Back of the Wight

This new walk, Back of the Wight will begin on most Wednesdays from 4th April until 24th October.
NOT 13th June

We meet at The Orchards Holiday Park in Newbridge outside reception at 09.30.
www.orchards-holiday-park.co.uk

6.5 miles. Moderate. Uphill & Downhill twice! Approx 3 hours.

From the holiday park we set off across country, through Westover Plantation to Mottistone Down where we come across several Bronze Age burial mounds dating back 3500 years..

From here we hope to have some fantastic views looking along the Back of the Wight to Blackgang in the east & Freshwater Bay in the west. We then head down then up again onto Brook Down.  Behind us amongst the rhododendrons is Brook Hill House. Once the home of the writer J B Priestley between 1948-1959.

Up on Brook Down there are more Bronze Age burial mounds above us & more views looking across to the chalk cliffs below Tennyson Down. The Poet Laureate Tennyson lived in Freshwater Bay & the Downs were a favourite place of his to walk & be inspired.

Our final part of the walk takes us down to more farmland with views of the Solent & the location of the infamous 1970 Isle of Wight Pop Festival when 600 000 hippies descended upon the Island. At the time the Island only had a population of around 100 000!

Adults - £5.00
Seniors 65 plus - £3.00
Children under 12 - £2.00

To book:
Email michele.wightdelight@yahoo.co.uk
Phone 01983 761574
Mobile 07771 616540

New for 2012 - Smugglers & Shipwrecks

A new version of my popular Smugglers & Shipwrecks walk will begin on most Tuesdays from
3rd April until the end of October.
NOT 5th June, 31st July, 9th Oct & 30th Oct.

5.5 miles. Grade moderate. Approx 3 hours. After a flatish start we have a gradual uphill climb then downhill.

Starting & finishing at The Sun Inn.  A 600 year old countryside pub with a sea view in the small village of Hulverstone, PO30 4EH.  A great venue for lunch & a drink after our walk either inside or outside in the pleasant garden.
www.sun-hulverstone.com

We meet at 10.00 in the pub garden.  Our walk takes us to the village of Brook & the location of one of the very first lifeboat stations on the Island in 1860.

We follow the coast path along the Back of the Wight which is notorius for Smuggling & Shipwrecks to Chiltern Chine.  One of the 19 chines on the Island.  A chine is a word only used on the Isle of Wight, Dorset & Hampshire & means a ravine/steep sided river valley.


We make our way gradually up to the Long Stone.  Placed here by Neolithic people & marks the rising sun. En route we hope to have some great coastal views to Blackgang in the east & Freshwater Bay & Tennyson Down to the west.

 

Below us is the quaint village of Mottistone with it's pre-Elizabethan Manor & the 12th century church of St Peter & St Paul. Our final descent takes us back to The Sun Inn for a well deserved bite to eat & refreshing drink.

Adults - £5.00
Seniors 65 plus - £3.00
Children under 12 - £2.00

To book:
Email michele.wightdelight@yahoo.co.uk
Phone 01983 761574
Mobile 07771 616540

Winter Walks

Take advantage of the crisp sunny days on a Guided Wight Walk with Michele.
Not only do I lead the walk but I give informative & interesting information along the way.

Do come prepared with lots of layers, hat, gloves, scarf, water/snowproof jackets, flask of hot drink & snacks/lunch. Plus something to sit on when we take a rest.

In February & March I am offering private walks.
2-3 hours/4-6 miles @ £25 per group
4-5 hours/8-10 miles @ £50 per group.

Do contact me on 07771 616540 or 01983 761574 to check my availability or send me an email
michele.wightdelight@yahoo.co.uk

Looking forward to meeting you!

Winter Break!

Hi everyone

My regular Guided Walks are now over until Easter 2012.
However if I am around & you would like a private Guided Walk do get in touch by preferably emailing me:
michele.wightdelight@yahoo.co.uk
Or phone: 01983-761574.  If I'm not in just leave a message & I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

I have lots of new informative & exciting walks lined up for next year so if you would like to be kept informed do email me & I'll put you on my mailing list.

Thanks to everyone that has walked with me this year, do spread the word!

Happy Autumn! 

What a week!

Led three walks this week in beautiful autumnal weather.

Up & Over which starts from the Apple Farm, Freshwater & as the name suggests we climb Up & Over Afton Down via Freshwater golf course & down to the coastal path with great views looking along Back of the Wight.

Then along to Freshwater Bay.

And back via Afton Marsh, the source of the Western Yar & The Causeway.

Our second walk was Solent Views
From Colwell Bay with views across the Solent to Hurst Castle built by Henry VIII.

Up onto Headon Warren & Hatherwood Battery, one of Palmerstone's Follies built in the 19th century.

Weather must have been warm as we even saw a slow worm basking in the sunshine!

Our last walk was Up High on the Downs
With more fantastic views.

The Needles lighthouse was the last in the UK to be automated.  It was continually manned for 135 years. The last lighthouse men left the lighthouse in 1994.

Tennyson would often walk up on the Downs. Here he would be inspired & wrote 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. One of his most famous sayings was: 'Tis better to have loved & lost than never to have loved at all.'

Last two weeks!

My regular Guided Walks will be finishing at the end of October & will resume again Easter 2012.
However I will be available from time to time over the winter months for private Guided Walks.

I have a portfolio of walks which cover the whole Island.
From St Helen's in the east,

To The Needles in the west.

From Yarmouth in the north.

And Steephill Cove in the south.

Meanwhile hope the good weather continues & I look forward to meeting new customers on Guided Wight Walks with Michele.

Indian Summer

What amazing weather!
Maybe a little too hot for walking but we enjoyed the Western Yar Stroll on Sunday.

OK this is not a view on the walk but I wanted to include it to show you the Western Yar from Tennyson Down which is included on Up High on the Downs!

We visit the former Yarmouth railway station which closed in 1953 & walk along the former railway line. West Wight Railway ran between Newport to Freshwater from 1889-1953 but never made any money!

We walk as far as The Causeway which marks the tidal limit of the Western Yar. In the background is the tower of All Saints Church of Freshwater which was Tennyson's church as he lived just down the road. His wife Emily is buried there.

Back along the other side of the river past Kings Manor Farm. Here we see the Hebridean Saltmarsh sheep in the background enjoying a tasty graze!