35-525: The Tennyson Trail is a 14-mile walk from Carisbrooke to The Needles on the Isle of Wight . The route goes through Bowcombe Down , Brighstone Forest , Mottistone Down , Brook Down , Afton Down , Freshwater Bay , Tennyson Down , and West High Down to Alum Bay . The name of the trail comes from poet Alfred Lord Tennyson , a former resident of the Isle of Wight. There are several points of interest along
70-549: A chalk pit on the right then bears right to avoid overhead electric cables. The trail continues ahead, steadily gaining height towards Afton Down. It then travels through the golf course on Afton Down with the track later descending to Freshwater Bay. From here, the Tennyson Trail joins the westbound Coastal path next to a block of public toilets on the lane to Fort Redoubt . This lane then turns sharply left passing through two sets of stiles onto Tennyson Down . From here
105-515: A circuitous 7 mile route via Newtown and Shalfleet to avoid a rifle range and the Newtown River . The total official length of this section is 17 miles. Walking on roads until the outskirts of Fishbourne , then along a track past Quarr Abbey and Ryde Golf Course , then roads into Ryde . As the route is circular one can join at any point. The route is easily accessible by public transport: Ryde and Yarmouth Bus Stations are on
140-534: A mile to the south-west of Carisbrooke but is inferred to be the name of the village at the time of the Great Survey of 1086. The 18th-century antiquarian Sir Richard Worsley , in The History of the Isle of Wight , conjectured that Boucombe, or Beaucombe, means “pleasant valley”; however, modern place-name dictionaries propose “Bofa's valley” or “above the valley” as alternative interpretations. In 1086,
175-435: A narrow beech plantation to the left. After passing Bridleway N198 the trail continues straight ahead and uphill through open fields before levelling off at a gate which levels off and follows the sign for Bridleway N139 to Brook and Freshwater . As the track continues, it slowly becomes enclosed in trees through Brighstone Forest. On reaching Brighstone Forest, signs for the Tennyson Trail appear. After following these signs
210-680: A picnic area onto Lynch Lane. Turning right, then left will lead through the National Trust Jubilee Car Park and onto the National Trust information board. After passing the Forestry Commission Brighstone Forest entrance, the trail follows the down following the ancient road to the summit. After leaving National Trust land through a gate and continuing ahead on level ground, the path will immediately pass ancient burial mounds on
245-495: A population of 5,232. On 1 April 1933, the parish was abolished and merged with Newport. Carisbrooke Castle was originally a Roman fort. The castle is at the top of Castle Hill. It was built soon after William the Conqueror came to England. The William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford may have been responsible for its construction, but he was killed in battle during 1071 and so would have had little opportunity to oversee
280-411: A row of cottages where it turns sharply left. Here there is a stile with a descending path and another stile back onto the road. This road continues downwards to Alum Bay , marking the end of the trail. Download coordinates as: Carisbrooke Carisbrooke is a village on the south-western outskirts of Newport , in the civil parish of Newport and Carisbrooke , Isle of Wight , England. It
315-472: A turret at one corner and a battlemented and pinnacled crown. A Roman Villa was discovered in the Victorian era on the site of the old vicarage. Carisbrooke is served by Southern Vectis buses operating to Freshwater , Newport , Yarmouth and Ventnor , as well as some smaller villages. It was served by nearby Carisbrooke railway station until the line from Newport to Freshwater closed in 1953. It
350-591: Is St Thomas of Canterbury Roman Catholic Primary School, which is on Carisbrooke High Street next to the doctors' surgery. There are allotments next to the ford in Castle Street. Carisbrooke was for centuries the Island's capital. It is not mentioned in Domesday Book , however, which names Bowcombe as the largest and most populous manor on the Isle of Wight. The latter name now applies to a hamlet about
385-533: Is a popular attraction, with a choice of the moderately undulating coastal (cliff) path or the flat sea wall promenade. At Shanklin, there is a "cliff lift" (open Summer only), which may help make the decision. There are a couple of cafes on the cliff open during the summer months. From Shanklin the path passes the Fisherman's Cottage pub on the beach at the foot of Shanklin Chine , before climbing Appley Steps up
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#1732773218461420-551: Is best known as the site of Carisbrooke Castle . It also has a medieval parish church, St Mary's Church (overlooking the High Street, with views to the castle), which began as part of a Benedictine priory established by French monks c. 1150. The priory was dissolved by King Henry V of England in 1415, during the Hundred Years' War. In 1907, the church was restored. It has a 14th-century tower rising in five stages with
455-603: Is closed (walkers may prefer to divert and walk through Bembridge village). From Whitecliff Bay and its caravan park the path climbs steadily to Culver Down and the Yarborough Monument, with impressive views across Sandown Bay and across the Solent to Portsmouth . Dropping fairly steeply away from Culver Down, the path meets the beach again at Yaverland , then passes the Isle of Wight Zoo and enters Sandown . The two-mile coastal walk between Sandown and Shanklin
490-464: Is described here clockwise from the pier at Ryde ( grid reference SZ594929 ). From the bus station by Ryde Pier , the path follows the Esplanade close to the beach. It passes Appley Tower and Puckpool Point before rejoining the coast road to Seaview . It then climbs inland on footpaths, skirting Priory Woods, before returning to sea level at The Duver near St Helen's Old Church. Then
525-516: Is limited. Small public car parks are located along the Military Road , most of which are free. In other locations, car parking on the route is within an urban or semi-urban area and a fee is charged. The Ordnance Survey maps covering the route are: Both publications cover the entire route, although the Explorer has the greater detail. The route is mostly waymarked with signs, showing
560-816: Is the starting point of the Tennyson Trail , leading to Alum Bay and the Needles. Carisbrooke has two pubs – the Waverley and the Eight Bells – a café, an Italian restaurant and a motorcycle dealership. There are several shops on the High Street. The village has four schools, three of which are located along Wellington Road. These are Carisbrooke CE Primary School, Christ the King College (formerly Archbishop King Roman Catholic Middle and Trinity CE Middle Schools) and Carisbrooke College . The fourth school
595-409: Is uncertain. It may pertain to a lost Celtic river-name, or possibly the rock on which the castle is built, to which the generic Old English form of brook, “brōc”, was added. Alexander Ross , a prolific Scottish writer and controversialist, was vicar of Carisbrooke from 1634 until his death in 1654. The site of the old Carisbrooke railway station lies in the grounds of Christ the King College, in
630-423: The 1886 novel The Silence of Dean Maitland by Maxwell Gray . Isle of Wight Coastal Path The Isle of Wight Coastal Path (or Coastal Footpath ) is a circular long-distance footpath of 70 miles (113 km) around the Isle of Wight , UK. It follows public footpaths and minor lanes, with some sections along roads. The path is waymarked in both directions and can be started at any point, but
665-463: The Isle of Wight council banned all motor vehicles from the entire length of the trail. The route can be joined at any point, or walked in either direction; however, below it is described from Carisbrooke to Alum Bay. The route starts from Carisbrooke near Newport . The sign for the Tennyson Trail is present on Nodgham Lane. After this, the trail follows a steep hill in a south-westerly direction along an ancient road with banks on each side. Views to
700-557: The Isle of Wight in April 1817. In a letter to John Hamilton Reynolds , he wrote, “I see Carisbrooke Castle from my window, and have found several delightful wood-alleys, and copses, and quick freshes”. Finding Carisbrooke to be cheaper than Shanklin, and more convenient for exploring the Island on foot, Keats observed an abundance of primroses and described a view of the mainland “from a little hill nearby”. He started work on Endymion at Carisbrooke. Carisbrooke appears as "Chalkburne" in
735-498: The castle and successfully ran it until her death in 1293. After the death of Isabella de Fortibus in 1293 the castle became the property of Edward I and the crown. In 1355, Edward III granted the ownership of the castle to his eldest daughter, Isabella. In 1377, a French force landed on the Isle of Wight and besieged Carisbrooke castle. The castle did not fall to the French. Later, in 1647, Charles I took refuge at Carisbrooke, but
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#1732773218461770-522: The castle later became his prison, from where he attempted several times to escape but failed. His second daughter, Princess Elizabeth , later died there in 1650, aged 14. The castle later became the royal residence of Princess Beatrice, the ninth daughter of Queen Victoria, who put in the gardens which have been recently restored. She established the museum in the centre of the bailey. The Romantic poet John Keats lodged in Carisbrooke while touring
805-513: The construction. Osbern's son, Roger, is more likely to have built or refortified the castle. It was at Carisbrooke Castle that William arrested his own half brother, Odo for acts of treason. King Henry I of England granted the castle in the first year of his reign to Richard de Redvers . The Redvers family owned the castle for much of the Medieval period, only ending in November 1293 when
840-440: The last Redvers, Isabel died. In 1136, Baldwin de Redvers took refuge in the castle on the run from King Stephen of England . The wells on the island ran dry and Baldwin gave up the land in exchange for his head. Baldwin's land was restored to him in 1153 when Henry II became king. Baldwin, the last male in the line, died in 1216 poisoned, it is said by Peter II of Savoy . Isabella de Fortibus , Baldwin's sister took control of
875-474: The left show Carisbrooke Castle , leading on to Bowcombe Valley. The route later crosses bridleways N125 and N127 and later passes N140 where a television mast is visible. At this point the path starts to descend before crossing a gate to a crossing track at the bottom. After crossing this, the route travels along Bridleway N136a to Brighstone Forest to another gate around 80 metres further ahead. An overhead electrical cable will later pass overhead and will follow
910-466: The lower part of the field, which is at the end of Purdy Road. The bank is all that remains of the old line. When in 1917 the British royal family changed its name from the "House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha " to the " House of Windsor " and renounced all German titles, the title of Marquess of Carisbrooke was created for the erstwhile German Prince Alexander of Battenberg . In 1931, the civil parish had
945-462: The manor of Bowcombe was held by William the Conqueror , having previously belonged to Edward the Confessor . There were 60 households, with land for 15 ploughs, 8 acres of meadow, and woodland for five swine. There were also two mills and a church held by the monks of Lyre Abbey . The annual value of manor was £24. The village's present name first appears as “Caresbroc” in 1114, and its meaning
980-466: The path crosses the edge of Bembridge Harbour on the old mill wall, using Embankment Road to pass the houseboats in the harbour. The path then continues into Bembridge and to the Lifeboat Station. The path follows the coast around the eastern tip of the Island at Foreland, then skirts the cliffs above Whitecliff Bay . This part is subject to regular erosion; as of 2012 a section at Foreland
1015-530: The path is a steady climb ascending Tennyson Down where at its peak stands the Tennyson memorial. The path continues forward to the Needles Old Battery (National Trust) with views over Alum Bay . Away from the approaches to East Cowes and Yarmouth, the majority of this section follows inland roads and many unmade, muddy public footpaths. Between Thorness Bay and Hamstead Point the path takes
1050-487: The right. The track then descends to a further gate into a field where the Tennyson Trail is signposted. It will then descend through the field to reach the B3399 road to Freshwater and Yarmouth to the right and Brook to the left. After turning right onto the road towards Freshwater, the path immediately restarts to the left by a bus stop and car park onto Compton Down . This track begins to immediately climb steeply passing
1085-426: The route, and Southern Vectis bus routes stop near the route. Ferry services from the mainland arrive at Yarmouth , Cowes , East Cowes , Fishbourne and Ryde , all of which are on the route. Additionally, Ryde Esplanade and Lake railway stations are on the path, and Shanklin and Sandown stations are less than 750m away. There are some sections, notably between Blackgang and Brook , where public transport
Tennyson Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-656: The side of the cliff and then through the edge of Shanklin. It continues uphill on a minor road, passing Luccombe village, where there are magnificent views across Sandown Bay. It then follows paths and steps through the woods of the Bonchurch Landslips (where a side path ascends to the Devil's Chimney ) before reaching the sea again at Horseshore Bay . It then follows the sea wall for two miles until reaching Ventnor . Description of Niton to Brighstone IOW coastal path Starting 100 metres west of The Albion Hotel,
1155-463: The track starts to descend and crosses Bridleway BS58 shortly before reaching a five-way crossing. After continuing straight at the crossing, a signpost appears showing the Worsley Trail and Shorwell to the left and the Tennyson Trail to the right. Following this leads to Brighstone Down. The trail continues west along this track with sea views to the left before descending steadily to exit at
1190-518: The trail continues along the coastline, continuing to rise to the Tennyson Monument. After reaching the monument, the ground starts to descend. At the bottom of Tennyson Down will be a stile leading on to West High Down which has a steady incline until a radio aerial comes into view. After crossing a stile by the aerial, the trail then continues right onto a tarmac road. From here to the left, The Needles Battery can be seen. The road passes
1225-407: The walk, including The Tennyson Monument on Tennyson Down , Farringford House and The Needles Batteries which overlook The Needles . Much of the trail, being a public byway, was formerly open to all traffic, including motor vehicles. By the early 2000s, off-road vehicles had become an increasing problem, and were damaging tracks, archaeological sites and wildlife habitats. In response, in 2006,
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