#86 Discover the Isle of Wight
Walking the Isle of Wight – Part 1
When my husband suggested a family walking holiday on the Isle of Wight, I had to do a quick internet search on that. Getting there looked straightforward and after a recent trip to Australia, actually seemed pretty short. We did not get too much sleep on the overnight flight from DC and arrived at 0630. To reach the Isle of Wight, off the Southern Coast of United Kingdom, one must plan. Without a car, one can take a series of trains from London Heathrow to one of the ferry terminals at Southampton, Portsmouth, or Lymington. With our family group of five traveling, we booked with a private van driver to make it easier for the sleepy travelers.
After a two-hour drive, we reached the Wightlink ferry terminal in Lymington. The expresso bar at the station helped to pep us up as we waited for the 10:00 ferry. The trip across to Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight, took just about a half hour. Most of the passengers are pulling their cars onto the ferry to spend a holiday at their vacation homes or rental units on the island. Some visitors just cross for the day.
Wightlink Ferry by Jonathan Hunt
We located the owner of one of the two taxi companies on the Island and she called her driver with a van large enough for our family and all of our bags. She was quite astounded that a family from America had flown over to the UK solely for the purpose of visiting the Isle of Wight. We assured her that this was true.
We booked a walking tour vacation through the Canadian company DH Group Tours with HF Holidays, a British travel company. The company originally called the “Holiday Fellowship” was established more than a hundred years ago to provide walking holidays as an alternative to British factory workers who would usually spend their holiday week at the seashore. Today, thousands of members and guests choose from a variety of country houses that serve as a base for daily walking tours.
Hiking is a huge pastime in the UK and many regions have dedicated footpaths for walkers. The isle of Wight boasts over 500 miles of dedicated footpaths. A group of mostly Brits were assembled for either three- or seven-day holidays and staying at the Freshwater Bay House, on the south shore of the Island. The hotel building first dates from the 1790s and occupies a coastal location below the chalk cliffs of Tennyson Down. It was refurbished in 2016 and now provides quite comfortable lodgings for travelers who choose among offerings of three daily hikes. The hikes vary in length, level of difficulty, location, and duration.
All Saints Church, Freshwater Parrish, photo by Joan Naidorf
When we arrived well before check-in time, we dropped off our bags and went off in search of lunch. Within a thirty-minute walk, we were at the Red Lion Pub in Freshwater. The All-Saints Church in Freshwater, dating from the 12th Century, one of the oldest on the Isle of Wight, was right next door and we looked around. When the Red Lion opened, we enjoyed very upscale and delicious pub food with a nice assortment of local beers and ciders. When we returned to the hotel, it was in time to check in.
I started on the shortest route on day one. Our first stop was just down the road at St. Agnes Church, one of the few in England that still has a thatched roof. From there, we set out across the lovely Tennyson Down where Lord Tennyson himself was said to walk alone to find solitude. This walk covered much of the very western end of the island. The very western tip of the Island has both natural and manmade features of interest.
The Needles photo by Chris Hodges
The Needles are limestone stacks that jut out from the western cliffs of the island. They are one of the iconic sights of the island. On the cliffs above, man decided that defenses were needed at the beginning of the 19h century. High above the Needles lies The Old Battery, built in 1862 as a defensive fort that was called into action during both World Wars. The battery was built to defend the Solent, the straight between the Isle of Wight and mainland Great Britain, from sea attacks from the French and later the Germans. The battery was meant to protect ship-building and commerce into nearby Southampton.
Tennyson Memorial photo by Joan Naidorf
From there we went to the Celtic Cross of the Tennyson Memorial, then steeply downhill to the inn. All the while, we had to pay close attention to avoid stepping in rabbit and cow waste. Local farmers let a herd of cows graze and lie about on the vast grassy down. Quite obviously, by the hundreds of little rabbit latrines, a lot of rabbits on the island do what rabbits do. One must walk with her head down and miss some of the fine coastal scenery.
Freshwater Bay photo by Joan Naidorf
The old expression, “it’s all downhill from here” never sounded so good. My muscles pleasantly ached as I flopped onto the bed and had a shower before the cocktail hour at the bar. After a draught local beer or a well-made gin and tonic, our guides would give us a preview of what walks we could choose from on the next day. The three-course evening meal, with selections chosen on the previous day, were served to us in the dining room. The chef and the staff served up a varied and tasty selection to the hungry guests.
Our family was still tired from the day of travel and then the first day of hiking. With that hikers’ sense of accomplishment, we cozied into our beds for the evening and looked forward to the rest of the week’s adventures of the Isle of Wight. It is easy to see why the Brits keep this scenic jewel of an island largely to themselves. In my next installment, more of our Island adventure.
