Isle of Wight Coast Path

ISLE OF WIGHT

TREK

WALK

Isle of Wight Coast Path – Day Three

Sunday 06 August 2017

Day Three – Freshwater to Cowleaze Chine

We awoke to a glorious, sunny morning and after breakfast, I headed into Freshwater to buy some lunch and dinner for the day ahead while Susan packed up the tent.

We picked up the Coastal Path at Colwell Chime and had an easy, enjoyable walk along the Seawall to the old lifeboat station at Widdick Chine before ascending to the road above. It was a short walk up cliff road before we were back on a footpath heading for Headon Warren.

At Headon Hill, we stopped to admire the fantastic views of Alum Bay and The Needles. There were a few people here with binoculars and after a little chat we discovered that the Fastnet Race was due to start soon from Cowes and that they would be sailing out into the English Channel, passing The Needles and heading down to Lands End and then to the Celtic Sea.

We came down the hill and on to the very busy road beneath which was packed with cars and coaches all trying to find somewhere to park at The Needles Landmark Attraction. There were lots people in yellow vests running around with radios and we had to pick our way through the mass of running engines and fumes.

We were soon on the side of West High Down and we stopped for a snack,

just beneath the Coastguard Cottages, and watched the first of the Fastnet Race competitors come in to sight surrounded by hundreds of smaller vessels.

Then, knowing we had only gone about a third of the day’s distance, we continued along the Tennyson Trail to Tennyson’s Monument and down to Freshwater Bay.

Tennyson’s Monument is granite cross standing 147m high and commemorating the life of Alfred Lord Tennyson who lived near by and walked the downs daily.

We continued East along the gently undulating cliff path with only the occasional short, steep drop down followed by an equally short, steep climb which would occur at each ‘chine’

At Brighstone we came across some old, disused, holiday chalets on the edge of Brighstone Holiday Camp. These were so close to the cliff edge, we assumed they were no longer safe to be used because of landslides and it looked like a whole corner of the site had vanished down the cliff over the years.

The path ahead was closed and we had to divert through the Holiday Camp and out the other side. The Holiday Camp looked like it was from the 1930s or 1950s with that real “Hi-de-Hi!” look and feel.

We stopped for a late lunch at Marsh Chine where we found a handy bench to put the stove on and then walked the last few miles to the campsite at Cowleaze Chine. We pitched the tent near the cliff, but not too near, and had plenty of time to shower and then relax in the afternoon sun.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Chine Farm campsite which is right on the Coastal Path. This was a large but basic campsite offering a shower/toilet block and washing up area with a reception on the other side of the road. The manager was helpful and friendly and told us we could pitch anywhere. There is nowhere to eat or drink nearby the campsite so you need to carry everything you will need with you.

The Route

Distance : 14.5 Miles

We left the campsite and returned to the Coastal path at Colwell Chine. There are a few shops and a small supermarket in Freshwater and I made a separate trip in the early morning to buy supplies for the day. There are no other facilities in this section.

Click HERE for a GPX file of the route.

David Welch – View Profile

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