Guided Walking with Sightseeing at Freshwater Bay

Up to 5 miles with some ascent.

Each day’s guided walking and sightseeing will be selected from the following provisional programme.

Admission fees are not included in the cost of your holiday; please allow £30. If you have a National Trust or English Heritage card, remember to bring it along.

Downs, bays and coastal views

We journey to Alum Bay with its famous coloured sands. We then visit The Needles Old Battery (National Trust) before walking up to the Needles New Battery and onto West High Down, with views to the mainland as we descend to the Replica Beacon. From Tennyson Monument the return is along Tennyson Down, offering magnificent views over the western half of the island.

Distance: 3¼ miles and 325ft of ascent.

A Day of contrasts – a popular village and a deserted capital

Starting near Wroxall in the south centre of the island, field paths take us past Appuldurcombe House, a romantic ruin (English Heritage) which we can visit. There may be an option to watch a falconry display before following a track to the pretty village of Godshill. Then on to Shalfleet, and the old Island capital of Newtown. We will walk out to the old quay and salt pans of this ancient harbour and national nature reserve, rich in birdlife, before visiting the small 18th century Old Town Hall (National Trust). Distance: 4 miles and 200ft of ascent

Villages, a garden, a meeting place and chines

After looking around Brighstone, we continue to Isle of Wight Pearl. Here we see how artificial pearl jewellery is made before taking a walk along the cliffs to Mottistone. After visiting the renowned Mottistone Manor Gardens (National Trust) we walk to Longstone. A path over Mottistone Common offers magnificent views over the south of the Island, then woodland and fields bring us to Hulverstone and Brook and the coastal path again. We follow the cliffs or walk along the beach to Shippards Chine.

Distance: 4¾ miles and 450ft of ascent.

A day in the undercliff – from an old village to a botanic garden

We look around Shanklin Old Village, pass Shanklin Chine and ascend quiet roads to the coastal path above Luccombe Bay. Our route takes us through the mysterious undulating Landslip with its gnarled trees and Wishing Stone to Bonchurch. We can visit the tiny Old Church before descending to the promenade at Monks Bay. Here we follow the Coastal Path around Horseshoe Bay and Wheelers Bay to Ventnor, then via pretty Steephill Cove to Ventnor Botanic Garden.

Distance: 4½ miles and 475ft of ascent.

A windmill and dinosaurs

We start the day at Bembridge Windmill for a morning visit, after which we will walk to Ryde School and on to the Yarborough Monument high on Culver Down. We will enjoy the magnificent views as we make our way down into Sandown where we will visit the Dinosaur Isle Museum. Following the Museum a refreshment opportunity at Brown Café presents itself before our return journey to Freshwater Bay.

Distance: 4 miles with 500ft of ascent.

or

A walk along the Medina to Queen Victoria’s favourite home

Osborne House (English Heritage), the favourite rural retreat of Queen Victoria and her family. Here the royal apartments have been preserved unaltered and the famous Durbar Room, housing the stunning gifts to the Queen for her Golden and Diamond Jubilees, has been restored recently to mark the centenary of her death. We shall spend time looking around the house and its extensive grounds. After lunch we walk to Whippingham Church with its royal memorabilia and then, passing the Folly Inn on the Medina Estuary, follow the river’s east bank, via a Marina, to Newport.

Distance: 4½ miles and 175ft of ascent.