Isle of Wight Report Sat 12 to Sat 19 May 2012

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1 Isle of Wight Report Sat 12 to Sat 19 May 2012 Andrew Brightwell Green buses rocking and rolling along the narrow roads; carpets of bluebells and campion, orchids, cowslips and sea pinks; views from the Purbeck Hills behind Swanage in the west round to Selsey Bill in the east, of large ships at anchor and on the move, of sailing boats of all sizes; chalk cliffs and downs, steep limestone ridges, lush meadows, woods of oak and beech; paths with muddy patches, tracks and old rail lines; sunshine, cool winds, soft rain and hard water, starry nights, tents leaning in the wind, and tempting offers by the bus station at the end. So what did we miss: garlic ice cream they only make it in the summer ( fortunately?); red squirrels unless you were lucky; expanding waistlines the calories don t count till afterwards. By chance, some of us met on the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth on the Saturday before we dispersed to our various holiday accommodations scattered across the island. With the windy weather forecast for later in the week, Sue was worried that her tent might collapse or blow away in the night. The farm s cockerel proved more of a problem. A gathering of some of the group for a pleasant Italian meal that evening at the Bonchurch Inn. The pub is in a quarry so parking was a bit interesting. I believe Graham was enjoying himself. Ten members of Moorland Ramblers and three partners came for all or part of the week. Only four walks were organised so as to allow time for individual exploration or sightseeing. We covered ~47 miles and climbed ~3,500 feet on the four walks. We finished the week with another enjoyable meal (exhibit to left) at the Bargemen s Rest in Newport on Friday. My thanks to everybody for coming and their contributions to making it an enjoyable week: Derek & Jo, Graham & Mary, Hazel, Janet, Linda, Mary, Steve, Sue, and William & Claire. And especially Mary for arranging the meals and acting as whipper in. I take no responsibility for any impact on the waistlines. Andrew Brightwell Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 1 of 9

2 Walk 1 Sunday 13 May Yarmouth, round the coast, over The Hill to End of the Line ~6 miles, half-day An easy half-day walk with a bit of coast so our other halves could join us. A wonderful sunny day; with one member already sporting a tan acquired with an early arrival. We started from Yarmouth; went over the (West) Yar to pick up the coast path to Scone Point and Fort Victoria at the north east corner of the island. A view of Hurst Castle; one of Henry s forts built to defend the western entry to The Solent and considerably enlarged later. Through woods by the coast, then inland to the Golden Hill Country Park and its fort, now luxury homes. Golden Hill Fort was a defensible barracks built as part of the Palmerston Defences (the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the UK) to house the manpower supporting for the various forts at the western end of the Isle of Wight. When it was operational, the surrounding area was kept clear of vegetation to allow views out to the Solent. Would you spend 400,000 for a view of the dry moat and the trees now blocking any view? The name Golden Hill refers not to the spectacular golden display of gorse but to an historic landowner named Gauden. It was memorable place for large raves and parties from the early 1960s a golden moment for some. Then downhill to the village of Freshwater, passing its Saxon church, down to the causeway and bridge back over the Yar. Until Elizabeth s time the island was the Isles of Wight. This bridge was the only firm link between the main part of Wight and Freshwater Isle (the western island ) as high tides would regularly breach what is now the beach at Freshwater Bay. Culver Down at the other end of the island was separated by Brading Haven now reduced to Bembridge Harbour. Along the old rail line by the Yar to the End of the Line for coffee and cake. The Southern Railway offered an 8/- 7-day season ticket allowing unlimited travel on all the island s railways. This was the end of the walk, to allow any individuals or subgroups to wander off to do their own thing. Four of us strolled back along the old rail line, through the small woods now surrounding it to Yarmouth and lunch. Plenty of bird-life; but no squirrels. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 2 of 9

3 Walk 2 Monday 14 May Shanklin, Alverstone & Bembridge Trail to Newport ~13 miles A very rural walk starting with a bus ride to Shanklin on an overcast day. Shanklin was the base for PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) that carried petrol across to The Channel for the post D-Day Allied operations. The pipeline ran across The Solent to Cowes, then across the IoW (probably alongside the railway line) and back into the sea at Sandown Bay for Normandy. The first cross-channel stretch was laid in 10 hours. In all 21 pipelines, modified hollow undersea cables made by STC, were laid. Some having gone in search of Isle of Wight rock, we set off passing Shanklin Manor, now the posh Manor House Hotel, to St Blasuis Church another of the island s many old churches. Here we met the eastern end of the Worsley Trail and a steep climb alongside woods up the edge of a ridge. We stopped for coffee in the lee of a hedge providing some shelter from the chilly westerly wind. However a good view, through the trees, over much of the eastern end of the island and to the ridge above Newport our destination. Next was a very steep path with wooden steps, down to fields fortunately it s still dry at this time as the limey earth would otherwise be very slippery. Across the old Shanklin to Ventnor rail line and down by the stream through America Wood and then across Scotchells Brook. We edged round farmland to Borthwood Copse definitely the most picturesque of all the woodlands we traversed. Carpets of bluebells and campion underfoot; oaks and beeches overhead; but no red squirrels although Linda and I did see several there on Thursday. Then down Burnt House Lane Steve commented that there must have been many fires on the island as that was the second lane of this name he d passed to the old Newport to Shanklin rail line. It was too windy to stop by the bridge over the (East) Yar, so into the shelter of the lineside trees for lunch. One of the trees had a large carved stone oak gall attached to its trunk. Weird! We followed the line for a mile passing Alverstone Bridge with its strange carving on the outside of the parapet. The drizzle started; we turned north again by what looked like a Christmas Tree farm to pick up the Bembridge Trail to Shide and Newport. There was a strange reluctance by the group to divert to Mersley Farm to try garlic ice-cream; Linda told me later they only sell it in summer. So a wet afternoon in May doesn t count as summer? A mixture of woods, tracks, fields, some covered in rows of plastic sheeting (maize?). Fortunately the ground was firm enough for us to not get too muddy. Only one person commented on my navigational anomaly. Then we picked up the old road, now a firm track, crossing over the Yar / Medina watershed; passing a large quarry and golf course to drop down to Shide. Shide s Barley Mow had recently become the Bengal Palace so dashing any hopes of end-of-walk refreshment. Another half-hour alongside the river brought us into Newport and the temptations of M&S. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 3 of 9

4 Walk 3 Tuesday 15 May Chale, Ventnor to Shanklin ~12 miles We started with another bus, this time to Chale, a small village at the foot of the limestone ridge that forms the south-eastern side of the island. A more promising day with high cloud, good visibility and occasional sunshine, but still a cool wind. A steep, very steep in places, climb up St Catherine s Hill for the stunning views of the southwest coast of the island and the chalk cliffs by The Needles. In the distance are Bournemouth, Poole and the Purbeck Hills behind Swanage. At the top are the Salt and Pepper Pots. The Pepper Pot is St Catherine s Oratory a 10m medieval octagonal tower and lighthouse. It was built in 1328 by a local landowner as penance for stealing church property wine which he and his friends drank from a wrecked ship. He also had to employ a priest to tend the light and sing daily masses for the sailors lost souls until I assume it wasn t the same priest all that time. At 236m this was the highest point of the week and also the longest climb. The Salt Cellar is the base of an uncompleted lighthouse begun in 1785 but abandoned before completion as it would have been in cloud most of the time it was supposed to be useful. In 1838 St Catherine s Point Lighthouse was built much lower down. We followed the edge of the upper cliff the limestone forms a series of cliffs down to the sea east towards Niton with coffee by a hedge as it was still chilly in the wind. Cowslips growing all over the place. We passed the source of the (East) River Yar; across fields to pick up the coast path again that runs along the edge of the unstable cliff as far as St Lawrence. Mary fancying the house with the large swimming pool below? Below us was an old rail tunnel to the second of Ventnor s stations; they were operated by different railway companies. Finally, for this section, steep steps down through woods, then across the main road, yet more lanes and paths to St Lawrence and The Undercliff. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 4 of 9

5 Lunch on the beach at Woody Bay. This part of the coast is retreating steadily; even the steps down have had to be extended. Steve and I both decided the local rocks produced the wrong shaped stones to skip successfully. We only managed a paltry single skip each. We followed a well-trodden coastal path meeting mostly couples but also a small Canadian Group doing the island s 100 mile circuit along The Undercliff above the sea to Steephill Cove. Then to Ventnor beach, toilets and ice cream (no garlic flavour on offer). On along the concrete promenade defending the cliff base to Bonchurch Pottery, sampling the samphire growing by the wayside on the way. The coastal path then climbs irregularly up and across the wooded Landslip to Luccombe Village. The main landslip occurred in 1810; it continues to slip today as The Chalk is on top of The Upper Greensand which is in turn on top of The Gault Clay. The whole lot slopes down to the sea, so rain and waves undermine the soft lower layers and down it goes. I offered the option of a 100m descent to the beach to view Shanklin Chine and then a 50m climb back up. This was not greeted with any enthusiasm surprise, surprise so we followed the road through the rather twee Old Shanklin Village to Shanklin Library and the bus back to Newport. Slight confusion when the earlier bus turned up unexpectedly so some of us jumped on; the remainder were then puzzled by our absence when the planned bus arrived on time. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 5 of 9

6 Walk 4 Wednesday 16 May Tennyson Trail Alum Bay & Needles to Carisbrook ~16 Miles One of the island s classic, long, linear walks following the chalk ridge from the western end of the island and then heading NE on an old road to Carisbrooke. The Walk the Wight trail then continues another 14 miles to Bembridge at the eastern end of the island. Some 10,000 people had walked all or part of it a few days earlier to raise money for a local cancer charity. The Tennyson Trail is named after the poet who lived in Freshwater Bay and includes going out to The Needles from Alum Bay; I also added a later diversion so making it longer than the Walk the Wight route. A bus to Alum Bay a bit of a tourist repellent these days. We continued up the road with a view back over Alum Bay and the erosion that is naturally encroaching on the tourist trap above the cliff. The cable car s lower anchorage is built on piles off the beach with a walkway to dry land. Lots of cowslips and early purple orchids growing in the grass. On up the road to the Needles Battery and its dry moat that s gradually disappearing at both ends into the sea 80m below. You cannot see The Needles proper until you climb further up. There was a very large stack at beyond the present lighthouse until it blew away in a storm in the late 1700s. The battery and moat are where the tunnel, the entrance, is. We stopped for coffee on the 1960s Bluestreak Rocket Engine test site on the south cliff the whole area beyond Alum Bay was off-limits at the time. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 6 of 9

7 We climbed the ridge of West High Down, over a stile and up along the edge of the cliff to the Tennyson Memorial. The Poet would regularly walk up here from Freshwater Bay for the view and hopefully, inspiration. [William s pictures (left above and below) make it look sunnier than mine]. We continued along the cliff-edge path to above Watcombe Bay, with a view along the unstable coastline to St Catherine s Oratory visible on the distant skyline (but not in this picture unfortunately). Down to the beach and lunch at Freshwater Bay. Again lousy shaped stones for skipping. The mosaics in the promenade s shelter were admired. Also interesting were the panels behind recording all the wildlife to be found here including Homo Sapiens (summer visitors). Mary was tempted by the 50 notes on sale in the lifeboat shop. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 7 of 9

8 Rather than follow the Tennyson Trail straight up through the golf course we kept to the cliff edge and its carpets of sea pinks. After a 1/2 mile we we re had to cross the Military Road, now the main road, then scramble up a chalk bank and dodge the golf balls on the course. A hard chalk track so some tut-tuts from the players when we walked on the grass at the track s edge. It s an ancient bridleway so the edge of the right-of-way would not be well defined. A series of barrows line the ridge s summit, some quite impressive in spite of previous attempts to dig out the gold that must lie in them. After crossing the minor road we diverted from the main trail through woods in the grounds of the impressive Brook Hill House it looks vaguely like Castle Drogo and is of similar vintage. Then out onto Mottistone Common, with views of the coast and the ancient Mottistone Manor below. Mottistone Manor was the real home of The War Horse. The horse survived the First World War with only minor injuries; he died of old age in We came to The Long Stone, one of two large stones that formed the entrance to a long barrow. The site was later used by the Saxons as a meeting place. The barrow and stones where later disturbed by quarrying and excavations. Bluebells growing all over the surrounding grass as we descended to Strawberry Lane and then up to Brighstone Down (pronounced Brixton ) beyond and onto The Bembridge Limestones and Marls for the old road to Newport. [Another of William s photos]. Through some wonderful beech woods, passing Gallibury Hump (another barrow) off to the left on the track lined with bluebells. Near the end there were good views of Carisbrooke Castle where Charles I was imprisoned. Finally a drop down to Carisbrooke and The Waverley Inn with an opportunity of suitable refreshment at the end of the last organised walks. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 8 of 9

9 Some of the other things some of us also did Linda and I did several woodland walks to admire some the island s wonderful oaks. This oak is one at Quarr Abbey near Ryde. Its triple trunk is thought to be a result of it probably growing on top of the wall, part of which, with an archway, is still visible behind. The wall vanished Oh there s some good stone to build my house, along with the abbey some 400 years ago. We also saw several red squirrels here and in Borthwood Copse. But we didn t get round to using our bikes. Overheard in Osborne House - Victoria and Albert s private holiday home: Did they sleep together? Well they did have nine kids! On Thursday Graham, Mary and others did a circular walk from Bembridge to Culver Down and then back inland via Brading. The cliff path between Bembridge and Whitecliff Bay has been diverted as it s fallen into the sea (again). Thanks once again to everybody for making it a brilliant time. Ramblers IoW May 2012 Page 9 of 9