Tennyson Trail
| Route Overview | Walk from the centre of the Island to its most famous landmark of the Needles at its most westerly point and enjoy superb views along the way. | ||||||
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| Distance - Full | 14 miles / 22.4 km | ||||||
| Typical Time - Full | 6 hours | ||||||
| Start Point | Nodgham Lane, Carisbrooke (just over 1 mile south west of Newport) | ||||||
| End Point | Alum Bay | ||||||
| Start point grid reference | SZ482881 | End point grid reference | SZ308854 | ||||
| Type of Route: | Linear | Level of walk: | Strenuous | ||||
| Route Features |
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| Accessibility / Facilities |
Begins near bus route Begins near pub Ends near parking Ends near toilets Pub enroute Suitable for Dogs |
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| Terrain | PROW (Public Right Of Way) | ||||||
| Route Description | This walk is one of 8 waymarked "Inland Trails" on the isle of Wight. The walk begins in Carisbrooke and you will be able to look across to Carisbrooke Castle, famous for its imprisonment of Charles 1 before his execution during the Civil War, in 1649. The trail climbs along ancient tracks to the ridge of the chalk downs where you will be able to see the sea both to the north and south. The views will just keep getting better and better as you head west and from Brighstone Down the whole length and breadth of the Island can be seen on a clear day. Eventually the track becomes enclosed by trees as you enter Brighstone Forest. The trail comes to the edge of the forest and follows the contours west along Mottistone Down passing various tumuli - a short diversion will take you to the standing stone known as The Longstone (dated 3000-2000BC) on Mottistone Down. The trail continues west on to Brighstone Down, climbing to the summit of Brook Down with its ancient barrows and along the ridge of Compton Down and through the golf course at Afton Down. From here the path goes down hill to meet the sea at Freshwater Bay before climbing steeply again up Tennyson Down to the Tennyson Monument. This is one of the Island's finest and most uplifting areas for walking. The trail culminates at the Needles and Alum Bay. | ||||||
| Terrain Details | A long and challenging walk with several long and gradual ascents up the downs. | ||||||
| Access Info / Public Transport | Call Southern Vectis Buses on 01983 532373 for public transport information. | ||||||
| Services / Amenities | Carisbrooke has a pub and convenience store. After this there are no settlements until Freshwater Bay which has a couple of cafes and a pub and a small shop run by the Freshwater Lifeboat. Alum Bay itself has an amusement park with gift shops and refreshments. The Needles Old Battery is a Palmerstonian Fort built in the 1860's and managed by the National Trust | ||||||
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| TSE Accommodation Search | |||||||
| More info | The Coastal Path & Inland Trails on the Isle of Wight | ||||||
