Gazing out of the window right now, it seems a long time ago since we were experiencing something of an Indian summer. Never one to pass up an opportunity to get outdoors, especially at the moment, two weeks back when it was still warm and sunny I packed up a tent, teabags, sleeping bag and my mother and hopped on a ferry to visit the Isle of Wight. Closest thing to a foreign holiday we're likely to get in 2020.
The IoW is something of a walkers paradise; there are footpaths from pretty much every point to every other point, well maintained, beautifully waymarked and abounding with fabulous views. And then of course there is the famous 113km (70 mile) coastal path that stretches right round the whole island (I’ve walked half of it before, and doing the whole thing next year) and has some of the most beautiful vistas in the UK.
Ma and I weren’t actually there specifically for walking purposes (more of an off-grid, anti-coronavirus, last minute camping adventure) but took in a couple of bits of paths that I thought I would share for interest!
We took the Lymington - Yarmouth route to the IoW which brings you into the western side of the island. This is not the side of the sandy beaches but has its own charms with pretty marinas and enough interesting looking cliffs to keep a geology nerd happy for a long, long time. Yarmouth itself is small but historic little town with one of the finest fish and chip shops I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter.
As the name suggests, Yarmouth is at the mouth of the western River Yar and has a gorgeous 4 mile estuary walk that is accessible pretty much from the town centre. It took us a leisurely 90 minutes, is clearly way marked and loops round the main body of the Yar estuary. The way inland takes you along the former track bed of the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway. We went up to the ancient causeway that leads over the river into the village of Freshwater, although the path continues on inland. The footpath we took crosses the causeway then up to the Norman church of All Saints, one of the oldest on the island. It contains a memorial to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, one of Freshwater’s most famous former residents.
Taking a narrow footpath to the left of the church (as you look at it from the front) the walk picks up the Freshwater Way (running from Freshwater Bay on the southern side of the western section of the IoW) back towards Yarmouth. This wasn’t quite so picturesque as the way up, but brought us back into Yarmouth with an appetite for those fish and chips.
After a satisfying evening with fire pits, marshmallows and lashings of ginger beer (kidding, red wine) and a cosy night under canvas, Ma and I sallied forth to Osbourne House. Due to Covid the access to the house was limited (still a recommended visit) but the grounds were fully open and we took in a glorious stroll to the beach where Her Maj. Queen Victoria took the waters. How the other half live(d).
After all that culture and a spanking lunch in Cowes we headed back over to the western tip of the island. This time we picked up the coastal path and headed inexorably upwards to the Old Battery, a Victorian defence fort built as part of the defence mechanism for Portsmouth, right up above Alum Bay (of coloured sands fame). There’s history a-plenty to take in here including secret rocket testing sites and WW2 gun emplacements. But the real pay off is the view over the spectacular Needles, a perilous part of the island for sailors, but just breathtaking for us landlubbers.
The coastal path here is quite steep; to be honest we didn’t follow it for long, we were just being sightseeing grockles, but the promise of the rolling downs beyond this high point was almost overwhelming. But further marshmallows and wine beckoned so we retired to our tent palace for more sedate pursuits.
Before we trundled back across the Solent on Sunday, just over 48 hours after we arrived on the IoW, we managed to squeeze in a short circular walk around Carisbrooke Castle. On our way back to, by now, rainy Surrey, we reflected how much we had squeezed into a weekend. A more deliberate walking break on the IoW could easily be planned with plenty of time to still take in the fine grub and fascinating history. Looking forward to taking it on again next year!
Here’s the map for the Yarmouth estuary walk....
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