Wednesday, 19th February 2014
| Walk: | Alum Bay, The Old Battery, Tennyson Down, Tennyson Monument, Freshwater Bay, road to Freshwater | ||
| Start Point: | Alum Bay car park | Grid Reference: | SZ 307 853 |
| Distance: | 5 miles | ||
| Weather: | Mild and sunny | ||
| Comments: | The initial part of the walk, to The Old Battery, was along a road and a grassy track near the edge of the cliff. After visiting the Battery we made our way along Tennyson Down, a grassy whale-backed ridge of chalk which rises to 482 ft above sea level. It is named after Lord Tennyson who lived at nearby Farringford House for nearly 40 years. At the highest point is a huge granite cross which commemorates his life. Arriving in Freshwater Bay we found that we had just missed a bus and that the next one wasn't due for a few hours. Consequently we followed the road to Freshwater where a bus eventually arrived to take us to Yarmouth for the ferry back to the mainland - an unexpected extension to the walk! |
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Just a few gnomes!
Alum Bay, noted for its muli-coloured sand cliffs . . .
but no-one on the beach as the tide is in
Kath decides to take a lower path . . .
and is unaware that she is being photographed
A couple of paths parallel the edge of the cliff, giving closer views of the bay
Back together on the higher route . . .
with a strong head wind
A fishing boat perhaps . . .
as David zooms in . . .
and it continues on its way maybe to Southampton
A last look at Alum Bay . . .
before entering a windswept Needles Battery . . .
with a couple of guns still intact . . .
at least nine men needed to load and fire each one
A view of The Needles from the Battery . . .
and again from the viewpoint
Scratchell's Bay
Concrete installations . . .
at the site used for rocket testing from 1856 to 1971 . . .
Hurst Castle, commanding the narrow entrance to the Solent, with Lymington in the background
The information board . . .
below the beacon
Another view of Hurst Castle, built to defend the southern coast by Henry VIII
David & Margaret take a break . . .
while I explore the cliff edge . . .
and take a closer look down to the sea . . .
before returning for some refreshment
Alfred, Lord Tennyson loved the Isle of Wight . . .
and wrote some of his most famous work here
Take your pick!
Signs of erosion at the cliff edge
Looking towards Freshwater Bay . . .
a small cove where smugglers once used the caves around the bottom of the chalk cliffs
A relatively calm sea . . .
but in previous days it had thrown the flint and chalk pebbles . . .
onto the promenade