking machine, then walked along the road towards the Bembridge Coast Hotel and turned off onto a footpath just before we got there. We were following instructions from a very neat book of walks my friend had purchased, and continued under its guidance until we reached the coastal path. This followed the edge of some rather unstable cliffs, so we proceeded at a good pace bearing in mind the torrential rain that had hit the Island the previous day.

From the path we had magnificent views of Whitecliff Bay and Culver Down; I had never seen either from this direction before. On the other side of the path was a meadow, full of wildflowers and grasses and the occasional sheep. The path itself had many wildflowers and grasses too, and I recall seeing at least four varieties of grass, vetches, cow parsley and similar flowers. Very pleasant indeed. The path eventually led past Kingswood Activity Centre on the site of the former Bembridge School. There were lots of teenagers running about and having fun on site, and it looked like a great place to go to. The path turned right shortly after this, by an information board about Bembridge School and a magnificent tree that was designed to be climbed!

We followed the path to Jenny Streets Lane, turned left and downhill at the end, and then turned right into Steynes Wood; this was lovely and peaceful, full of trees and ferns and had the occasional dog walker. The path crossed the main road then continued through the wood; this was clearly less popular as the path was narrower and a little overgrown, but was still lovely. At the bottom we turned right and headed steeply up a chalk path that led between high hedges to Bembridge Windmill. We were in need of refreshment by now so we stopped for an ice lolly and a slurp of water before continuing on our way.

At the end of Windmill Lane we turned left and followed the road back towards the village before turning left down a footpath leading towards Brading Marshes. At the top of this lane was a dilapidated Victorian Villa with a large garden, which looked in desperate need of love and attention. I'd like to volunteer. Just saying. Anyway, the path came out next to the Pilot Boat Inn which looked lovely and has a good reputation I believe. We didn't stop as we had to get home to feed the children. The path continued across the road, up a private road, leading eventually down a very pleasant lane bordered on one side by really rather impressive properties. I forgot my manners and peeked over fences, through fences and over garden walls and had a jolly good nosey! I'm not sure that the couple following us were impressed - no one seemed to smile in that part of the village. The lane led back towards the beach, and we crunched along the shingle towards the lifeboat station, retrieved the car and drove home.

This was a lovely walk, and I shall definitely go again now that I think I can find my way around the village!

Whitecliff Bay

Climbing Tree

Bembridge Windmill

Lifeboat Station

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4348631.html

Distance: 4.5 miles

Footpaths: BB42, BB13, BB10, BB15, BB22, BB36, BB3, BB19, BB5, BB34, BB7

Bembridge Down

We tried a new route today, much to the teenager's disgruntlement. I realised that I had never walked up Bembridge Down to Culver Cliff so as today was sunny and reasonably warm we gave it a go. I parked at Yaverland, then we crossed the road and joined the coastal path behind the sailing club climbing uphill over turf towards a shrubby area. Here the path became more formal and led through flowering hawthorn and gorse, past a derelict gun battery and then up and past a holiday village. beyond the chalets the path opened out onto Bembridge Down proper, denoted by a National Trust sign and information board. We detoured around a muddy patch then began our ascent.

The down spread out around and above us, with the beacon of the Culver Cliff monument beckoning us from the hill top. To our right was the cliff edge, and as we ascended, the extent of Sandown Bay became apparent. I knew it was a large bay but had not seen it from this impressive perspective before. We stopped for a picnic lunch on a patch of springy turf overlooking the bay, and watched the sun glinting on the sea, and container ships lining up in the channel; these appeared empty so we assumed they were waiting to be called into port in Southampton. We also watched a hawk, possibly a kestrel, glide overhead on the breeze then turn and hover effortlessly above the cliff looking for prey. Glorious.

We continued upwards and made it to the top fairly quickly. To the teenager's delight there was a café serving ice cream and fizzy drinks so we paused here for refreshment. I went and explored to the end of the promontory and discovered Culver Battery, with the remains of two large gun emplacements. There was also the site of Culver Signal Station as well as a Beacon Basket. I had had no idea any of that was there. Apparently it was used by the military until the 1960s, and not much is known about what went on there. It is now managed by the National Trust. The views across the east end of the Island from here were fantastic; I could see Brading Haven, Bembridge and St Helen's, and across to Ryde and Portsmouth.

Once I had rejoined the teenager we inspected the monument which was dedicated to the Earl of Yarborough and was quite an impressive piece of masonry. We then walked down the lane towards Bembridge Fort, which is also managed by, and being restored by, the NT, but is only open occasionally. Bembridge Fort is another Palmerstone defence against possible invasion by the French in the 1800s. After this we returned to the downland and stomped down the hill to the coastal path, retracing our steps to the car. An invigorating walk, and one that could be taken considerably further.

Distance: 3.8 miles

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4283423.html

View across Sandown Bay

Landslip

Yarborough Memorial

Gun Emplacement

Bembridge Fort

Gorse

Bembridge Fort Walk

This was a walk we had long planned to do, but kept missing the date. The walk takes place every year at extreme low tide, from both St Helen's beach, and Bembridge Point. Now, I thought there was a causeway from both sides, so dressed in jeans and hiking sandals and was prepared to paddle. Unfortunately the causeway only goes from St Helen's, so we ended up wading almost waist deep through the sea for a while! However, the water wasn't cold and everybody was in a good mood. After a while we joined up with the causeway and strolled along to St Helen's Fort in the Silent, took photos and strolled then waded back to Bembridge. The tide was a bit lower on the way back.

 

I would say that at least a couple of thousand people took part, and it was a very sociable and enjoyable experience. Must do it again next year.

To supplement my terrible photos, here is a link to an aerial video made by someone else.... http://www.yoppul.co.uk/yoppulv1/2015/08/watch-this-amazing-aerial-footage-of-the-bembridge-fort-walk/
 

 

 

St Helen's, Nettlestone and Bembridge Harbour

Beautiful day today so we headed off to St Helen's, parked near The Green (free, avoided car park!) then headed west to go down Field Lane heading across fields to get to Attrill's Lane. More fields followed, before heading through a farmyard and heading right just before a bridge. Another couple of fields followed.

After a while we arrived at the back entrance of the Priory Bay Hotel, misread the instructions and wandered into the grounds where we found an interesting clock tower. We headed back, found the footpath (which brought us out at the other end of the Hotel golf course), passing a cunningly disguised mobile phone mast, walked across a field and came out on the road leading to the Duver beach, where we paused to photograph the ruined church tower and buy an ice cream at the cafe. Finally we walked along a footpath that led across a heath to the old mill pond by Bembridge Harbour, The path led along the old mill dam wall and then back up the hill to St Helen's. 

This was a lovely walk on a gloriously sunny spring day; not too taxing for out of practice walkers.  A much better description of the route can be found in "Twelve Favourite Walks on the Isle of Wight" published by the Isle of Wight Area of the Ramblers' Association.

Clock Tower

Phone Mast

Duver Church Tower

Distance: Approx: 4.5 - 5 miles

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4057886.html

Footpaths: Coastal path, R77, B12, R62, R71, 

Bembridge Windmill

It was a boiling hot day today so what better than to take three fractious children for a stomp? We parked in a layby near Bembridge Windmill and headed towards the mill then strode confidently down the lane. We came to a fork in the path and I realised we were not where I intended to be, so back up the lane (quite steep) we toddled. We turned left at the windmill and headed across the fields towards Bembridge Airfield. The fields were full of wildflowers and alive with the sound of crickets and grasshoppers -we saw several - as well as butterflies and ladybird. The kids gambolled along the path having a wonderful time. We crossed the airfield and had several aircraft fly low above us several minutes later. Exciting!

 

We passed into Centurions Copse, following the path to a fork and taking the left path. We followed this until we came to the main Sandown Road. There was no footpath so we took our lives in our hands and walked along towards Bembridge, stopping at the Propeller Inn for a cold drink. We continued along the road, picking up a short footpath briefly, wandered along a lane, crossed back across the main road and onto Steynes Wood where we picked up the path back to the windmill. We stopped at the mill for an ice cream then went home.

Footpaths used: BB20, BB23, BB18, BB36
Distance: 3.86 miles
http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3903756.html