the county town of Newport. island, ending at its heart in characterise the east of the copses and gentle downs that Trail navigates the marshes, , the 1 follow trail to stile in opp downhill to kissing gate and gate and cross stile. Bear before NT booth and L through for ‘Bembridge Windmill.’ R road bends L, go R onto lane and R onto High Street, and as L to emerge from woodland footpath into Marshes. along Station Road, picking up metres Follow Bembridge Trail (BT) Start km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0

journey across the The first stage of our PHILIP THOMAS CHOSEN BY… 05 u Distance: 12½ miles/20.1km u miles/20.1km 12½ Distance: 2 4

BEMBRIDGE TRAIL ISLE OF WIGHT

6 bridge. Continue over next stile of Nunwell Farm to stile/ L of New Farm, next aiming R stile and continue to fingerpost Cross field along tree line to turning L over stile into field. Nunwell House gatehouse, West Lane. L on road past Street. R up Doctor’s Lane to after 50 yds, cross R up Cross 2 Quay Lane to Brading Church. On reaching house, go along on causeway over footbridge. (BB20) and R at third junction, for ‘Brading’ (BB23), R again Centurion’s Copse. At sign, R crossing several fields into marshes and cross airfield, next causeway along edge of corner of next field. Follow GR ADIENT PROFILE L down High Street, and 3¼ miles/5.2 km Bembridge windmill, Bembridge windmill, 8 Time: 6 hours u 6 hours Time: early in the walk. 10

12

Grade: Challenging

PHILIP THOMAS PHILIP PHOTO: then R on path, following downs. Ahead to gate at end, Farm, then R up track, towards to lane, go L passing Nunwell 14 Landranger 196 Maps OS Explorer OL29; Newport-Bembridge transportPublic Bus No.8 toiletsPublic Start/finish Brading and Arreton Refreshments Newport, /Newport Nearest towns PLANNING Stiles 7 tracks. Briefly on roads bridleways and byway and along field paths, places) over gentle downs (missing markers in Is it for me? Local trail at Newport Bus Station catch a bus from the end Bembridge, but it’s best to Roadside parking in 5NN, grid ref SY642886. Inn, Bembridge, PO35 Start/parking Pilot Boat ROUTE PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN 16

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SOUTH EAST ✁ and intriguing landmarks, from awash in sumptuous scenery westernmost tip. It’s a walk the iconic Needles at its downland from the centre to undulating crest of chalk follows an traverse of the island, Completing our east-west Farringford in Freshwater. laureate, who lived at named for the Victorian poet is not alone still leaves you feeling quids in. hilltop named in his honour today, a walk across the breezy sixpence a pint.” And even that the air here is “worth on the Isle of W

metres towards . Tennyson Down, heading km 20 0 40 0 600 0 0 PHILIP THOMAS CHOSEN BY… famously remarked Alfred Tennyson 06 u 2 Distance: 15¼ miles/24.5km u miles/24.5km 15¼ Distance: ight in being ight in being 4 6

TENNYSON TRAIL ISLE OF WIGHT

8 about 4 miles on farm roughly on SW course for Tennyson Trail continues Down where the sunken lane emerges atop byway (Down Lane). This 2 1 batteries, and a rocket test site. Bronze Age barrows to gun ‘Tennyson Trail’. (SZ482 881), signposted into Nodgham Lane at end High Street, B3401) and fork L (where it becomes Road. Follow for 1 mile through and finally L onto Carisbrooke St James’ St, L onto Street Pyle South St (B3323), then R into 10 GR ADIENT PROFILE From bus station, turn L onto Start After 100 yds, fork R up 1¼ miles/2 km 12

Time: 7 hours u 7 hours Time: 14

16

18

➥ Grade: Challenging

AVAILABLE LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY* LIGHT AVAILABLE 02 42 28 26 24 22 20 PHOTO: ROUTE Landranger 196 Maps OS Explorer OL29; www.islandbuses.info No.7 -Newport on Southern Vectis bus transportPublic Return High St, Freshwater Bay toiletsPublic Carisbrooke at Needles New Battery. Freshwater Bay, NT kiosk Carisbrooke, pubs/cafés at Refreshments Newport/ Newport/Freshwater Nearest towns PLANNING Stiles None farm & forest tracks coastal downs, bridleways, well-signposted trail over undulating linear route on Is it for me? Long, gently and catch bus to start (Alum Bay, PO39 0JD) 2BX. Or park at end at Bridge, PO30 SZ499889. Parking nearby Bus Station, grid ref Start/parking Newport PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN

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SOUTH EAST ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 001/17 © Country Walking May 2017

1 4 START 11¾ miles/17.5km Blackwater L and cross IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes GET THIS WALK ON YOUR PHONE: quarry track, then down then down quarry track, Shide. Lane to George’s St 6 Road into Shide Road. R along Shide Road. into Road then L and R Medina Avenue, and along Church M&S, around bus station. to Litten

2 5 9¼ miles/14.9km on lane by Emerging track, following L to house on L to following track, L then R onto Lane. Mersley ‘Arreton’. NC6 for bridleway Shepherd’s until straight Keep turning R then L Lane (Track), Arreton. on original bearing to 5 school, R onto pavement pavement school, R onto car park along A3056, R into Barns, then L at Arreton for Down George’s St sign for Downend Go over (A27A). the up onto byway to Road junction at Go straight down. ‘Shide’). Keep A28 for (byway crossing golf course, to on trail Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

3 path,

‘Knighton’. ‘Knighton’.

ISLE OF WIGHT BEMBRIDGE TRAIL 6 FINISH L onto verge, and cross to to and cross verge, L onto 7 miles/11.3km R on verge for 700 yds, yds, 700 for R on verge 5 miles/8km 4 OS Explorer map OL29 u cross sand pits access track, track, sand pits access cross and R up bridleway fork next farm through go L on lane, Chute. Knighton buildings to path R after 300 yds. Follow to to Follow 300 yds. R after path paddocks to and through stile Straight at next cross next at Straight hedgerow around L to road. L to around hedgerow 3 4 to Kern. Go L around farm. farm. Go L around Kern. to to B35 L on byway cross L at sign down byway byway sign down L at cross then gate, farm R on lane to u 05

SOUTH EAST ✁

©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 001/17 © Country Walking May 2017

START 1 IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes GET THIS WALK ON YOUR PHONE: 2 turns R through gate for the for gate turns R through Tennyson final climb onto the Tennyson Reaching Down. Nodes bear R to Monument, gate L through forking Beacon, towards High Down West over thethe Needles. Arriving at time to make Battery, New and the fortifications explore road/ before site test rocket at bus stop to around path Bay. Needles Park/Alum

4 11 miles/17.7km the A3055 meet As you (Military Road), turn R on (Military Road), following verge/pavement, the road beside the short the road the and past promenade lane L onto Turn Albion Hotel. shelter, public toilets/bus by shortly which the trail after 4 Tennyson Trail through NT gate NT gate through Trail Tennyson an old pit, forking and around the passing R uphill. After of Brook Barrows Age Bronze stretch a long and level Down, gives Down Compton across arc the broad over fine views the trail before of the bay, the through steadily descends Down on Afton golf course Bay. Freshwater and into Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

3

ISLE OF WIGHT TRAIL TENNYSON FINISH 5¾ miles/9.25km the trees, from Emerging OS Explorer map OL29 u u tracks/woodland bridleways, bridleways, tracks/woodland It’s Down. until and all the way signposted give in the hedgerows breaks Castle glimpses Carisbrooke straight L. Continue your to and through junctions on at Forest. Brighstone 3 you’re greeted by a view of the a view by greeted you’re Trail the Tennyson sea. Follow dips onto R and as the trail turn R then L to Lane, Lynch again over pick up the path and straight Down to descending Down, Pay onto to cross Carefully the B3399. and opposite track the farm the chalk ruts of follow 06

SOUTH EAST