Schools Walk the Wight 2013

We tagged along on this walk as we needed some fresh air (and had sponsored someone doing the whole of Walk the Wight!). We left the car in a field near Alum Bay, and waited with many other families for the free bus to Freshwater Bay, where our part of the walk started. Walk the Wight itself begins in either Bembridge or Carisbrooke and involves walking or running along the spine of the Island, 26.5 miles in total, in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice). We met our friends and off we went! The walk starts at Freshwater Bay, heads up Tennyson Down to the Tennyson Monument, where everyone sits down for a drink and a nibble as it's quite a steep climb, then headed across the down towards the Needles Battery.  The downs were covered in flowering gorse bushes, and the occasional purple flower (vetch, possibly). However the wind was howling and rain was heading our way so we didn't hang about. We came off the downs at the Battery, and headed downhill to the finish at Alum Bay.  This, unfortunately, now has a horrible 'pleasure park' full of over-priced attractions, which rather spoils the end of the walk. Ah well, we weren't forced to spend any money, and got away with giving the children one ride on the carousel (£2 for a couple of minutes...). Walked back through the woods to the car, warmed up a bit then drove home. 

View towards the Needles Battery

Flowering Gorse

View towards Alum Bay

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3126963.html

Distance: 4.3 miles

Bonchurch

Today we went on a Bank Holiday expedition to Bonchurch, in the south of the Isle of Wight.  When we arrived I couldn't believe that I had never been there before! A beautiful village.  We parked by the pond, which was full of large carp and hundreds of tiny fish, not to mention ducks and moorhens, then wandered up a lane in search of Bonchurch Pottery; this turned out to be right at the end (beyond a car park), right next to the beach.  And what a beach! There was a revetment that carried on to Ventnor, with wave-breaker steps leading to the beach itself. This was sandy, with large rocks, rockpools and not many people. Just a few dog-walkers. Bliss! As it was so sunny we paddled in the sea for a bit, and felt the sand between our toes.  We also poked our heads into the pottery and discovered lots of reasonably priced treasures. Must go back and buy something! After a while we wandered back up the hill to the village, discovered that the cafe was closed so went in search of the Norman Church; this dates back to about 1070AD.  It is located down a lane at the end of the village (lower Bonchurch) and is a fine example of its kind.  Tiny, simple and calm. Bliss. Everything I want from a church really.  We then headed back to the car, and drove up Bonchurch Shute (very steep) and stopped at the Smuggler's Haven Tea Rooms for a cuppa and an ice cream.  Fantastic view across the calm, blue English Channel from here.  We drove back across the Island via Shanklin Old Village to Cowes, deeply delighted with our discovery and determined to visit again.  Soon.

Quick! It's Spring (for now at least)...

We took advantage of the sunshine, bundled two children into the car and set off for the National Trust car park on the downs above Brighstone. Once there we toddled off down Strawberry Lane, passing the remains of a lime kiln on our right and admiring primroses on our left. After a  while we found a footpath and headed across the heath to the Longstone; this is a 6000 year old pair of monoliths which were once part of a neolithic burial mound. I was told, when at primary school, that the one lying down was an altar where human sacrifices took place. Clearly wrong!  We took a detour to the top of a nearby hill, where there were also earthworks, to take advantage of a spectacular view along the west coast of the Island; we could see from the cliffs of Tennyson Down almost to St Catherine's Point. Wonderful.  We then headed inland, up the downs and eventually into Brighstone Forest where the kids romped among the trees (and found a bivouac made of big sticks), got stuck in brambles, and generally had a wonderful time whooping and exploring.  The adults nattered and followed the path back to the car park. Flapjacks and hot chocolate were then consumed and we headed back towards home, having a wee detour to Winkle Street on the way. Very pretty.

Route:  http://gb.mapometer.com/account
Distance:  3.75 miles

Snow Day!

Woke up on Friday morning to find the town had been sprinkled with a layer of snow. Hurray! Shortly afterwards I found out that school was closed, so my daughter and I wolfed a bacon sandwich down (well, it was snowing! Energy needed....), donned scarves, hats, gloves, boots and warm coats and ventured outside.  There were few people about apart from a few hardy commuters so we strolled along the High Street pelting each other with snowballs and headed for the seafront.  Here, the jetties and beach were transformed by snow and looked beautiful.  We didn't stay out long, just enough to enjoy the snow before it got trampled to slush and to admire the scenery.  When we got home it was time for hot chocolate and radiator hugging.  My daughter then went out for the rest of the day, building snowmen with friends, having snowball fights and sledging, making the most of the weather before the inevitable thaw.

Wet Winter Walks

As the weather has been so awful this winter we haven't wanted to take the kids on country walks where their boots are likely to get sucked off and we'd all get cold and wet.  Instead, we have been walking along the promenades of Cowes and Ryde.  

On Boxing Day I joined up with a different friend, left my child with her Granny, and set off into the cold and rain and headed to Gurnard. The wind howled and the rain lashed, but we eventually arrived at the door of The Woodvale hotel; we leapt inside and slurped coffee until we felt warmer and drier. We reluctantly left a while later, and headed back into the rainstorm.  Luckily, the rain didn't last too long and the wind was behind us so it didn't take too long to get back to Cowes.  Christmas cake and hot tea awaited us!

Between Boxing Day and New Year the usual crew headed for Puckpool Park on the outskirts of Ryde. I'd never been here before and was amazed to see the remains of a Victorian Battery - lots of gun emplacements. We walked across the top of some fortifications then joined the coastal path and strolled towards Appley Beach, avoiding splashes from large waves.  The weather was cold and damp, but not raining for once.  We headed for Appley Tower, a Victorian folly on the seafront, and discovered it was open.  As we hadn't been before we assumed it was just a tower and we could have a look around.  However, the one room open contained a shop selling crystals and ammonites. As we had three children with us who love these things, we failed to escape without buying something. Ah well, I should learn to say 'No' more firmly!  Afterwards the kids played on the beach while the adults sat on the sea wall and got cold bottoms, then we walked back to Puckpool, played in the playground for a bit then went home.

On New Year's Day we had a family walk from the top of Cowes along the seafront to Gurnard and back.  It was a cold day with a blustery wind, but the sun was shining most of the time. More tea and cake when we got home!

Nunwell Loop

Well, we woke up to a gorgeous sunny November day so decided to toddle off on another hike after lunch.  We drove to Brading Down viewpoint carpark, which overlooks Brading Roman Villa, Sandown Bay and Knighton.  Absolutely stunning views across the southern Isle of Wight today too.  The English Channel was as flat as a mill pond, and as blue as the Mediterranean in the autumn sunlight.

We walked up the carpark in search of a signpost, found it, crossed the busy Brading road and headed into a field and towards the woods.  We passed the Devil's Punchbowl barrow on our left (which the kids were not even vaguely interested in), and headed through a gate into Kelly's Copse.  This is a lovely Beech woodland, and being autumn the paths were covered in coppery-gold beech leaves. Which hid the mud.  The woodland led onto pasture and we followed the path round the base of a hill (the kids ran up it. And down it. And round it.). The hill was covered in horizontal ridges. I'm not sure if this is due to ancient farming techniques or simply gravity - must do some research! The hill was also covered in cobwebs to the delight of the older children and the horror of the youngest.  The path led uphill until it reached the Brading Road.  We followed this until we came to the turning for Eaglehead Copse.

Eaglehead Copse is another pleasant piece of woodland, managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.  There were many stands of Hazel which appeared to be coppiced regularly, many piles of dead twigs and logs to encourage invertebrates and small mammals, reptiles and amphibians and the promise of a sparrowhawk if we were lucky (we weren't, but saw the remains of a kill).  Following the side of the copse was a narrow field containing some rather beautiful cattle.  

Now, we came to the end of the copse and I managed to get us lost (surprise!).  At least, I thought I knew where we were and issued the command to follow the edge of the field, cross over the next two fields and we'd be in a lane.  Hmmm.  Got across the first field and found route blocked by barbed wire fence. Not to be deterred we found a gate a little further up and entered the next field.  It was a tad muddy.  My daughter's boot was sucked off her foot and I had to spend a minute up to my elbow in mud and cow-poo retrieving the boot from the mire. Lovely.  At this point the farmer stuck his head over a gate and asked if we were lost. We said Nononono, just took a wrong turning and will be out of his field very soon. I bet he was laughing at the inept townies attempting to tiptoe across his field!

Anyway, we got to the lane, followed it to the turning for Nunwell House, and headed back into Kelly's Copse and back to the car.  We saw three riders on the way - two girls on ponies, one on a Shetland that was rather small for her. Very nice!  We finished by removing boots and soggy socks and having a hot chocolate in the carpark overlooking the valley below.

Distance: 3.5 miles
Route:  http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_2506656.html

Shorter Shalfleet - Newbridge Loop

We decided to take the kids on a half-term stomp across the fields, so headed for Shalfleet. We left the car in Mill Lane, then headed past the pub, across the road and past the church. We soon took a wrong turning  (surprise!) but a helpful local pointed us in the right direction - follow the muddy footpath, not the paved one. OK, straightforward from there on, across fields where we were mostly ankle deep in mud. One field had three hairy pigs in, to the horror of the youngest child, but they completely ignored us. The next field had a sign declaring 'Bull in Field' so we tiptoed across, all slightly scared this time. The bull was not existent, thankfully.  This field led to a flooded and exceedingly muddy farm track which resulted in us teetering along a very muddy verge  attempting not to fall in the water - exciting!

We walked through several more fields before coming upon Newbridge; from here we followed Clay Lane until we joined another footpath. And went wrong. I followed what I thought was a short-cut, but ended up walking through the lovely Chessell Copse and meeting Doddpitts Lane further down than I anticipated. Never mind, a brisk walk brought us to the end of the lane, past the interesting looking Doddpitts House, and the footpath back to Shalfleet, where, after some more mud, we got back to the car.

Distance: 4.8 miles

Route:  http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_2452856.html