East Cowes Boat Trail

Well it was a beautiful day so we decided to go for a walk. I downloaded the Cowes -East Cowes Boat Trail guide from the council website and we set off. First stop was the floating bridge; this runs across the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes and is currently free to foot passengers. We got off in East Cowes, found the first knot sign of the trail and set off around the town. The trail led us past the site of the Grid Iron Shed, where the first seaplane was launched in 1913, then on to Trinity Wharf which used to be the dot for lighthouses and buoys. It was also Queen Victoria's choice of landing stage when she came to visit Osborne House. Next we saw the back of Columbine Yard where the hovercraft was developed. On the front of this is the world's largest Union Jack but we couldn't see that from this side of the river.

Around the corner were barracks and coastguard cottages and a giant propeller. There was also a plaque commemorating a local boy who had a fight with Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, and who was rewarded by the Queen in return! We didn't get a good look because there were road works and we couldn't get close.  We followed the seafront to Castle Point then had a muddy walk back through the woods, stopped off briefly at the playground (great for munchkins!), and then walked up Cambridge Road to see the shell house; this is an ordinary semi-detached house which has a mosaic on the side of a large sailing ship made entirely of cockle shells. Lovely. My daughter was tired by this time so we pottered back to the town centre hoping for a cup of tea and a sit down. We went into a cafe near the Co-op and were told that drinks were take out only. We left empty-handed and grumpy and went back to Cowes.

We ended a pleasant afternoon having a swift drink in Cowes Ale House listening to 2nd Time Around, a local folk band. We will continue the rest of the boat trail another day.

 

Distance walked: 4.5km

Spent: £2.20

The Table

My friend took me to the Quay Arts Centre last night to watch 'The Table' as a birthday treat.  This was a production by a company called Blind Summit and consisted of a trio of puppeteers operating a two foot high puppet called Moses.  He had a rag doll body and an intricately crafted cardboard head.  I spent much time pondering how to create it using mathematical nets! Moses performed on, and sometimes above or under, the table. The purpose of the show was apparently to tell the story of the last few hours in the life of the biblical Moses; this was interspersed with much improvisation and general hilarity. I laughed until I cried at points! The puppetry was superb and the puppeteers clearly knew their craft. One disappeared for a while and was temporarily replaced by a very able young man from the audience. An old man sat next to my friend, and as far as we coined tell he didn't crack a smile all the way through the show.

After the main performance the audience were invited back to view a performance that was in the early stages of production; this was a life-sized puppet of a man called Patrick. Patrick was a failed bass guitarist and somewhat dilapidated and .... odd. Yes. He started off as a young man giving au monologue about cancer being caused and cured by water and gradually aged.  This became gradually evident as the monologue progressed (increasing age was mentioned), and then his hand went back to rub his head and his hair fell back revealing a sparsely thatched scalp. Patrick's position on his chair became more upright and less lounge, but stooped like a tired old man.  I thought it was good, but rather disturbing. Not sure I would pay to see it.

After the theatre we headed for the pub, imbibed some booze and had a jolly good catch up! A good night out.



Dark Lane

Just a quick walk today to get us back into the habit.  We left the car at Carisbrooke Castle, headed along the moat then took a footpath down a steep chalk bank, along a path between two high hedges, across a field and past a chestnut tree then onto Froglands Lane.  We turned left and followed the lane to the end then turned right and followed the footpath.  This was rather muddy and led to Dark Lane; this is a deep, ancient lane cut into the chalk with high, wooded banks showing gnarly roots and stems.  The middle of the lane was clear, with debris washed away by rain from a recent storm.  There was the occasional large fallen branch to clamber round.  The kids had fun running up and down the banks and climbing trees.

Dark Lane emerged into fields and we continued for a while until we came to a junction; we turned left and followed another lane steeply downhill, emerging into the sunlight by a farm. We walked past, admiring rabbits in the fields, and came eventually to Whitcombe Road.  We turned left here and followed the road back to Froglands Lane.  Whitcombe Road was far busier than I expected and cars came down it at high speed.  There are no pavements, and only intermittent verges, so I don't recommend it if you are of a nervous disposition!

Route:  http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3719835.html

Footpaths: N89,  N108

Fairlee Farms

I went for an amble while my daughter had her swimming lesson.  Getting off the bus at Medina Leisure Centre I walked up the road away from Newport. Turning left into Mews Lane I followed the track past Little Fairlee Farm, then on towards another farm, over stiles and along a path ankle deep in wet grass and weeds. At the farm there was a footpath on the right that led to a field of bullocks. They were large and started moving towards me when I opened the gate, so, like the wussie townie I am I beat a retreat, shut the gate and stared at them for a while. I bet the farmers were having a laugh at me!  

I  continued up the farm track and came to a junction of footpaths; the left turn took me towards Wootton (not today thanks), the right took me across another field of cattle, so I went straight on up Mews Lane and joined up with Staplers Road.  I followed this for a while, then turned right into the estate and wended my way among the streets until I found a small cemetery which I explored.  This cemetery was obviously a haven for wildlife, being unkempt though clearly looked after, and was a pleasant ocean of calm yards from the main Newport to Ryde road. Leaving the cemetery, I turned right and after a few yards  found another footpath, possibly the old railway line, going towards the Leisure Centre so I followed this until I found the turning  back to the main road. A pleasant walk!

View towards Fairlee Road from Mew Lane

Cemetery

Distance: 3 miles
Footpaths used:  N118, N117, N208, N208c

Adgestone Circle

This wasn't quite the walk we set out to do, but as the kids were fractious we changed plans.  Starting at Brading Down viewpoint we walked back along the road towards Knighton, aiming initially for a footpath heading into Knighton Village.  However, it was quite a long walk along a fast road with overgrown verges and no pavements so we changed our minds and took a left turn down the hill as soon as we could.  This footpath came out in the small village of Alverstone (pretty), and we then turned left and headed along the quiet Adgestone Lower Road, which went through some woodland and what appeared to be an old landslip.  This was really rather nice and calming.  We then walked past a farmhouse and came to a split in the road; at this point there was a cobbled area and some wooden gates which could be used to close the road - unusual, and left us wondering what they were for.  Shortly after we took a footpath on the left and headed up a steep hill, through a little copse, past a paddock and out onto the Upper Road.  We followed this to Adgestone Vineyard (must stop there and have a tasting session sometime!), then took a steep footpath through the woods to the top of Brading Down and found the car.

View from Brading Down

Distance: 3.6miles
Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3468154.hI tml

Northcourt

I didn't go on a walk as such here.  Yesterday afternoon my mother and I went to Shorwell Midsummer Fair, held at Northcourt.  The fair was pleasant; old fashioned English summer fete really, with coconut shies, bric-a-brac, tea tent etc.  However, for an extra £1.50 you could explore the gardens.  My word! That was the best £1.50 I've spent this year! The gardens are lovely, a mixture of relatively formal flower and kitchen gardens, to rambling woodland.

The woods were full of shrubs such as Magnolias, Crinodendron, Azaleas and Leptospermum, as well as wonderful conifers and ferns.  There were footpaths that led all over the place, and around every corner was a plant that made me gasp.  The formal gardens were just the way I liked them; not manicured, with flowers bursting forth and overspilling their space.  There were lawned areas with flower borders that you could imagine at home, a lily pond, a knot garden, a stream with a lovely hump-backed bridge over it, a bamboo grove with a muddy path winding through it, topiary, a tennis lawn, beautiful beehives, ancient roses, a tiny grotto, old wrought iron gates leading to yet more mysterious pathways, and steps all over the place.

This garden was heavenly and I want to go back! 

Geranium

Beehives

Digitalis

Allium

Arreton

Well, we picked a glorious day for a walk! We parked at Arreton Barns, then headed down the road and turned left by the White Lion pub.  The lane took us up past the church and carp pond and then up to the downs.  We were surrounded by wheat fields and wildflowers, blue butterflies, damselflies and, at one point, a buzzard which got mobbed by crows shortly afterwards.  We turned left before the top of the down, heading towards a disused chalk pit (hidden by undergrowth), then followed the path back towards the village gathering scraped knees, stings from nettles and prickles from thistles along the way. 

Before we got to the village we turned left along another footpath, this one rather more regularly used, until we reached Shepherd's Lane.  At the junction was a vary large pond, a glorious shade of blue; it was a mystery - this pond was not marked on my map, nor was it on either GPS system we had. Curious!  Anyway, we continued down the lane, gawped through the gates of Haseley Manor and beat a hasty retreat when we realised there was a wedding taking place!  Reaching the main road, we crossed and picked up the footpath that went straight through somebody's garden! A dog in the garden next door growled and barked at us until we had climbed over the gate and headed off across the field. We crossed the stile and found ourselves in a large meadow full of buttercups and yellow iris.  This led to even more meadows with even more wild flowers! Heaven! There was even a stream with little wooden-plank footbridges across it.

The path rose upwards again and we followed the path along the edge of a copse, turned right at the end down a little hill then climbed into a sheep paddock and up a steep hill to another stile, a path through fields of potatoes and wheat, across the main road and back to Arreton Barns.  We went in search of ice cream for the children, but it was after 5pm so the kiosks were closed, and the glorious Farmer Jack's Farm Shop only sold large tubs. Shame.  

Route:  http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_3241263.html

Distance:  3.7 miles

Footpaths: A12, A13, A9, A17, A15, A1, A2, A5b