Brighstone Again!

Finally back in Brighstone for a week of dog-sitting having been put off for two years due to Covid-19 restrictions. The heat wave has abated and we have had a week of sunshine, showers and drizzle. Perfect! Rosie, who I normally look after, is now old and arthritic and cannot walk far anymore, but there is a new addition in the form of Monty the black and white Collie puppy, who is about a year old, fully grown and a proper attention seeker. Just like a toddler.

We have done a variety of walks around the Coombe Lane area, as follows:

Limerstone Down

Up Coombe Lane to the end of the cottages, follow the footpath around until it becomes a tunnel of trees and follow that to the perpendicular junction at the top of the incline. Turn left and follow the increasingly steep path up to the top of Limerstone Down where it meets Brighstone Forest. Wander about in the forest for a while then follow the main path to Lynch Lane and walk back down the hill, stopping to pick wild apples and blackberries along the way.

Rowborough Down Reservoir

Up Coombe Lane to the end of the cottages, then turn right and through a gate leading uphill. Check if there are sheep present if your dog is off the lead. Follow the path uphill (it's quite steep!) to a set of double gates at the top. Once through these you can turn left and follow a level path - excellent for stick throwing - to the end of the field and either go downhill or retrace your steps. Back at the gate you can continue straight on, which will lead you to a path where you turn left to make your way either back to Coombe Lane or up to the top of Limerstone Down, or turn right and follow the path to the village. You could also turn right at the gate and choose either a steep path downhill or a slightly shallower path down through a gully. Both will take you to the village.

Grammars Common and the Longstone

Follow Lynch Lane downhill to a turning on your right (BS83), keeping the dog on the lead until you are past the houses, then along the footpath (BS56), avoiding the turning for Gaggerhill Farm (BS65) and along the road until you get to a footpath on your right leading to Gaggerhill (BS64). Follow this to a lane, turn right and keep going until you see the footpath for Grammars Common on your left. Turn here, follow the path uphill pausing to admire the view at the top before going into the woods at Grammars Common. Follow the well-signposted path through the woods, across a field leading downhill to Strawberry Lane. Beware of cows. Cross the road and turn right before shortly turning left and following the path to the Longstone. Pause here for a while and enjoy the peace and quiet, take in the views, and have a swig of mead if you remembered to bring some (we didn't). You have choices here; we chose to retrace our steps to Strawberry Lane, walk uphill and then down Lynch Lane, but you could also pick up a path that leads to the top of Mottistone Down and from there head either to Brook Down or back to Lynch Lane or through Brighstone Forest. Choices galore, all glorious.

Strawberry Lane car park to Mottistone

We had a cunning plan, and popped the dog in one car and drove both cars to the National Trust car park near Mottistone Manor, then drove the one with the dog in to the National Trust car park at the top of Strawberry Lane. Slight change to our plan here as there was a herd of cows baby the gate, so we scooted into the forest to the right and followed the path uphill and emerged near the top of Westover Down. Here we climbed on top of a hillock, probably a tumulus as there are several here, and surveyed the view. We could see the Solent to our north, the aenglish Channel to the west and south, and the entire west coast of the island stretching away below us.

We wandered back down the hill briefly before turning right and heading steeply downhill and following a small path until it met a broad official path that led through a gate. The dog found a very long branch which he decided to take with him! This path met others, so we turned left and headed for the longstone, and then right and downhill again, through woods, and then to the car park. Glorious!

Beautiful Brighstone

Well, I'm back in Brighstone again for an overnight stay and more dog-sitting. I have to say that I have completely fallen for this village; it is so peaceful in the cottage I stay in on the village outskirts, with more nature than you can shake a stick at just while you are having a cuppa in the garden. Gorgeous! Today I have seen a wren almost within touching distance, blue tits, pigeons, buzzards, wasps, at least three species of bumblebee and I'm hoping I'll see baby toads this evening (we were invaded last time!). Everyone that I have met in the village has been extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful too. 

After lunch I took the pooch for a walk, starting in Coombe Lane and wandering along the paths until we got back to the village centre, joining a large group of ramblers as we got there. We walked up towards the downs, then cut across a field following a path that gradually descended between walls of sandstone and earth, bordered with bracken and blackberries which came out on Upper Lane opposite the lane by the library. Very nice. Pooch found lots of things to sniff and had a thoroughly lovely time running about the lanes jumping at pigeons in the hedgerows.

In the evening I drove up to the car park at the top of Strawberry Lane and strolled up the down path while pooch ran after her tennis ball and explored. Glorious view from the top of the hill that I will forever adore.

Mooches with a Pooch

This week a friend and I are house and dog sitting in Brighstone so have been exploring. Walks have included:

Coombe Lane Loop 1

Start at Coombe Lane (off Lynch Lane), follow past the farm buildings then turn right through a makeshift gate and walk uphill. At the top of the hill turn left and walk towards the Ramblers gate in the corner. Go through the gate and follow the path to a junction and turn left, following the path gradually downhill to a turning on the left. This looks like a tree lined tunnel, with a ditch on the left and leads back to the top of Coombe Lane.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4784608.html 

Distance: approx. 2 miles

Coombe Lane Loop 2
Start in Coombe Lane, head past the farm buildings and take the path straight ahead (furthest left) and follow the path along, and around until you get to the upper end of the tree lined tunnel. Turn right here and follow the path uphill. Stay on the path, pausing to admire the view of the coast at the farm gate at the top, then continue downhill along the sunken path. The path ends on the main Shorwell - Brighstone road, where you should turn right and head back to the village, getting back to Lynch Lane and Coombe Lane via Upper Road.

Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/660659
Distance: approx. 2.3 miles

Totland Bay and Colwell Bay

We tried to park in Totland but all the side roads were being resurfaced it seemed, so we headed for Hurst Point View and parked there instead. We followed the road until it met footpath T1 and turned left towards Totland, cutting through One Horse Field on the way. This is a pleasant little nature reserve. We came out on a grass area and found a path that led to the coastal walk between the two bays, at the Pier Cafe. We turned right at the bottom and headed to Colwell Bay, marching along in the wind, turned round at the end and came back, pausing for a cup of tea and a doggie treat at the Pier Cafe. Lovely! Afterwards we continued along the seafront to the old Lifeboat station at Widdick Chine and followed the steps up to the road, back along Turf Walk and eventually to the car, via a run around the park.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/edit/route_4784619.html 

Distance: approx. 3 miles

Brighstone Down

Start in Lynch Lane and walk uphill towards Strawberry Lane, and then on to the National Trust car park on the left. Pass through the gate opposite the entrance and follow the path uphill. We continued until we were roughly opposite the Long Stone at Mottistone, then turned back and went home!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/edit/route_4786520.html 
Distance: approx. 2.5 miles