Open Gardens and Crazy Golf

The National Open Gardens Scheme is in full swing again locally, so three of us had an expedition to Rookley Manor this afternoon. I had no idea it existed, although I knew of another at the other end of the village. The house has a one acre garden which is beautifully planted and well thought out. We had a lovely time admiring it and pinching ideas for our own, much smaller, gardens. In particular I enjoyed the old fashioned roses, which were deeply scented and lolled around through the flower beds. There were also many Alliums and Astrantias, Nigella ("Love in a mist), Peonies, a magnificent Rhododendron, Sedum, a splendid Lantern Bush, an ancient copper beech tree, Sisyrinchiums, and many many other plants. To top it off, Rookley WI were doing teas. Lovely. This is definitely a garden worth visiting, and I look forward to going again.

Afterwards we headed to Shanklin seafront and had a round of crazy golf on the Dinosaur course; I was whupped by the opposition unfortunately However, we all had fun and finished with a cup of tea and a sandwich at the cafe behind the course. After that we went for a stroll along the revetment towards Sandown before returning home. The teenager and I have decided that this Summer's challenge might well be to play on all the crazy golf courses on the Island. Happy days!

Niton and St Lawrence

Today's adventure was around the south of the Island. We parked at the top end of St Catherine's Road then walked down and joined Castle Haven Lane. We followed this past some lovely gardens and a great view of St Catherine's Lighthouse, down to the beach, where we found several lobster pots, a cafe and some huts. The tide was very high so after walking along the rock sea defences we turned back and walked up to Undercliff Drive.

Undercliff Drive has been closed to through traffic for several years due to a large landslip. We ambled along it for some time, passing woodland, interesting houses, snails, crossing a bridge and a strange stone inscribed with initials and a date and surrounded by a cage. No idea what it was for! We also found the remains of a stone cottage in a small nature reserve which had a small cloud of bumblebees buzzing round it. There were also enormous fungi!

We followed Undercliff Drive to Ventnor Botanic Gardens and had a very pleasant lunch in the cafe there. Afterwards we had a mooch around the gardens (Gardeners World 2 for 1 card came in handy here!) admiring all the interesting plants and then joined the coastal path and started our way back.

The coastal path led past Orchard Bay. We could see a rock at the far end with three cormorants on it, so we went down the steps and crossed the beach to have a closer look. This was a new beach to me and I really liked it! The beach was covered in fine shingle (not ideal when wearing sandals) but had big rocks at the bottom and sides which were great for scrambling on. We got quite close to the cormorants and then had an explore of the rocks and rock pools; there were lots of clusters of winkles (I think. Sea snails anyway.) in depressions in the rocks, and a lot of limpets. As we made our way back over the rocks near the steps we saw a lizard - really exciting! Neither of us had seen one before. We then saw a wren, which was nice but not as exciting.

Back up the steps then to follow the coastal path to St Lawrence and up a side path leading to St Lawrence Old Church. This was delightful. The church is small, seating perhaps 60 people, and dates from the twelfth century. The first rector was called Roger! There is a beautiful pre-raphaelite stained glass window there too.

We walked back into the village and rejoined Undercliff Drive and made our way back to the car. A really lovely, interesting walk.

Distance, including the botanic gardens, approx. 16km.

Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/843531?units=km

Monk and Merchant walk

It's April for heaven's sake, and this is the first proper stomp I have had. I have been a bit busy...  I met up with a friend and we headed to the White Mouse Inn at Chale for a sandwich and a cuppa, then drove up the hill to the Blackgang Viewpoint car park. From there, we crossed the road and headed up hill towards St Catherine's Oratory (Pepperpot), and paused  for a while to take photographs, before heading along the crest of the down to the Hoy Monument. This is a huge stone column erected by a local merchant with Russian connections, to celebrate the visit of Tsar Alexander I to Britain. As you do. 

From there we turned left onto a footpath heading down the hill, going through several gates and passing to the side of a property called the Hermitage. The path led through a field to a quiet lane, rejoined a footpath and led towards Moorhills Farm, which housed a timber merchant and sawmill. Now, we were busy chatting and missed our turning and continued down the lane past ponds and streams until we arrived at the main road through the village of Bierley. Once we had realised our error we doubled back, found the footpath, waved at the chaps in the sawmill, and carried on across fields heading towards the oratory which we could see on a distant hill.

We passed Downcourt Manor Farm and turned uphill, having rather lost the path, and clambered onwards coming to a barbed wire fence with no obvious route through. We managed to climb through and headed upwards, spotting what we thought was our route. We also stopped to admire a hare bounding along the hill in front of us. We were again thwarted by a barbed wire fence, more robust this time, which stood between us and  a herd of cows. We turned right and followed the fence along until we saw the footpath and were able to get to it. From here we headed back towards the oratory hill, skirting along the base of it and then back down the hill to the car. This was a lovely walk, which would have lovely views on a clearer day!

Intended route: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/st-catherines-down-and-knowles-farm/trails/the-monk-and-the-merchant-walk

Approximate Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/809584

Distance: c. 5.5. miles

St Catherine's Oratory

Benches at Moorhills Farm

New Year

I started the new year off gently by going for a stroll from Quarr Abbey to Binstead and back with a friend. It was a glorious winter afternoon, cold but dry and bright, and we caught up on all the news as we walked. Lovely. We stopped off at Holy Cross church in Binstead on the way back; this is an old church that I have walked past many times but never been in. It has a beautiful wooden 'boat' ceiling, which has Norman style wooden arches overlaying it. The stone pulpit is in just the right spot to survey the congregation and keep an eye on wayward choristers! The church was, unsurprisingly, very tranquil. Worth a visit.

Afterwards we stopped for a hot drink and cake at the Abbey cafe before wandering up to admire the pigs and then toddling off home.

Godshill and Wroxall

I met up with a chum today and we headed to Godshill, parking in the  big car park there.  We had decided to follow a route found on 'Visit Isle of Wight', but swiftly went wrong. We made it as far as All Saints Church, on the hill (hence the name of the village I guess), then got a little confused. We walked along the lane, but couldn't see a footpath leading off it, so turned round and went the other way ending up back in the village. It was a pleasant detour, with lots of thatched cottages and few tourists. If we had carried on along the original path we would have got to our footpath. Ah well!

We decided to head through the village to The Griffin Inn as I knew there was a path there that led to Appuldurcombe House, where we wanted to go. This led behind the pub, across a meadow and into woodland, full of fallen leaves and sweet chestnuts. Lovely! We took the path to the right which came out by a deer park and led gradually uphill, coming out at a crossroads of paths. The one straight ahead led up the infamous Gat Cliff and the one on the right skirted round the base of it. I didn't want to go up the cliff as I was feeling particularly unfit today (what a wimp!), so we took the right hand path which eventually led to Freemantle Gate. We went through here and paused for a while to admire it, then continued on to Appuldurcombe House, where we paused to discuss its scandalous history and whether or not it was haunted, as is commonly believed. Onwards from here to the junction with Rew Lane and a brief jaunt into Wroxall.

Wroxall is not a village I know well, but it seemed pleasant and had an unusual church. After a while we found Appuldurcombe Lane and headed back across the fields to Freemantle Gate, pausing to admire a raptor in flight (still undecided on which one it was) and getting excited about a passing spitfire. From the gate we strolled down the lane to Godshill, passing a paddock of Shetland ponies on the way. We ended up in The Griffin for a bite to eat (nice baguettes), then headed to the Willow Tree Tea Garden for a coffee before heading home. Lovely day!

Intended route: https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/dbimgs/Walk_Appuldurcombe.pdf 

Actual route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4826342.html 

Distance: 6 miles.

All Saints Church, Godshill

St John's Church, Wroxall

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.

Brighstone Down

After spending yesterday on the sofa under a fluffy blanket, listening to the rain, watching 'Call the Midwife', and eating biscuits and Welsh cakes, I thought that I ought to get some fresh air and exercise today. I set off for Brighstone and parked at the car park at the top of Lynch Lane, next to Strawberry Lane.

Coming out of the car park, I turned right and then picked up a footpath on the opposite side of the road and bimbled along it to see where it went. I hadn't brought a map. More on that later! I stopped periodically to gaze through my binoculars at hovering kestrels and soaring buzzards, riding the wind in the sky above me. Glorious. Wish I could do that! The path led on, passing Brighstone Forest on the left and showing glorious views along the west coast on the right. I never tire of that view. 

I paused for a while to sit on a stile and gaze across the countryside and seascape below, before continuing on towards a viewpoint showing the distance to lots of different places on the Island and around the world, and then past cattle sheds belonging to Cheverton Farm and a beautiful herd of cattle (all different colours), where I paused to lean on the gate and admire them for a while.  I was later overtaken by a family of mountain bikers and later I found a sign for the 'Devil's Spine', part of a mountain bike trail run by the farm. 

I turned back shortly after the cattle, and met a lady and her puppy; we had an interesting conversation about our mutual lack of skill at photography while her puppy bounced up and down next to me. Next, I turned along a footpath that led into the forest, assuming it would head for Lynch Lane. It did, in a roundabout way! I had no map, as mentioned earlier, and managed to get myself turned around. Having found a broader, stonier path than the rather damp one I was following, I began walking along it, not entirely sure in which direction I was going. That was fine; I was ambling up a hill and spotted a hare feeding on the grass and got quietly excited as I had never seen one before. Wow! I was glad I had the binoculars as I got a really good look at it without getting to close and scaring it off. Shortly after that I met another lady who informed me that I'd end up in Carisbrooke if I continued in that direction, so i turned round and found myself back at the car park fairly soon afterwards.

This was a lovely, gentle walk with magnificent landscapes, cloudscapes and seascapes, and lots of wildlife to spot. I saw several birds that I cannot identify, lots of insects, and there was an abundance of wild flora. I'll have to wander back soon and gather hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts. It was also good to see evidence of the forest being managed, with coppicing of sweet chestnuts evident.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4798056.html

Distance: approx. 5 miles