Ventnor to Shanklin

Day 2 of Rambles with Teenagers. There were only nine students today. We were dropped off at Ventnor Botanic Gardens, where teenage wails of "There's no signal" were accompanied by staff guffaws of "Mwahahaha!". However, the portable music speaker was working so we set off accompanied by a better selection of tunes than yesterday. In fact, on the bus Queen was played, and many voices joined in to Bohemian Rhapsody. Jolly.

We left the carpark and right, heading along the main road past the cricket pitch, and down Love Lane. At the bottom we picked up the footpath and headed steeply downhill to Steephill Cove, a lovely little beach full of cafes and tiny shingle and lobster pots. The path led out steeply at the end, and we continued towards Ventnor proper, heading along the cliff to Flowers Brook, up more steps, and then descended to Ventnor esplanade. We pottered along here, walked past the fishery, stopped at the loo, then continued along the revetment to Bonchurch. Interesting fact from the language teacher with me  - 'revetment' in this case doesn't refer to the coastal defences but rather to the Victorian practice of changing for bathing (from the French). I never knew that!

We stopped near the pottery on the seafront for a breather, then set off up some steps into The Landslip. This is a wild woodland area and really rather delightful. It is full of pathways and steps, as well as many trees, ferns, brambles and other wild plants. I had the feeling it hadn't changed much for a hundred years or so. We bypassed the 'Devil's Chimney', and continued through the woods towards Luccombe. There was a thunderstorm last night, so it was very humid in the woods, and we were delighted to plunge out into open air for a while by Luccombe Chine, before heading into more on the final stretch to Shanklin.

The footpath met Luccombe Road so we followed it down to Rhylstone Gardens (another toilet break), and then down steep steps to Shanklin beach, near the chine and the Fisherman's Cottage pub. We continued for a little while longer, and stopped at the Lazy Wave café for lunch. Most of us picnicked, but some bought chips and the staff bought much needed tea and coffee! The last leg of the journey took us along Shanklin Esplanade and Hope Beach, and then up the final steep path to the clifftop and the car park by Winchester House YMCA where we waited for the bus back to school. Another lovely, if rather damp and drizzly, walk.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4579407.html
Distance: 6 miles (with lots of steep bits!)

The Landslip

Cliffs near Shanklin Chine

Culver Down from Shanklin Chine

Beach Huts

Ventnor and the Downs

Well, we had a plan. We were going to follow the National Trust route from Luccombe Down, via the Devil's Chimney, down to the beach and then back up the BIG hill. Hmmm. Sounded good. However, we got a bit lost trying to find the car park and had a grand tour of Upper Bonchurch, the local countryside and Shanklin duck pond before we figured out where it was. By this time it was nearly 3pm on a slightly gloomy autumn afternoon and we were not as keen as we had been.

Onwards and downwards though, but ditching the original route. We parked at the end of a chalk track on top of Luccombe Down and admired the magnificent views across Sandown Bay, and also the English Channel. We marched off down the Down, heading down Nansen Hill and emerging on the road opposite Smugglers Haven tea rooms by Devil's Chimney. We continued along the road for a bit, before finding the footpath on the right. Once through the gate we were confronted with a hill full of feral goats. Now, I'm reasonably sure that they posed no threat, but they had ENORMOUS horns - at least half as big as each goat -  and, quite frankly, we feared for the safety of our kneecaps if we irritated them. Also, they could run faster than us. It's not that we're a pair of big ol' scaredy cats, honest.

Back to the road in search of another footpath heading upwards, which we eventually found just past a bend in the road. On the way we were able to admire the variety of architecture in the area - the locals seem to have a thing for random turrets on their houses, - and the breathtaking, vertigo inducing, views of the town below. We found our path in the woods, but quickly realised it was treacherous so turned back; the path was narrow and steep with a precipitous drop down to the road below. Not only that, it was covered with a slippery layer of evergreen oak leaves, so turning back was really the sensible option.

We followed the path in the other direction, still through the woods but much more level, past tennis courts and grand Victorian Villas and came out on the road near the Bowling Club. We continued on the road until we got to the industrial estate and took the steep footpath there back up the down. Oh. My. Goodness. It was steep. We stopped regularly for a breather - the wind was strong and took our breath away - and eventually got to the top. Phew! The view of the town below and the surrounding hills was incredible.

The final slog took us past WW2 pill boxes and Ventnor Radar Station, which was bombed heavily in the war. I had heard rumours of an underground town under this hill years ago, and found an information board saying that there was in fact a Cold War era nuclear bunker there. I need to see this! Very exciting, but unlikely to be open to the public sadly.

An excellent, invigorating walk, and we'll do the original route another day. When we're fitter. And have warmer clothing.

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4428457.html

Distance: approx. 3.5 - 4 miles.

View to Sandown Bay

Bonchurch

Random turret



Pill box

Bonchurch

Lovely walk today. It was quite short but made up for it in terrain. We started off following a route by the Ramblers, but as usual went wrong! Anyway, here is our route and I'll put the link to the other below.

 

We parked near Bonchurch pond on St Boniface Road, then headed along the road towards Bonchurch Shute. We turned right and found ourselves outside East Dene, the home of the Victorian poet Algernon Swinburne (never heard of him!). Slightly further down the road was a house where Charles Dickens stayed, as did various other Victorian literati. Continuing down the road we came to the old church, nearly a thousand years old and the second smallest on the Island. We didn't stop, but I've been inside before and it is very tranquil. Worth a visit. Further down the lane was a proper babbling brook with very cold water. The path descended to the beach; we turned left here and walked along the shingle, via nice toilets which are looked after by volunteers, until we found The Boathouse. We turned left up a steep path, followed it up past some cottages and continued on across old landslip and into woods. This is where I took the wrong path. Instead of going up V65c as instructed, we went up V65d. This was signposted. We should have followed the Coastal Path. However, we followed the path up through the woods coming out near the top of Bonchurch Shute.  The kids were grumpy and hot so we followed the road around until we found The Smuggler's Tearoom. Cold drinks and ice creams followed while we admired the view across the channel.

 

We found the top of V65c by the car park so plunged down it, quickly arriving at the top of the Devil's Chimney (or Heaven's Banana as the ten year old renamed it, to make it less scary). This is a narrow path between high rocks, reputedly used by smugglers in the distant past. We emerged into lovely woodland and followed the path onwards, travelling down several flights of wooden steps, some more rickety than others, then along the cliff top until we found the junction with V65d! We carried on past this, back towards the beach, detouring along the coastal path at the bottom of East Dene, then back up past the church and back into the village. We finished by watching the ducks and carp in the village pond for five minutes then went home. Glorious afternoon!

Distance: 2.1miles
Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3909348.html
Footpaths: V69, V65d, V66, V65c
Ramblers: http://iowramblers.com/page7.htm

Babbling brook

Entrance to Devil's Chimney

Woodland steps