Blackgang to Whale Chine

Quick walk today as the weather was looking dodgy. We parked at Blackgang Chine viewpoint car park (further up the hill from the theme park, and free), and followed the coastal path onwards Chale.  The path appeared fairly well used, but had nettles growing abundantly alongside it, so longer trousers than mine are to be recommended! And boots rather than hiking sandals. However, not too many stings and they wore off quickly. The path opened onto a field, the overflow car park for Blackgang Chine, led across it and back to the road. We followed the road downhill, over the traffic island, and rejoined the footpath on the left that led to the village. The footpath followed the road again, past the ancient St Andrew's church at Chale, and then turned left at the showground and headed towards the cliffs.

We continued along the cliff edge, admiring the dramatic scenery while also wondering whether we would inadvertently end up on the beach in a cliff fall as there appeared to be rather a lot of large cracks in the ground! The path ended abruptly at a large mound and turned inland over a make shift bridge, then back along the coast past a building that might have been a gun emplacement at one time. Hard to tell! The weather was in turns very blustery and then dead calm, which was odd as there weren't major changes in the landscape or the wind. It felt as though we would take off occasionally, and we laid flat on the ground to have a good look at a small chine (we saw two, Ladder Chine and Walpen Chine), without being blown over the edge! Once we reached, and had a good look at, Whale Chine, we turned back and followed the road until we got back to Chale. This was fairly uneventful, and we saw three beautiful alpacas along the way near the small, thatched Walpen Manor house.

Once we reached the car, the weather changed to wet and windy, so we decided a cup of tea was in order and headed to Isle of Wight Pearl, had a look at the jewellery, and had a cuppa and a bowl of homemade tomato soup to warm our cockles! Lush!

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4585224.html
Distance: 4.3 miles

Ladder Chine or Walpen Chine

Landslip with scout signs

Alpacas near Chale

St Andrew's Church, Chale

Chilton Chine to Whale Chine

Parked at Chilton Chine, walked past Isle of Wight Pearl and headed towards Grange Chine via Brighstone Holiday Centre. On the outskirts were derelict chalets, brightly painted, very close to the cliff edge and clearly not safe to use, but round the corner was the holiday centre proper, with chalets, tents and caravans and lots of families clearly enjoying themselves. The footpath led down into Grange Chine, over a bridge and up steps to the cliff top above. I paused for a few minutes to enjoy the view here - lovely.

I strolled along the cliff edge through wildflower meadows, past herds of Guernsey cattle, watching beetles, ladybirds, buzzards, bumblebees, and flies, and listening to crickets in the grass. The path rose steeply as it approached Barnes High, and I found a welcome bench at the top where I stopped to catch my breath and admire the view along the coast to Tennyson Down, and inland to the downs around Brighstone and Shorwell.

The path continued onwards along the crumbling clifftop - much evidence of recent cliff falls -  to Atherfield Bay Holiday Camp at Shepherd's Chine. The path led inland through the campsite here, around the chine, and crossed over above a pond which fed the stream further down the chine. Before I found the path leading around the chine, I blindly followed a path and steps down to the beach; I had misread a sign at the top of the steps saying there was no access to the cliff top from here, and on the face of it this appeared to be true. However, this merely meant that if you walked along the beach towards Blackgang Chine, there was no way of getting back up. I sat on the beach for a bit before figuring out my mistake, and carried on. Beyond the chine, the path continued to Atherfield Point, where there was a unusual homemade memorial to  the shipwreck of the Sirenia on Atherfield Ledge. I was going to stop here and go back, but I thought I might as well continue to Whale Chine, so I did.

I had never been to Whale Chine, and the path down it is closed, and has been for ten years, due to coastal erosion. The chine was by far the most magnificent that I had seen today, with high cliffs sculpted by wind and studded with the burrows of nesting birds. I turned inland here, thinking I would walk back along the Military Road, but on realising that the verges were narrow and sloping, and the traffic was fast, decided to go back the way I had come. This was a delightful walk, with wonderful wildlife and scenery. Gorgeous.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4582754.html
Distance: 10.5 miles



Derelict chalets



Grange Chine



Grange Chine to Tennyson Down



View to Barnes High



Bridge near Grange Chine



Shepherd's Chine



Sirenia information



Whale Chine entrance