Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Southern England Southern England 08/05/2015 16:44 09 Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight 10 Egerton, Kent l Distance 22km/13½ miles l Time 7hrs l Type Coast and downs l Distance 13¼km/8¼ miles l Time 4hrs l Type Country NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine summer 2015 summer magazine walk walk magazine summer 2015 summer magazine walk Plan your walk Plan your walk HAMPSHIRE THAMES ESTUARY l Southampton P P Portsmouth l Canterbury l TRO TRO KENT L L AR AR B B EGERTON A ISLE OF WIGHT A l N N O O Folkestone FRESHWATER BAY HY: FI HY: HY: FI HY: P P WHERE: Circular walk WHERE: Circular walk from from Freshwater Bay Egerton via Little Chart PHOTOGRA PHOTOGRA via Brighstone. Forstal and Pluckley. Just a few hours from central 1. START The Tennyson Trail takes Egerton is situated on a 350ft START/END: Car park (free) START/END: Roadside the path down to a lane – views London, the Isle of Wight is an its name from the poet laureate, ridge of greensand rock, south of on north side of the A3055, parking by village green, of the North Downs ahead. The ideal destination for a short Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who lived in the North Downs with the Weald east of Freshwater Bay next to church (TQ908475). distant drone of M20 traffic walking break. Over half of the Freshwater Bay for many years. A at its foot. Its elevated position (SZ351856); alternative car Parking also at Millennium accompanies you for some time, island is a designated AONB and monument to the poet is situated provides fine views over the park at Freshwater Bay. Village Hall, Elm Close. but the road is well out of sight. there’s an excellent network of on top of Tennyson Down, west of surrounding countryside. St TERRAIN: Clear downland TERRAIN: Paths and tracks Turn R along the lane and carry footpaths and bridleways. The the bay. From the top R-hand James’s church, parts of which tracks and paths; country through fields and orchards; on along the track at the end of waymarking is unique: every right corner of the car park, walk a short date from the 13th century, is lanes; coast path. (NB take short stretches along quiet the road. Before long you are on of way is allocated a number distance north to join the Tennyson noted for its chandelier. The care on crumbling cliffs.) lanes. Although much of the route of the Stour Valley prefixed by the initial letters of Trail and turn R. Initially, the gently Greensand Way – a 108-mile long- MAPS: OS Explorer OL29; the walk follows waymarked Walk, which joins from the L. the parish, district or borough ascending track runs across the distance path through Surrey and Landranger 196. routes, path signs can be At the next lane, turn R and then through which it passes. As well Freshwater Bay Golf Club course. Kent – passes through the village, GETTING THERE: Wightlink missing, so careful L and continue along the byway as the coastal path, there are Looking back, there’s a fine view with the Stour Valley Walk car ferries between navigation needed in places. for another 500m. eight official inland trails, which over Freshwater Bay (above). There running to the north. This walk Portsmouth and Fishbourne, MAPS: OS Explorer 137; cover the island’s remarkably are also good views looking north, follows the latter for its outward and Lymington and Landranger 189. 2. Turn L into the wood – the diverse landscape. An award- taking in Yarmouth and the leg and returns along the former Yarmouth; passenger GETTING THERE: path may not be signed, so keep winning walking festival – the Western Yar estuary, and across the via Pluckley, reputed to be the catamaran from Portsmouth Stagecoach bus service 123 alert when you reach the corner UK’s biggest – takes place each Solent to the south coast of the most haunted village in England. to Ryde (✆ 0333 999 7333, between Ashford (rail of the wood. The path emerges May, with a four-day autumn mainland. Just past a bench on It was also the location of the TV www.wightlink.co.uk). station) and Biddenden at the far corner of the wood and walking weekend in October Brook Down, it’s worth a brief series The Darling Buds of May. Southern Vectis buses from via Pluckley and Egerton continues through fields to the (www.isleofwightwalkingfestival. detour (fork L) to take in the trig Newport to Freshwater Bay (weekdays), www. road. Cross and turn L and take co.uk). This route combines a point and view atop the Five 1. START From the village green – connections to Fishbourne stagecoachbus.com. the next path on the R at the stretch of the Tennyson Trail, Barrows. Descend to the B3399. (TQ908475) walk past the church and Yarmouth (✆ 01983 Egerton’s nearest stations bend in the road (grass verge which runs along the top of the and carry on down the road. Turn 827000, www.island are Pluckley, Charing and leads to the turn). Here are the chalk ridge that forms the island’s 2. Continue along the Tennyson R through a gate just after Toll buses.info). Headcorn, all with services ruins of the old St Mary’s church, spine, with a section of the coast Trail on the opposite side of the Fruit Farm. Continue along the EATING & DRINKING: Choice to London. Ashford destroyed by a doodlebug path. It’s a walk with excellent road, climbing up onto Mottistone enclosed path to a junction with of places in Freshwater Bay, International station has a during the Second World War views and a lovely village at the Down, passing more Bronze Age the open field ahead. Turn L (information panel in car park, fast service to London St ▲ including Dandelion Café ▲ through the gate here and follow halfway point. barrows, thence down again to ▼ ▼ below). Continue along the P59-60_WALK47_RR_SOUTHERN.FINAL.indd 1 P59-60_WALK47_RR_SOUTHERN.FINAL.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap START FINISH 1 1 START FINISH 2 Map not to scale. Representation of ping ©Crowncopyright2015OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/15 ping ©Crowncopyright2015OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/15 OS Landranger MAP 189 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 2 3 4 3 Map not to scale. Representation of 5 OS Landranger MAP 196 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 5 4 Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Pancras. Traveline (✆ 0871 200 (✆ 01983 753854). In Brighstone: 2233, www.traveline.info). Stour Valley Walk to the road through the orchard, joining the Three Bishops (✆ 01983 another road. Cross and maintain open fi eld. Fork R along a grassy EATING & DRINKING: George junction at Little Chart. route of the Greensand Way, 740226) and Seven bistro and direction alongside Brighstone path, which becomes a well- Inn, Egerton (✆ 01233 756304, which leads to Pluckley. coffee house (✆ 01983 740370, Forest. At a junction where the defi ned, steep-sided track (known www.egertongeorge.co.uk); 3. Pass the pub on your L and www.visitseven.co.uk). Tennyson Trail forks L, keep ahead, as a sunken lane or holloway) Swan Inn, Little Chart take the next footpath on your L 5. Turn L down the road and R SLEEPING: B&B at Seven (see signed ‘Limerstone Down’. further down, leading to (✆ 01233 840702, www.the up to the top of the hill, bearing along the bridleway, past a few above). Self-catering at East Continue past the end of the Brighstone. Cross the fi rst lane and swaninnlittlechart.com). R past timber-framed Forstal houses, to a gate leading into the Afton Farm Dairy, near forest a short distance until you continue to the B3399. SLEEPING: Elvey Farm Farmhouse to the road at Little fi eld. Head downhill through two Freshwater Bay, a renovated spot the viewpoint just off guesthouse and restaurant, Chart Forstal. Turn L and take the fi elds, then bear R alongside a old dairy – with alpacas in the to the R. The views from the 4. Turn L and then R down to on route of walk between next footpath on the R, going ditch, shortly crossing it (at an adjoining fi elds! (Wight downland here above Brighstone the car park and continue along Pluckley and Egerton (✆ 01233 through a gap in the hedge to its unmarked junction) to continue Locations, ✆ 01983 617322, are some of the best on the island. the paved path, bearing L at a 840442, www.elveyfarm.co.uk). other side, part way along. Turn R with it on your L to Elvey Farm. www.wightlocations.co.uk/ Retrace your steps a short way to residential road to New Road. Kent & Sussex Holiday Cottages along the road at Rooting Street At the path junction, keep ahead cottages/west-wight/ a metal bridle gate. Across the road, over to the R, (✆ 01580 720770, www.kent and L along the lane leading to along the Greensand Way to a freshwater/east-afton- follow the footpath past andsussexcottages.co.uk). Rooting Manor. kissing gate, cross the corner of farm-dairy). 3. Here turn sharp L and follow Brighstone Mill Pond, turn L along VISITOR INFORMATION: a fi eld to another and bear R VISITOR INFORMATION: IoW the fence down (keeping it on Mill Lane and R along Marsh Green Ashford TIC, 2nd Floor, 4.