Godshill, The Taverners Pub

From the picturesque village of Godshill there is a very pretty walk through fields, beech and bluebell woods to Appuldurcombe and back. The starting point is Godshill Car Park opposite Griffin Public House (grid reference 530816 on the OS Explorer 29 map). Walk through the woods bearing left. Turn right when you reach the track and you will end up at the imposing Freemantle Gate, once the gateway to Appuldurcombe House. This is a fairly easy walk but it can be a bit muddy. Back at Godshill bear left down the High Street to find the great Taverners Pub with its traditional oak panelled interior and extended restaurant area at the back.  It’s a family friendly pub offering great dishes made from largely organic, local seasonal food and has enduring popularity among the locals and holidaymakers alike. It’s also highly recommended in the AA guide, Alistair Sawday and Michelin. A play area in the back garden is very useful for keeping children entertained.

Top Tip: Pre-book your Sunday Lunch

Newchurch, The Garlic Farm & The Pointer Inn

Just 15 mintue drive from the capital town Newport on the Isle of Wight, is the pretty of village of Newchurch, which is home to the 11th Century “All Saints” church and an 18th Century pub. The ‘Pointer Inn’ has won Dining Pub of the Year 2 years running and serves excellent home cooked food and real ales. Newchurch is home to the extremely popular Garlic Farm who have been growing delicious Isle of Wight garlic for over 30 years. The Garlic Farm Cafe serves amazing food with locally sourced produce wherever possible. From the Garlic Farm you can take the ‘Farm walk’ and stroll around the well-stocked fishing lakes. You can pick up a map, which includes some of the amazing heritage of the site, for 20p in the Garlic Farm shop. Trails are around the fields and through the woodland, with garlic and asparagus growing alongside you, and in the summer one field holds a maize maze.

Top Tip: Stock up on all things garlic in the garlic farm shop

Tennyson Trail, Freshwater, Dandelion Café

This wonderful walk runs from the capital town Newport to Alum Bay via Brighstone and Freshwater. But you can cherry pick what sections to walk if fancy something shorter and a bit less arduous. For the full on rambler, the walk starts at Carisbrooke, near the fascinating Carisbrooke Castle where Charles I was imprisoned. You can enjoy the new Princess Beatrice Garden and the tranquil chapel at this fine historical attraction. You then head through the beautiful Brighstone Down and Brighstone Forest before arriving at the coast where there are splendid views over Freshwater towards Alum Bay and the Needles. The final section takes you through the coastal Freshwater Bay Golf course and then through Tennyson down before finishing at the delightful Alum Bay. This is quite a challenging walk with several climbs through the downs, but there are terrific views of the Island to enjoy throughout. Nestled at Freshwater Bay, is the fabulous Dandelion Café, with its fresh roasted coffee, light refreshments and tasty homemade lunches. You can also cool off in the café’s outdoor swimming pool and soak up the panoramic views before reaching the end of the trail.

Top Tip: Make a pit stop at Tennyson Monument to savour those amazing views.

“If you’re lucky whilst out walking you may catch sight of some of the Island’s rarer wild flowers – some are so rare, like the Wood Calamint, that the only place in Britain where they can be found is here on the Isle of Wight.

“It occurs in one valley in the chalk and just grows on one sunny bank. It was discovered by the eminent Victorian botanist, Dr William Bromfield, who covered the whole Island and wrote Flora Vectensis,” said Colin.

“He discovered it as being new to Britain and it still grows there today although in much smaller quantities,” he explained. “Many years ago Woolworths had a picture of it on their carrier bags.

“Our rarer flowers are quite showy,” he continued. “Field Cow-Wheat grows around the Ventnor area and was quite a serious weed of the wheat fields as it would contaminate the crop and workers would pull it out by hand.

“Now it’s confined to a few sunny banks at the wildlife trust reserve at St Lawrence and it’s out through July and August.

“The Pyramid orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) is found across the downs from Culver to Freshwater and it’s also found in cemeteries on the Chalk such as Mount Joy (behind Carisbrooke Castle). Because it does so well it was voted the County flower by Plant Life about six years ago,” said Colin.

“Cemeteries are good places to look for wild flowers as they are often left to grow. The reason for this is that the cemeteries were traditionally taken from farmers’ fields and haven’t been changed.

“The meadows at Newtown are full of flowers and there you can find the Corky-Fruited Water-Dropwort. It’s quite common with us but  found mostly in central southern England. It’s also found with Dyers Greenweed, a dwarf yellow broom that was used for dying cloth.

“Meadows and salt marshes like those at Newtown, St Helens and Yarmouth are the place to go to see Sea Lavender, a nice showy plant, and Knapweed has purple heads and is tallish, and so good for bees.

“Also Ventnor Down and Headon Warren are good places to see all the different heath flowers and the dwarf gorse that is in flower with the heathers. The other thing to see on Ventnor Down are the bilberries,” added Colin.

“Early flowering Gentian flowers on chalk down land and is only found on the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire and Dorset and we get a lot of it over here,” he explained.

“If you go to the Duver at St Helens look for the tiny blue flowers called Autumn Squills that flower in August and September – it’s the only place in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight where they grow. They look like miniature bluebells and are also found on the cliff tops of Devon and Cornwall.

“By and large we’ve been quite fortunate as most of the plants that Victorian botanists found are still with us. You can also see the exotic plants that escape from gardens like the succulents and echiums,” said Colin.

‘These thrive because it’s warm and sheltered and it adds character to the Island. The cliff walk from Sandown to Shanklin is good for this – you see a lot of exotic plants that have escaped from gardens.

“Red Valerian is a particularly prolific garden escapee. Insects love it as it is a good source of nectar and in Ventnor it has been named ‘Ventnor Pride’ as it grows on the cliffs. But when it grows on walls it can do a lot of damage – at Quarr Abbey it has caused considerable damage to the medieval ruins.

But Colin also wanted to warn our readers. “Harm is done by digging things up and trampling them down, so keep to the paths in the meadows,” he stressed. And, of course, it is an offence to dig up rare wild flowering plants, or indeed any plant from land where you do not have permission.

Dr Colin Pope is Ecology Officer for the IW Council, making sure that the council takes nature conservation into account. He is a very keen botanist and keeps a data base of all Isle of Wight plants, flowering plants, lichens and fungi as well as working closely with the Natural History Society www.iwnhas.org

If you come to the Island during the Walking Festival in May or the Walking Weekend in October you’re in for a treat, with over 270 walks to choose from in May and 60 more in October. More than 20,000 walkers descend onto the Island for the Walking Festival and there is something for everyone in the programme, from short strolls to an energetic 24 hour circumnavigation of the Island. Or cover the entire Island over a three day period on a Beaches, Bars and Blisters walk around the coastal paths with local author David Yates.

A chalk ‘backbone’ of downland stretches almost unbroken across the Island, affording fantastic views for those who choose to walk it. Every year a sponsored ‘Walk the Wight’ follows this ridge from east to west with money raised going to the local Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

It is perhaps the westernmost section of the Island that is the most unspoilt in terms of scenery, and if you make your base in the south or the west of the Island there are many lovely walks between these points. The western coast is superb: rugged coastline that stretches from the majestic tumbling cliffs around Blackgang in the south to the monolithic white chalk Freshwater cliffs in the west. In between lie miles of sandy and pebble beaches, stewn with fossil finds. One of the best views on the Island must be from the Viewpoint car park at Blackgang, where you can see the entire stretch of the south west coast. Gently rolling fields sloping from the downland to the north, gently indented orange cliffs with blue bays that culminate in the bright white cliffs at Freshwater and the Needles in the far distance.

Stay a while…

Base yourself at the self catering cottages at Tennyson’s former home, The Farringford, in Freshwater Bay and you can walk the entire coastline if you wish or try Weston Manor, just up the road, which has superb B&B accommodation and is within easy reach of the Warren, another wonderful walk at to fully explore the western end of the Island.

Chale Bay Farm nestles near to the coastal path on the Island’s southern side, or you might like to take a room at the Enchanted Manor for romantic walks around St Catherine’s Point, the Isle of Wight’s southernmost point. Ventnor is just around the corner and boasts two top hotels in the Hambrough and The Royal Hotel, plus boutique B&B Ocean View for lofty views down to the bay. You can walk right to the top of Ventnor downs from the town if you’re feeling fit with footpaths taking you up and down this terraced town. The landslip towards Luccombe is a particularly lush walk to take in the summer time – walk along from Ventnor to Bonchurch beach and then up into the green canopy where you can find the ‘Devil’s Chimney and the ‘Wishing Seat’.

Over in the east of the Island looms Culver Cliff, another great walking destination, and beneath it the reclaimed Yar estuary is a RSPB reserve with a wealth of wildlife to discover. Bembridge Harbour and the sand dunes of the Duver are perfect for discovery on foot and for a luxurious base, with its own beach, The Priory Bay Hotel at St Helen’s is the perfect place to stay.

Chale has an ancient church, weather beaten and lichen covered (see the westerly facing side), a church yard full of ancient headstones and an interesting clock tower up which it is possible to climb thereby affording amazing views along the sweeping coastline. Opposite the church the quirky Chale Curios has a discreet gate that at the time of writing is guarded by a weirdly out of place amusement arcade clown figure sporting an elasticated Santa beard. Beyond and in to the yard, barns full of odd and I mean odd collectibles can be found. The occasional free range chicken struts about amid sinks, hearths, gargoyles, commodes, gas lights, wall panels, tables and assorted things of unknown use or reason for having been made or for that matter collected. A veritable Aladdin’s cave of wonderful things, very slightly bonkers, well to be honest, totally!

Extraordinary history oozes from this corner of the Wight, smuggling, wrecking then paying penance, with the construction of nearby St. Catherine’s Oratory on the downs above, a little further along the ridge the Hoy Monument erected for a Czar and if you fancy a great looping walk you can pass the very interesting Hermitage a get away from it all house that has a much varied history, from private home to exclusive hotel. Come back on yourself through Chale Green where the delightful Chale Stores and Cafe can be found, excellent lunches, teas, cakes, scones and other lovely meals can be had here and the in-store delicatessen boast a splendid range of goodies, also a good range of Island produce is sold here.

If you want to get a flavour of rural Wight than this corner of the Isle is probably for you, any resemblance to Royston Vesey is purely coincidental but the welcome is warm and the atmosphere is, well, Chale and hearty.

Arts for All

Ventnor hosts the Isle of Arts Festival over the weekend of April 19^th to 21^{st -} a real smorgasboard of comedy, drama, literature, music, magic and much, much more. Big names this year include comedian and actor Alan Davies with his surreal observational story telling, the humourous Sarfraz Manzoor on how the ‘Boss’ (Bruce Springsteen) influenced his life and best selling author and raconteur (and ex international drug dealer) Howard Marks on his intriguing dealings.

The eclectic line-up includes illusionists Barry and Stuart, children’s storytelling from The Nosey Pacas, Lloyd Lee as Charles Dickens and a talk on Benjamin Britten.There’s a blues brunch on Saturday with JC and the Dance Preachers with cool cajun food from Phileas Fogg and a Jazz Brunch on Sunday with jazz singer and clarinetist Jacqui Kicks accompanied by top notch food from Robert Thompson from the Hambrough. Other musical offerings include edgy rock/pop from The Voice winner Adam Issac, ska from the Skatonics, jazzy pop from the up and coming Miss 60 or if you’re a mod at heart there is music with From The Jam who will be playing hits such as Going Underground, Town Called Malice, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight featuring the Jam’s former guitarist Bruce Foxton.

Isle of Arts is spread between over seven venues throughout the town that include the beautiful East Dene, former home of the poet Swinburne where a ‘Regency Ball’ is to be held on the Sunday night with period dress encouraged, dance cards, period dances from the Bath-based Jane Austen Dancers and the opportunity to learn the moves in a Regency Dancing workshop earlier in the day.

Growing and Eating

Gold-medal winning mainland plant-nurseries that you would see at Chelsea Flower Show and the cream of Isle of Wight garden businesses converge upon Robin Hill Country Park for a superb Spring Garden Show every April and this year it falls on April 27^th and 28^th. Star of the show will be Kate Goodman, the fresh new face of the BBC’s recently re-launched Food & Drink programme who will host the Spring Garden Show’s ‘World of Wine’, with tastings each afternoon for vistors to enjoy. This will complement the Southern Co-operatives ‘Finest Flavours pavilion’ hosting a range of tantalising food stalls and the popular food theatre with guest local chefs who this year will be offering a ‘Follow the Chef’ cook-a-longs where visitors can learn how to fillet a mackerel or prepare asparagus to perfection.

Other attractions include a petting farm for children, laser clay pigeon shooting and falconry displays and the perennially popular IW Chainsaw Carving competition will be bigger than ever in 2013 with no less than seven national and international carvers taking part.

Walking on the Wild Side

Over half of the Isle of Wight is designated AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and has over 500 miles of public footpaths, many of which are included in the annual Walking Festival held for a fortnight at the beginning of May. This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the festival which runs from 4^th – 19^th May and includes over 250 walks that will be trodden by over 20,000 festival-comers from all over the UK and indeed the world.

Some of the walks are free, others ask for a donation to charity and some have a small charge of between £2 and £5. All have themes and you get to learn something of the countryside, the wildlife, the former illustrious residents or even the extinct dinosaurs that lived here long ago.

Family Frolics

Blackgang Chine is possibly the oldest theme park in the country and is celebrating its 170^th anniversary this year with a big party over the weekend of May Bank Holiday 27^th to 30^th. Postman Pat and Jess his cat will be travelling to the Isle of Wight on Red Funnel ferries to make a special visit to this well-loved attraction; making an appearance on the ferry and then spending two days around the park meeting visitors. Added to this there will be other ‘Blackgang characters’ coming to life, especially pirates who will be encouraging you to join in their pirate games – ooh argh! Live music and other activities such as balloon modelling are on offer and the park will be staying open until 7.30pm each night over the celebratory weekend.

We were pretty excited to see the emergence of a few daffodils in the second week of March, only to wake up the next day to find they had disappeared under huge snowdrifts.

The heavy snowfall and high winds had sculpted the back garden into perfect waves and covered the windows in white blankets.

What’s a surfer to do? Why get the mini-surfer out of course and stick him in the perfect barrel!

The road to school was blocked with snowdrifts that you could’ve lost a double decker bus in, and the barn door to my studio had disappeared. With the kids off of school for two days, straight on the back of a long cold weekend, we had to layer up and get out for a walk.

This January the kids had sledged and “snow-manned” to their hearts content, so now it was our turn. Living on the “back of the Wight”, we knew the wind would’ve created some pretty spectacular drifts up on Blackgang hill, and that not many people would get to see them, so we grabbed the body boards and braved freezing winds to get to the top, passing several abandoned cars on our way.

It was probably about three whole minutes before the kids began moaning, something about walking being no fun, and wanting to play. Reminding them of the hours we’d frozen whilst watching them hurl themselves down snowy hills a month back, we marched on.

They shouldn’t have worried though because nature had created a gigantic snow playground for them at the Viewpoint car park. The drifts came to the top of my thigh, which meant the kids could get lost in them. The next hour was spent jumping through drifts, sledging and sliding down them and generally mucking about in deep snow.

It was cold, it was fun – hilarious even, in a slap-stick kind of way – as once again we played in a strangely transformed landscape.

Today, two weeks on, I watched yet more snowflakes fall past our window, as I sat inside my small front room wrestling huge festival flags. The freezing weather has forced me to decamp from our off-grid, non–insulated studio to work at home for a few days.

Snow – I’m over it!

C’mon spring, show your face!

cliff fall Brook

It was mobbed – well by Brook in February standards it was. Quite a few people with dogs and children were on the beach and a lot of them were looking at stuff on it – maybe they’d seen Ray’s recent programme too.

It became apparent as I walked further towards Hanover Point that the cliffs here have taken quite a few tumbles this winter. Bits of grass hang in mid air at the top of the cliff where once land would have held them up and fresh screes of orange earth have appeared here and there.

In a few places on the sand there are larger rocks that have been loosened from the earth and fallen from the cliff sides, distinctive from the older rocks that have the green tinge of a regular sea washing and algae growth.

The dinosaur casts are still there though…quite a few of them. Most seem to be the larger ones (too heavy for relic hunters) and those that are missing a toe or so. I counted at least half a dozen and took photos of them.

The tide was in so we couldn’t venture out to the dinosaur footprints that you can see on the rock ledge at Hanover Point at low tide – made by at least two different sizes and types of dinosaur they say. One print was even cut out of the sandstone platform with an angle grinder when Jurassic Park fever was at its height.

These enormous three-toed imprints are a must-see for visitors to the Island, especially if they have kids. I always make a pilgrimage to them if visitors are game – but the rocks are very slippery. It’s best in the summer months when it doesn’t really matter if you fall over and get wet through…

The new chine halfway along the beach, that has cut into the road above and necessitated the imposition of traffic lights, now has a fast flowing river running down it to the sea and you have to pick your way across the stream that runs from the cliff to the water’s edge.

More bits of cliff seem to have fallen nearby, and kids were playing at being palaeontologists with little hammers in the recently exposed cliff areas. Someone had obviously recently taken a hammer to one of the toes of a dinosaur cast and there was a big chip out of it. Duh? Ray Mears would have had something to say about that I’m sure.

Tennyson’s Monument/The Highdown Inn

Wild and windy or cold and clear, the walk from Freshwater Bay up to Tennyson’s Monument is one you mustn’t miss on a visit to the Isle of Wight. You can imagine Tennyson himself tramping across the cliff tops wearing his long black cape and big brimmed hat as this was one of his most favourite places to roam.

Entry to the pathway up to his monument is via a lane that is 200 yards or so on the left up the main road west to Alum Bay, Gate Lane. There is a small car park here that costs £1 per hour – or a larger car park in Freshwater Bay – and the bus stops at the end of the lane.

It’s a fairly steep climb up to the monument from here, but you are rewarded with wonderful views of the west coast of the Island that become more expansive the higher you climb. Once at the top the whole panorama of the western end of the Isle of Wight, the Solent and the mainland open up in front of you – an amazing sight, especially on a clear, sunny day.

But you don’t have to walk all the way to the Needles. Carry on walking and about half way to the iconic chalk stacks is a beacon to your right that is lit for occasional celebrations. It also marks the lane down to the Highdown Inn where you can get a hearty pub lunch in their bar, which is warmed by an enormous open fire.

Then you’ll be ready to tackle the rest of the walk to the Needles, or you could opt to meander back to the Bay where you could discover the rocky beach and its hidden caves and the Dandelion Cafe.

Compton Bay/The Sun Inn

Compton Beach is a great favourite for Isle of Wight walkers, surfers and fossil hunters. Make sure it’s not high tide if you’re going to walk here as in the winter the beach all but disappears, but if this is the case you can still walk along the cliff top path and look down on the crashing waves below.

Walk east from here along to Brook Beach and then take the public footpath to the Sun Inn in Hulverstone. Or, if you have a car, it is only a few minutes to drive to this pretty thatched inn with far reaching views to the coast. Pheasant and local lamb are likely to be on the menu here and there is an open fire in the lounge.

After lunch you could wander up to the Longstone. Take the sunken tree lined pathway that runs up from Mottistone Manor (car park) to this ancient standing stone that marks the entrance to a former long barrow.

St Catherine’s Lighthouse/The Buddle Inn

A walk down to St Catherine’s Lighthouse and Rocken End beach is another favourite ramble and it’s wild in the winter months. If you are coming by car you have to park at the top of St Catherine’s Lane as signs will indicate that the road is closed to public traffic. But as a footpath it is open and as you walk down through the trees and around the corner the view of the lighthouse and the sea will open up in front of you.

It’s a pleasant walk down and a gentle climb back up, until you get to the steep bit at the top. You’ll be looking forward to a drink at the nearby Buddle Inn by this point by the open fire in the bar.

It’s a really good castle, with ramparts to walk, a keep to climb, donkeys to ooh and aahh over and a grisly history to hear.

It’s had a new visitor centre and shop added recently and it’s through here that you walk to enter the castle and then on through and under the iconic turreted gatehouse and into the courtyard.

Just on your right as you enter the courtyard is the former shop that is now a video room showing a film about the castle, narrated by a cartoon donkey with Phill Jupitus’s voice – he was born on the Island as it happens. The film is humorous and mainly aimed at children but it does give a potted history of the castle in an accessible fashion.

It also introduces the donkeys who walk the enormous wooden wheel in the well house to pull the water from the 50m well. Actually they don’t pull it that far any more as nobody uses the water, but they do a short stint so you get the general idea and they are very cute. You can go and meet them in the stables nearby too.

Then you can wander the castle at your leisure and a walk around the top of walls is something you must take if you are able. You’ll have the most amazing view of the surrounding countryside, Newport and Carisbrooke village and the Medina River wending its way to Cowes.

The weathered grey stones appear almost white with the lichens growing upon them and it’s a long way down when you look over the top, especially if you take the steep steps up to the keep where you can also walk around the rim – not for those afraid of heights!

The castle’s main claim to fame was that it became the prison of Charles I when he was on the run from Cromwell and the parliamentarians. He tried to escape a couple of times but the first time he got stuck in the window (apparently he was getting 20 course meals so this is hardly surprising) and the second time he was betrayed. You can see the window on the outer wall from which he tried to flee the last time.

He was eventually taken from the castle to London for his beheading leaving behind his 14 year old daughter Elizabeth who caught pneumonia playing on the parade ground in the rain and died a year later. Her story is told in the museum, where the room in which she died is situated, and you can also see the room that Charles I was imprisoned and from which made his first botched escape.

The museum also has weapons, interactive games and a model of the castle on the ground floor giving an idea of what warfare within a castle was all about. Upstairs there is more history of the Isle of Wight with artefacts to see such as the ornate carved wooden organ that was given to Princess Beatrice who was Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter.  After her mother’s death she came to live at the castle and also became governor of the Isle of Wight.

The newest addition to the castle is the pretty walled garden that was designed by celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw and opened in 2009, behind the little church that was rebuilt by Princess Beatrice. Based on her crest and her favourite colours the garden is just beginning to look established and you get an especially good view of it from the top of the walls. Take a hamper with you and you could sit in the garden on one of the many benches for a picnic lunch.

Or you might like to visit the café/restaurant that hidden away behind the buildings near to the donkey stables. It’s well signposted though and you’ll definitely find it if you’re walking the ramparts as there are steps down from the top into the outdoor courtyard eating area.

Make sure you also pay a quick visit to the gatehouse on your way in or out, especially if you have kids as there are guard’s uniforms and helmets to try on for photo opportunities and weapons to see. In fact there are loads of cannons dotted about the castle grounds and kids love climbing on them – if you make your way out to the large parade ground to the south eastern side of the castle there are larger ones at the corners of the field.

Amazingly, this wood is up for sale and whatever prospects it might bring to the entrepreneur in sustainable, get yourself muddy, outdoor activities to further fuel the Island’s tourism industry – we had a few ideas.

The wood is situated on the south west facing part of the Island, well elevated, with fantastic views both to the sea and Brighstone forest behind it – it also contains a large round barrow known as ‘Black Barrow’ (the largest round barrow on the Island) and is part of the ancient site complex surrounding the Long Stone.

There is a great network of mountain bike trails and as the wood is situated on a hill the paths looks fast and furious to the lower grounds and beyond to the main road; the obligatory tree swing was sighted tangled in a tree at the very height of the wood so unfortunately that could not be reached; the dead tree proved a good climbing frame though!

Strangely I drive past this wood on a regular occurrence and have never noticed it but we will be back – whether it has been snapped up or not – the paths through the woods are accessible by all and is a natural right of way so don’t be afraid to enjoy its beauty.

So after the walk, an obligatory pint at the Sun Inn was needed to quench the thirst and back home for a roast – as any Sunday should be in my book…..

It stands, not surprisingly, on the western mouth of the river Yar, a tidal river that almost dissects the Island at this point, and there is a lovely walk along the former railway line ‘The Causeway’ that runs from here to Freshwater Bay.  A large water mill stands at the Yarmouth end of this walkway and would have provided much of the town’s flour in days of yore.

The rampart walls of Yarmouth Castle guard the entrance to the harbour, a fortification that was built by Henry VIII in 1547 to curb the regular French raids on the town. Now in the care of English Heritage, the entrance is down an alleyway next to the George Hotel with which the castle shares some of its walls.

The George is one of the best hotels on the Island, dating back to the 17^th century, with its ancient flagstone entrance hallway, wood panelled reception rooms and pretty garden overlooking the sea and the pier.

Yarmouth’s pier was opened in 1876 and it received Grade 2 listed status in 1975. Originally 685 ft (207.5m) long, it’s now 609 ft (186m) but is still the longest timber pier in England open to the public, and is a docking point for the pleasure trip boats the  MV Balmoral and PS Waverley.

In the town square stands the old town hall, which was rebuilt in 1763 and there is usually a market being held within its arches. The square has many quaint old buildings and interesting shops and hostelries within them such as a Yarmouth Deli, Harwoods Chandlery, Blue by the Sea boutique and the Bugle Coaching Inn. Up the High Street are some more interesting finds such as Anne Tom’s Yarmouth Gallery, gifts from around the world in Drift and The Beach Hut’s fashion options.

Round the back of the Town Hall is a grid of alleyways with quaint little shops, the Wheatsheaf pub, an ice cream parlour and a fossil and crystal shop. You can walk around to the King’s Head pub from here, which is opposite the George. Salty’s is a popular haunt with a younger crowd and has a restaurant above it specialising in seafood.

Yarmouth is a gateway to the Island and the harbour is full of visiting boats in the summer months and is also a fishing port. The Yar Bridge crosses the mouth of the river and swings open to let taller boats in and out of the estuary.

Boasting many celebrations throughout the year, it is for The Old Gaffers that Yarmouth is best known:  a weekend shindig to celebrate the beautiful Gaff-rigged boats that gather in the harbour.

For these reasons it is also a good time to give your mind, body and soul an MOT – time out to refresh, renew and be ready for the winter months ahead. We have picked out a few of the best Isle of Wight  Mind, Body and Soul retreats for you to choose from this autumn, so feast your eyes on these.

Be Mindful…

Sylvia Clare and her husband David Hughes run residential courses in Mindfulness at their beautiful home Clatterford House in Carisbrooke. The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme was devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn and it is taught as a straight course or can be adapted to suit your needs through guided walking activities, yoga and general discussions about what you are looking for and what is missing in your life.

This is a technique designed to let you live in the present, not regretting the past nor worrying about the future. “Mindfulness is based on being fully present in the moment, in the now and giving that all of your focus,” said Sylvia Clare. “Your power lies in this moment. Living mindfully means living in full awareness of your potential and requires an in depth honesty with yourself of your strengths and weaknesses.

“We teach people how to communicate with each other honestly in a loving way. It’s about moving away from things that are detrimental to you.” If you want a totally different way of looking at your life then this could be the course for you.

Meditate..

Want to learn a meditation technique that will change your life? Transcendental Meditation (TM) is taught by Will Trend at his cottage nestled in the southern slopes of Brading Down and retreats are planned in the future – residential courses at East Dene in Bonchurch have proved very popular in the past.

TM is a method of meditation which involves the silent use of a personal  mantra to release stress and experience higher more refined  states of consciousness. Will was taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who influenced The Beatles and believes that its effect on health and wellbeing can be life changing. “People experience a deeper relaxation with Transcendental Meditation. It also  allows you to realise  your full potential and there’s no limit to what you can do,” he explained.

Will is now affiliated to the David Lynch Foundation with whom he has helped to arrange TM workshops in the ‘sacred woods’ at Bestival for the past two years. Many famous musicians have turned to Will in order to learn this simple technique, which only takes a few days to master and it does work, if you work it.

Be Spiritual…

Quarr Abbey offer spiritual retreats in their Guest House that has recently being modernised and contains ten rooms with eleven beds. Three of the rooms are en suite and one of them has full facilities for use by a disabled person with a wheelchair. You take meals, work and pray with the brothers on a daily basis and generally a spirit of silence and prayer is encouraged within the guest house.

You can tailor your retreat to your needs, working with the monks, praying with them and eating with them too, or just choose to do some of these activities. Priests are available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and one of the community at the Abbey will be available if a guest just wants to talk for any reason whatever. If you need spiritual solace or a space to make a decision this could be ideal.

St Rhadagunds  is a Christian Holiday and Conference Centre in St Lawrence that first opened in 1934 as one of the Christian Endeavour Holiday Homes. It still has a Christian ethos but accepts guests from all denominations.

“St Rhadagunds has been a place where people meet with old friends, make new friends, gather as family groups, as church members and have even met that special person to share a life with. There are meetings of people of different denominations, nationalities, cultures and different ways of working out their Christian faith. Most of all, St Rhadagunds is a place to meet with God, and in His presence to rest, refresh and recharge,” says the website.

Try Yoga…

Carol Macartney practices Hatha yoga, having trained in Sivinanda and has been teaching yoga on the Island for quite a while now and she is one of the best. This year she has branched out and has begun to offer yoga retreats at the Garlic Farm, staying in their lovely cottages and converted barns and at Nettlecombe Farm in similar cosy accommodation.

Emma Spencer-Goodier is another very experienced and approachable yoga teacher who is offering a special retreat experience at Godshill Park Farm in November. Yoga will be at the old farmhouse, in the oak panelled hall with burning log fire. The yoga programme will take participants deeper in their asana, pranayama (breath work) and meditation.

Get Fit…

Wildfitness is a 3-day course held at Northcourt, a beautiful old English manor in Shorwell village. “It is the perfect place to lose yourself to nature and soak up the Wildfitness philosophy,” says the website.

Their action-packed programme includes fun, stress-busting activities that are taught at some of the Island’s most picturesque settings. There are skill sessions with their top coaches in the heart of the gardens at Northcourt and “imaginatively cooked meals using garden produce to give your body the healthy kick it needs.” The emphasis is on changing the way you live your life. “Most importantly, we believe you should feel inspired to continue your wild ways back home,” they say.

Keep Fit Bootcamps are held at Chilton Farm, near Brighstone, and are designed as “the ultimate in inclusive residential weight loss retreats, helping you focus on your goals and get the results you need,” according to their website. –  “Our professional instructors deliver a challenging programme designed to push you to a new level of fitness. Get fit and lose weight with an all round fitness programme, as well as a range of adventurous activities including paddle surfing, hill walking and cycling,” says the website. This one is clearly not for the fainthearted.

The iconic chalk stacks that reach out to see at the westernmost tip of the Island are the tail of a chalk ridge that flows through the Island, practically from end to end. Crowned by the now unmanned Needles lighthouse, a generation of children grew up watching BBC TV’s Blue Peter delivering Christmas goodies to the former lighthouse keepers.

On top of the chalk cliff sits the Needles Old Battery last used in WWII and further up is the Needles New Battery that last saw use as at rocket testing station during the Cold War. Both are open to the public, along with the test sites. Three of the four coastguard cottages nearby, owned by the National Trust, can be rented out for holidays.

The chalk ridge is between 65 million years on the southern side to 66 million years old on the northern side and the strata bordering this is of the Alum Bay sands, which are said to contain 21 different colours. The strata are now vertical because of a buckling of the earth’s crust around 60 million years ago – this is thought to be when the Alps were formed.

The Victorians began selling the different coloured sands to visitors and built sand sheds on the beach and on the walk down from the top of the cliffs. Test tubes and other glass shaped vessels could be filled and people could collect the sand from the cliffs for themselves and fill bottles and other items on the beach. Amazingly this was still happening in the 1960s, but due to the continual threat of erosion and the danger of this folly, the cliffs are now closed to the public.

If you wish to fill glass vessels with sand you now go to the Sand Shop at the top of the cliff where there are loads of large boxes filled with the 21 different hues. Mike Kullander is the manager of this shop and has been with the park for over 30 years.

“The big sand building was built in 1987,” said Mike. “I’ve tried sand huts on the beach but lost them to the sea. At the same time we sealed off and pedestrianized the top of the steps area and a road to the car park was built.

“We only use the sand that falls down the cliff every season and we do preserve the sand because otherwise it would be washed away every winter. “There are 21 colours and the only one we don’t have is blue,” added Mike.

At the top of the cliffs stood the Royal Needles Hotel where Marconi made his very first telegraphic message. The building is long gone but a monument near the viewing platform commemorates his magnificent achievement.

With a largish footprint on the 20 acre site, is the Needles Park , set at the top of the steps to the beach, which has a varied collection of things to do, eat and see. Newest to this is the Marconi’s, a vintage themed bar and coffee shop with terrace overlooking the promenade. On one side of this is the restaurant and on the other is the cavernous Victorian themed gift shop. Towards the car park from here are the Sweet Factory and the IW Glass Studios.

Further in to the attraction are rides: a traditional carosel, a kiosk full of traditional games, spinning teacups, vintage cars on a railed circuit, Spin Cycles that turn 360 degrees when you pedal them and the new water zorbing pool. Super saver tickets can be purchased that have to be exchanged for the rides and games and a book worth £12 costs only £9 (look in the welcome pack you get when you park your car for £4 and you will get money off vouchers too.)

The chairlift from the top of the cliff to the beach was built in 1971. “The third tressel at the top of the cliff (as the chairlift starts to fall down the cliff) has a block of concrete the size of a small bungalow under it and is built onto bedrock,” said Mike. “The gold sand at the top of the cliff is the same stuff as Ayers Rock.” he added. From the beach you can take a boat trip or fast RIB ride out to the Needles stacks. A camera takes your photo as you ascend on the chairlift and you can purchase a print from a kiosk at the top.

Thursdays during August are Magic in the Skies nights and the celebrations begin at 2pm with magic, music and local DJs followed by the fireworks at 9.30pm.

It’s one of my favourite walks ever, and one I often used to take as a child when I went off exploring. Down on the beach, fossils are the order of the day. Up on the down, there are signs of the more recent past. On the way along the winding path upwards there are all sorts of interesting things, for a start a good selection of blackberries to graze upon as we pass through.

It’s hard to imagine today but much of Culver Down and Yaverland seafront was for many years a military area. Taking the enjoyable walk up was the preserve of the army, who occupied parts of the promontory up until the early 1960s, with the main battery at the top of the cliff being closed down in 1956. Down near the present-day Sandown Bay Holiday Centre can be seen the remains of Yaverland Battery, and up on the down the looming shape of Fort Bembridge commands a view across the whole bay.

When I was younger and took this walk, it wasn’t the big Victorian forts that caught my attention, it was the more recent relics of the Second World War, which had only finished some thirty years earlier. Some of these features, forty years further on, are still just about visible. On the clifftop on this rainy afternoon could be identified a series of what looked like small, regular ponds. On closer inspection, these were big metal plates set into the ground in sunken pits, with mounting bolts – probably for anti-aircraft guns. Now perilously close to the cliff edge, it will be only a few years more before these slip down into the sea and are lost. Nearby, and well on its way down the cliff already, is the scene of many childhood adventures for me. A concrete pillbox once looked out over the bay, and when I was small could still be the backdrop for all sorts of games involving hiding from evil invaders, then raining imaginary death from above on their unsuspecting heads. The observation point is now all but inaccessible and has more-or-less collapsed.

Perhaps the most intriguing relic in the area, and one that’s only just surviving, is the old signalling post. This one I really don’t know much about other than what my parents told me as a child. So any military historians are welcome to put me straight. What I do know is that just east of Yaverland Battery, near the old pillbox, is a post set into the ground – or at least, it was in the 1970s. It’s now just a stump, although the remains of a white-painted and substantial wooden pole can still be seen in the metal housing. On each side of the pole were alternate wooden footrests, which allowed an agile young nipper to climb up it. Supposedly this pole was for signalling with visual telegraph signals down to the fort below in what is now Sandown Zoo – or possibly to relay signals up to Bembridge Fort above. There’s hardly anything left to see of this interesting structure now, and as the clifftop continues to erode, and the elements inevitably have their effect on these old artefacts, it won’t be many more years before my old playground is gone.

Its all about the birds…

For a great introduction to the birds that visit the downs on the far east of our Island make sure you book a place upon the Bembridge Down Autunm Bird watch on Monday October 27^th. This is a family friendly stroll around Bembridge and Culver Downs to admire the views and look and listen for migrant birds both on the ground and up above. Sturdy boots are recommended; this is a moderate walk with some stiles and steps and you meet outside of Bembridge Fort (SZ 625 860). Dogs on leads are welcome.

And then make sure you don’t miss the Winter Bird Walk on Saturday November 10^th. This five mile guided walk around Newtown National Nature Reserve will introduce you to the overwintering birds, both resident and migrant that are passing through. It may well be wet underfoot so wellingtons are recommended and you are advised to bring binoculars if you have them. Meet in the visitor point car park opposite Newtown Old Town Hall (SZ 423 906) at 10am. Assistance Dogs only are welcome.

Landscape heritage…

New to the National Trust is the beautiful sheltered valley of Wydcombe,  and the Guided walk: the hidden delights of Wydcombe lets you discover the landscape history and wildlife of this secluded valley on Tuesday October 29^th from 9.30am. Meet at Niton Church lych gate at the bottom of Pan Lane, Niton (please park in Niton village). This is a walk over a gentle, rolling landscape on paths with good to average surfaces. Some stiles and steps are to be expected on the route which is up to 5 miles long.

For a different view of Culver Down why not join the Guided Walk: Discover Culver Down on Friday November 2^nd that will take you on a circular guided walk exploring local history and heritage.  You meet outside of Bembridge Windmill at 10.30am, but as parking is very limited, the NT suggest you park in the Steyne Road car park. Dogs on leads are welcome and this a moderately strenuous walk with a short but steep slope and it lasts approximately 2.5 hours and is 3 1/4 miles long. There are 2 stiles.

Finding Fungi…

Always wanted to know what those weird fungi growing on trees are called and what you can do with them? The Fungus Foray on Thursday November 1^st at 10am in Borthwood Copse will be top of your list in this case. Join a local expert and discover the fascinating variety of fungi that burst forth from these ancient woodland soils and decaying wood each autumn. Meet at Newchurch Parish Council car park (SZ 565 843).

One for the children…

On Saturday November 10^th on the Mottistone Estate you can turn your gaze to the heavens on the WILDZONE: Mottistone Down Star Gazing Night, where you’ll get to learn more about the night sky with a local expert who will help you to get a closer look through telescopes. The Wildzone is a programme of hands-on activities for accompanied children aged 5-13, introducing them to wildlife and nature.  Activities last 2 hours and all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. You are asked to dress warmly, bring your own telescope or binoculars if you have them and a torch with a red filter. Meet in the National Trust Jubilee car park (SZ 420 846) at 5pm and cost is £3 per child or adult (Booking essential).

The equinox is a natural turning point in our year, and a perfect time for reflecting on the season that has gone.

Flags, signs, bunting and dressing up and all things “festival” are packed away.

The pumpkin seed that the kids planted in spring is now a round, orange pumpkin sitting on the kitchen worktop – waiting to be made into soup.

And long, quiet walks on cliffs, beaches and downs are calling me.

The Island is such a beautiful place to experience the mellowness of Autumn, in the last week alone I’ve walked on St.Catherine’s Down from Chale Green to Chale, and along the coast from Whale Chine to Shippards Chine – enjoying the light of stormy skies at the beach and the cool, autumn air on the Downs.

I find myself suspended between two seasons – one just passing, where I’m relentlessly busy to the point of madness, and one arriving, where I feel my energies turn inward, like that of the Earth, and look forward to time spent being more quietly creative.

So as the nights draw in and my mind is emptying out (!!) all I can offer up by way of a blog is a small gallery  - images of a season past and one beginning…..

Marc Tuckey and his faithful crew of shady characters will fill your evenings with shrieks and spooks if you opt for one of these horrific Halloween themed events. Wrap up warm and keep your wits about you.

Nightly Hauntings at Northwood House

This year is the last chance to wander the corridors of Northwood House after dark and Halloween themed tours are running from Monday 29^th October to Friday 2^nd November at 7pm and 9pm each evening and cost £10 per head.

Perhaps the most spooky and atmospheric evening will be on Wednesday 31^st October when there will be a house investigation from 11pm till about 2am, again at Northwood House. You will be guided by Marc Tuckey and his in-house team of mediums and there will be equipment available to use with instructions from your guides. Book through Marc on 520695.

“You may be too old to trick-or-treat, but there’s still plenty of ways you can celebrate Halloween,” says Marc. “For those who crave the terrifying thrill of adrenaline, haunted houses are a great way to have fun and quite a few frights too.” This year will be the last Ghost Island visit to Northwood House, with its underground cellars and tunnels for some scary special ‘tours’ of what they say is a very haunted house.

Gruesome Gumball’s Circus at Arreton Old Village 

If the posters are anything to go by the clowns that are visiting Arreton Old Village in Gumball’s Travelling Circus of Horrors are decidedly nasty – all those teeth! Do they eat children, we wonder?

Gumball’s Travelling Circus of Horrors will be in residence at Arreton Old Village from Friday October 26^th to Sunday October 28^th giving a great fairground atmosphere tinged with terror. Lots of scares and surprises are in store for visitors: join ringmaster Marc Tuckey on an organised walk at 7pm or 9pm every night to meet the witch and wizard, followed by a tea party with jelly and ice-scream (sic) and a prize for the best Halloween themed fancy dress outfit every day.

All Aboard the Ghostbus

In addition to all these ghostly goings-on, thrill seekers are invited to board the Ghostbus at Newport bus station for a 90-minute tour of ghostly sights/sites of the Wight.

“Discover some friendly and not-so-friendly ghosts on this spine-tingling tour out of Newport this Halloween,” say the operators. “Your guide will try not to scare you witless, but be prepared to see sights you never thought you would, and for some shocking truths about some of the Island’s phantoms and poltergeists, about monks up to no good, noises in the night, unfortunate maidens and strange horsemen, and some decidedly dark deeds. “Did you know about the ghost in County Hall, or the strange goings on where a servant was burned to death in the old lace factory in Staplers Road,” asks Marc. “What about the murderous woodcutter at the Hare and Hounds? Or how the village of Godshill got its name? And watch out for that horseman riding by. And why is a man in a raincoat waiting at a bus stop? Has it just gone icily cold or are you just imagining things?”

The Isle of Wight Ghost Experience has joined forces with Island bus operators Southern Vectis, to bring you the Halloween Ghost Bus Tours and there will be two runs on Wednesday October 31^st, leaving the bus station at 8pm.  Booking is essential as seats on each Ghostbus are very limited – contact Marc Tuckey on 520695.

Bring a camera, come in (warm) fancy dress and your driver and ghostly guide will be in costume too. In fact you are encouraged to dress up for all of these activities.

Ghost Walk organiser Marc Tuckey, pictured above in his Victorian costume, and ghost book writer Gay Baldwin make this claim on their website, which is the best place to check out all things ghostly on the Isle of Wight. You can also find out about Marc’s walks, Gay’s eight books and the special ‘overnighters’ that they organise at haunted venues.

The goriest ghost is perhaps that of Michael Morey, who was hanged for killing his grandson back in 1737. His corpse was left to rot on Downend gibbet at Gallows Hill near the Hare and Hounds pub until it became “an offence to eye and nostril”. You can follow the story on the walls of the pub and see the gibbet crossbeam. His restless spirit is said to roam Gallows Hill carrying a large axe.

Just down the road is Arreton Manor, reputedly haunted by a young girl who was pushed from a window to her death and who is seen in a blue dress crying ‘Mama, Mama’. Although the manor is not currently open to the public it does have bed and breakfast accommodation.

Other haunted places where you can stay are the Priory Bay Hotel, haunted by a sweet, gentle ghost; the spirit of a young girl and the pet dog she loved beyond the grave. Her beloved spaniel was stuffed and put in a glass case and the girl’s ghost is seen running down corridors, calling and sobbing, “What have you done with my dog?” according to Gay Balwin’s second ‘Ghost’s of the Isle of Wight’ book.

Also the fairy themed Enchanted Manor Hotel at Niton boasts the ghosts of a gentleman in Edwardian dress, mischievous ghost-boys and the ghost of Mrs Prendergast who keeps an eye on her old home. From here you can take a walk down to St Catherine’s lighthouse where a ghostly figure has been seen and photographed right at the top when nobody was on the premises.

Ventnor Botanic Gardens is said to be one of the most haunted places on the Isle of Wight, and is also the venue for one of Marc Tuckey’s evening Ghost Walks. Many tuberculosis sufferers died at the Old Royal National Hospital that once stood here and apparently the ghosts of some linger, weeping and groaning. There are smells of ether, sightings of a consumptive looking ghost and phantom nurses in old fashioned uniforms walk the gardens.

But the most haunted of locations is Knighton Gorges ( pronounced Kay-nighton by locals to avoid confusion with Niton on the Island’s south coast), and the house that once stood at this spot – local ghost hunters gather at midnight on New Year’s Eve to see the house reappear. People have also seen stone creatures appear on the weathered gateposts that are all that remain of the house, seen a coach and horses driving by, and heard laughter and music from the house.

The old manor house is the subject of Gay Baldwin’s book ‘Ghosts of Knighton Gorges’, and it is said to have “a blood-red history a testament to murder, suicide, insanity, malice, and a gallery of ghosts.”

The portal to all of these ghostly goings-on was opened back in 1977 when, as a young reporter at the County Press, Gay was asked to write a Christmas feature. As she lived near to Billingham Manor she decided to base her article on the ancient house that once boasted a visit from Charles I. Recounting the apparition of the King’s severed head, ‘shining with a phosphorescent glow’ had readers writing in to the paper with their own ghostly tales, and Gay and her colleague Ray Anker realised they probably had enough material to turn all of these stories into a book.

Marc Tuckey suggested making some of the stories into a guided walk and the first walk around Newport was so popular that he has extended his repertoire to five walks per week during the summer season, using Gay’s gathered stories as the basis for his spine tingling tales. Meanwhile Gay has published eight ghost books, and is working on her ninth, based on Island hospitals. Readers continually contact her with new sightings and visitors to the Island often see ghosts too.

Carisbrooke Castle, Osborne House, Appuldurcombe House, Fort Victoria, Brading Roman Villa and the Royal Yacht Squadron all have ghosts, along with many other locations, and there are even ghost ships seen out at sea.

Other haunted pubs include The Castle and Wheatsheaf Inns in Newport, which is part of the Newport Ghost Walk and The Dairyman’s Daughter at Arreton Barns where you can meet the resident ghosts in the area.

Alverstone

Very close to Alverstone Mead hide and in the middle of an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is High Pines on Lower Road in Adgestone. “A lot of visitors come here to see the wildlife because this is a very rural spot,” said owner Nick Skinner. Easy access to bridleways, footpaths and cycle paths make this an ideal location for walkers and cyclists or alternatively you can relax on the nearby sandy beaches.

Nearby are many local attractions such as the Roman Villa, Garlic Farm and Adgestone Vineyard. Sandown and Shanklin Golf Club with its challenging County Championship course is a short distance away. There are just two large first floor double guest rooms, both redecorated for 2012.

Newtown

Youngwoods Farm on Whitehouse Road is between Porchfield and Newtown and has its own nature reserve of 83 acres too. “In April and may we have swathes of green winged and southern marsh orchids and all manner of wildlife,” said owner Judith Shanks.  It is a wonderful base for artists, bird watchers, cyclists and walkers and has views over meadows and ancient oak trees to the downs, the West Wight and across the Solent as far as Lymington.

The Island stone farmhouse was first mentioned in records in the thirteenth century, when the area was all forested, and it was rebuilt in the eighteenth century. Chickens and sheep are kept around the farmhouse, barns and fields and there is a resident barn owl. Stabling for guest’s horses can be provided if required .

Brading

Oaklands House is right on the edge of Brading Haven RSPB reserve and at the foot of Brading Downs. You could even leave the car at home as it is just a short walk from Brading Station too – see www.trainline.co.uk. This large B&B has 10 en-suite air conditioned bedrooms and offers bed and continental buffet breakfast to adults only. All bedrooms feature an LCD TV with DVD player, an iPod dock, a silent refrigerator and a personal safe. Other facilities include a heated swimming pool, petanque, car parking, licensed bar, free Wi-Fi and a 24 hour honesty bar. Safe cycle and golf club storage is also available. Oaklands House is non-smoking.

Afton

Frenchman’s Cove is set in an acre of secluded grounds amidst National Trust downland, on the old road towards the Needles. Nestling beneath Tennyson Down, not far from the magnificent cliffs towering above `Frenchman’s Hole’, it has splendid country and Solent views and is one of the most westerly guest houses on the Island. The house has eight bedrooms and two family suites and all have rural aspects or sea views.

Wildlife such as badgers, foxes and rabbits frequent the acre of land around the house and a buzzard nests behind the coachhouse. For that feeling of being on top of the world, try the walk across the Downs to the tip of the headland for breathtaking views of the Needles and the sweep of the Dorset coastline.

Getting in Amongst Nature

Just up the road from Afton Marsh Local Nature Reserve and in amongst the apple trees of Afton Park Apple Farm sit The Really Green Holiday Company’s beautiful yurts. There are five 16ft fully furnished cream canvas yurts available to hire for self-catering or bed and breakfast holidays from April 1^st. Each yurt sleeps up to five people containing a double bed (including one with a four poster), a double futon or day bed and a single camp bed if required and every yurt has its own outdoor cooking and seating area. There is also the ‘Dome’, a large undercover tented area, providing weather-proof cooking, eating and seating facilities and a communal area for guests to mingle or you can take breakfast and other meals at Afton Apple Farm’s café. There is a solar/wood burner fuelled shower and compost toilets. This is an ideal base from which to discover the wildlife and beauty of the West Wight, whilst sampling a green way of living.

Best in the Wild

The very best place to see squirrels up close is the hide on Alverstone Mead nature trail. Take hazelnuts with you and place them on the feeding platform and before long you will hear them scurrying across the roof and then down the sides of the hide. The squirrels come very close to you and they are particularly tame because of the frequent visitors. Please do not feed them Brazil nuts under any circumstances as they are poisonous to squirrels and too many peanuts will thin their bones – find hazelnuts to feed them if you can. There are also hosts of wild birds on the feeders that hang from the trees who will take nuts left out on the hide shelf – on the day we visited there were blue and great tits, hedge and house sparrows, chaffinches and robins. Ducks, pheasants and moorhens were ground feeding around the hide.

Parkhurst Forest also has a dedicated squirrel hide and walkway from the car park off of Parkhurst Road. It’s a ten minute uphill walk through the trees to the hide, which is marked from the car park. Large squirrel sculptures will show you that you’re on the right track, but the real squirrels are harder to spot.

Centurion Copse on the edge of the RSPB reserve at Brading Marshes has red squirrels amongst its old oaks. You can walk here from Bembridge or across the old sea wall from Brading Station. Behind the Griffin pub in Godshill is a tree-lined walk to Beech Copse where you will see squirrels and they are also prolific in the ancient Borthwood Copse near Winford and America Woods just outside Shanklin.

Best at the Attractions

Robin Hill must be the best family-style attraction for seeing red squirrels as they not only have a special hide in the woods but Helen Butler from the Red Squirrel Trust holds a squirrel talk and activity day every Friday during the summer season (from March 30th 2012) at 3.30pm. You will also see red squirrels scampering across the lawns of Osborne House if you keep your eyes peeled – look to the left as you drive in and up in the big trees between the house and the walled garden or in the trees around the Swiss Cottage.

Best on the Farm

The Garlic Farm has loads of red squirrels in the trees above the farm and they breed here too. They will venture down to the area outside the café and you can watch them scampering down the wall and along a rope to pick up food that has been left for them.

Best at Tea Gardens

Shanklin Old Village has the largest number of tea gardens with visiting squirrels in one area.  Pencil Cottage and The Old Thatch down in the village both boast of their garden visitors and if you take a walk down past the top of Shanklin Chine to Rylstone Gardens the tearooms up there have squirrel feeders and frequent furry visitors – they also have a brightly coloured pitch and putt in the middle of the tea gardens that is quaint and vintage and there are hundreds of planters full of flowers. If you pay to walk down through Shanklin Chine from here you may see more squirrels.

Best by the Sea

At Fort Victoria in Yarmouth behind the model railway exhibition is a great place to see squirrels as there is a feeding post that they frequently use. The woods of the country park behind this attraction are also a good place to spot squirrels.

Best on a Bike Ride or Walk

The Freshwater to Yarmouth cycle track along the old railway line is wooded for most of its length and squirrels can be seen in the trees. Similarly the Cowes-Newport cycle track following the old railway line is also a good place to spot them, but if you are on a bike please be aware that they may run across the pathway.