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1. Newport Quay
(SZ 502-895)
Walk along Newport Quay, turn
left into Sea Street, then turn right up Quay
Street, cross the High Street and continue along
Town Lane passing Newport Minster on the right.
Cross over Pyle Street, continue along Town
Lane, cross South Street, continue along Church
Litten, then through the arched entrance and
follow the path through the park. Turn right
into Medina Avenue, then turn left up Mount
Pleasant Road, then turn right into Cypress Road
and turn left along St John’s Road. Turn right,
at the mini roundabout, up Whitepit Lane, then
turn left at the top of the hill, following the
unmade road, bearing right, beside the property
on the left, then turn left, then turn right and
follow the enclosed path (N24) uphill
onto Mount Joy. Continue along the fenced path,
bearing left, then right along the walled path
beside the cemetery and continue past the path
on the left following the stepped path (N25)
downhill. Turn left along Whitcombe Road past
the entrance to Mountjoy on the left and turn
right, crossing the road, to reach the ‘Check
In’ at Carisbrooke Castle.
Alternative route, if not
‘Walking the Wight’
Turn right across the road,
before reaching the entrance to Mountjoy, and
follow the path
(N193)
across the top of The Shrubbery to reach
Carisbrooke Castle.
2. Check In
(SZ 489-877 1.7 ml)
Go through the gate at the right
side of the field, then turn left, then right
and follow the path (N196) along the side
of the moats around the side of Carisbrooke
Castle turning right to reach the coach park at
the entrance to Carisbrooke Castle. Go through
the gate, then turn left through the gated
entrance to the car park, then downhill through
the gap beside the gate and follow the hedged
path, Castle Hill, (N88) downhill. Turn
right across Millers Lane and continue along
Clatterford Shute crossing the footbridge over
Lukely Brook. Follow the road uphill, then bear
right across Clatterford Road and continue
uphill along Nodgham Lane to reach the start of
the Tennyson Trail on the outskirts of
Carisbrooke.
3. Carisbrooke
(SZ 481-881 1.7 ml)
The Tennyson starts at
Carisbrooke about 1½ miles west of Newport.
Turn sharp left follow the
enclosed banked track (N123) uphill
bearing left along a wide grass clearing.
Continue along the enclosed track through trees
and through a wide metal gate. Continue
straight across the track junction following the
track (N128) across Bowcombe Down keeping
the hedge on the left. Bear left through a wide
metal gate following the hedged track and
through a second wide metal gate. Continue
along the track keeping the hedge on the right
and through another wide metal gate. Continue
along the track (N136a) with Monkham
Copse on the right. Go through the narrow metal
gate and continue straight across the track
junction. Go through a wide metal gate and
continue across the field following the track to
the left of the fence and small copse. Continue
past the track on the right and continue uphill,
keeping the fence on the right, through the wide
gate on the edge of Brighstone Forest. Follow
the track (N139) along the right edge of
the forest passing through two gates, then bear
right at the track junction and follow the track
(BS4) through Brighstone Forest.
4. Brighstone Forest
(SZ 435-848 6.3 ml)
Continue down the track through
the cleared forest section, then continue
straight across the first track junction,
shortly followed by a second, and through a wide
gate to reach the track junction of the Worsley
Trail on the edge of the forest. Turn right and
follow the gravel track (BS10) downhill
keeping the forest on the right to reach the
road. Turn right, then left crossing the road
and continue through the National Trust Car
Park. Go through the gate and follow the track
(BS44) uphill onto Mottistone Down. Go
through the gate and continue alongside the
tumuli on the right continuing downhill crossing
straight over a track junction. Go through the
gate and follow the grass track (S26)
downhill across the field through another wide
metal gate to reach the road. Turn right, then
left crossing the road, and follow the chalk
track bearing left through a wooden gate.
Follow the wide chalk track, bearing right
(BS53) at the track junction, uphill onto
Brook Down.
5. Brook Down
(SZ 389-852 9.6 ml)
Walk along the grass track across
Brook Down continuing straight on at the
junction with a path on the right. Continue
along the top of the down (F33) going
through the gate on the edge of the golf
course. Follow the chalky track over Afton Down
across the golf course, continuing downhill
across a track junction to reach the Military
Road. Turn right across Southdown Road
following the pavement downhill, then turn left
across the road and walk past the lifeboat
station to reach the Promenade at Freshwater
Bay.
Alternative following cliff top
path to Freshwater Bay
Bear left through the car park
and cross the road following one of a number of
paths across the grass to reach the cliff top
path. Turn right and follow the path
(F35)
along the cliff top bearing left down wooden
steps
(F62)
to reach Freshwater Bay.
6. Freshwater Bay
(SZ 345-858 12.4 ml)
Walk along the promenade past the
Albion Hotel bearing right along Gate Lane.
Permissive ‘Walking the Wight’
route through Freshwater Bay Hotel
Turn left along the access drive
into Freshwater Bay Hotel following the drive
past the check point and turn left onto the
access road to Fort Redoubt.
Route following the Tennyson
Trail
Turn left, by the public toilets
on the right, and walk along the private road
(F50)
leading towards Fort Redoubt, passing Freshwater
Bay House on the left.
Turn right through the gate, at
the sharp left bend in the road, following the
path uphill across the field keeping the fence
on the far left and go through the gap beside
the gate on the left.
Route following the Tennyson
Trail
Go through the gate at the end of
the road (ignore the gate on the right)
following the path around the edge of Watcombe
Bay, then follow the path
(F49)
uphill, keeping the fence on the right, and
continue through the gate.
Follow the wide grass path
(F49)/(T25) uphill, passing a
‘halfway’ seat on the left, to reach
Tennyson Monument on Tennyson Down. Continue
across the top, then downhill following the wide
grass path (T25), past the seat on the
left, bearing left at the track junction and
beacon. Cross the stile beside the gate, then
bear left, ignoring the downhill path on the
right, and follow the grass path
(T24)
uphill over West High Down. Continue towards
the radio masts, then turn left beside a sunken
‘air raid’ shelter, then turn right across the
stile along the grass path past the radio masts
on the left to reach the access road to the
coastguard cottages on the right. Follow the
tarmac road downhill bearing right, then left
into the Needles New Battery.
Detour to visit the Needles
Observation Point
Just past the radio masts, bear
left following a chalk path to reach the access
road through the former Black Knight Rocket Test
Site. Follow the path descending a number of
concrete steps to reach the observation point
overlooking The Needles. Return to the access
road, then turn left following the access road,
past the coastguard lookout on the left, through
the Needles New Battery.
Follow the tarmac access road
downhill around to the left, towards the Needles
Old Battery, then around the sharp right hand
bend and continue along the road, overlooking
Alum Bay on the left, turning left to reach the
Needles Park.
Route following the Tennyson
Trail
Cross the stile, at the sharp
left bend in the road, and follow the path
(T24a)
downhill across the side of the down. Cross the
stile in fence, then down a set of steps, then
bear right along the road.
7. Alum Bay
(SZ 307-854 15.8 ml)
Turn left and walk through the
car park keeping the fence on the left, bearing
left to reach on observation platform
overlooking Alum Bay and The Needles. Walk
through the visitor attraction to reach the bus
stop on the roundabout.
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