Walking

Pub Walks

There are more than 500 miles of marked footpaths on the Isle of Wight –many passing through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a national classification given to more than half the Island’s landscape. More than enough walking to satisfy the most intrepid rambler.

But this is not a guide for the intrepid. It is aimed at the ‘leisure walker’, that huge army of people who enjoy a walk that gives them a bird’s eye view of the local landscape and its landmarks. And, of course, this ‘leisure walk’ is all the better if there’s a welcoming pub at the end of it.

That’s where Wightlink comes in. Our band of explorers has left no stone unturned, no walk untrodden in our quest to bring to you the ‘crème de la crème’ of short strolls –some as little as half a mile and none much more than four miles long.

Along the way we have sampled the wares at lots of Island pubs, some in rural countryside, others along the coast. The resulting guide therefore provides the low down on leisure walks that combine beautiful countryside, lots of fresh air and the best of the pubs.

From the national nature reserve of Newtown Estuary on the north coast to the Victorian resort of Ventnor in the sub- tropical south, Wightlink’s Isle of Wight Pub Walks profiles nine contrasting walks that cover every corner of the Island.

Most make great family walks, others are particularly suitable for the elderly or infirm who enjoy walking but cannot cope with more demanding hikes and some are probably better suited to more energetic types.

For each pub walk, the guide flags up key features and rates it as easy, moderate or more challenging walking. In addition to telling you its length and how long it should take at an easy pace, you’ll find information on the type of terrain encountered so that you can plan whether to wear wellies or walking shoes!

Every walk can either start or end at a pub and we give you a run down on 10 of the Isle of Wight’s best as well as telling you the kind of welcome you can expect if you come accompanied by kids, dogs and/or muddy boots.

Although we chart the route you will take, this guide does not walk you every inch of the way. Used in conjunction with a good Ordnance Survey Map, you can easily follow the well-marked Island footpaths to find the highlights detailed in the following pages. Walk and enjoy.

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         Pub Walks Map

Coastal walk 1 - Steephill Cove to the Spyglass Inn, Ventnor

Moderate walking
2 1 /2kms /1 1 /2mls.3 /4-1 hour. Steep in places so care is needed with the elderly and infirm.

High spots: Great views of Ventnor ’s Victorian skyline as you approach the traditional seaside resort. Take time out to explore the interest-filled shoreline of Steephill Cove at the start.

Begin this walk by following footpath V89 marked Steephill Cove and Coastal Path, which borders the eastern perimeter of the Ventnor cricket ground from the Ventnor- St.Lawrence road. This feeds into the Coastal Path (V88A)for Ventnor and there ’s a choice of easy steps or a slope down to the cove.

Tiny south coast Steephill Cove is a far cry from the Isle of Wight ’s usual image of sandy beaches. Locals treasure its rocks and rock pools as a peaceful place to get away from it all.

From here it ’s an easy, though energetic and sometimes steep walk along the Undercliff on a well-trodden route past the Island ’s sub-tropical landscape on one side and the shoreline on the other with huge boulders that form an effective (to date) man-made sea defence.

You can see why the boulders are needed further on, at the outskirts of Ventnor, where the lower path has fallen away. Put dogs on a lead here because of the sheer drop along the higher footpath, which is at first narrower, steeper and winding, before opening out to grassy slopes. These lead to a hillside car park and from here it ’s a short walk downhill to Ventnor, one of those traditional seaside resorts you remember with affection from childhood.

Fishing boats are piled on the beach, there ’s a wide expanse of red sand with weed-encrusted groynes leading down to crashing waves and, in the midst of it all, a welcoming inn from which to view the day ’s comings and goings.

The Spyglass Inn is set directly above the beach at its western end. For good days –and there are plenty of these –there’s a large outside decked area with beach views whilst inside the Spyglass is crammed with Nautical artefacts. Always bustling, the Spyglass has managed to retain its olde worlde charm while at the same time running a fast, efficient show.

Spyglass Inn (Tel: 01983 855338) Open from 10.30am. Lunch: 12 noon

Specialities: freshly caught local seafood. Veggie meals. Selection of real ales includes Tanglefoot and Ventnor Brew. 60 wines include six by the glass. Children in family room and on outside deck. Dogs on leads welcome throughout.

Coastal walk 2 - Seaview village to Priory Bay

Easy walking
4 1 /2kms /2 3 /4mls.1-1 1 /2 hours. Ideal family walking, mostly on sand. Dogs prohibited from beach May-September and owners must clean up after dogs October-April.

High spots: At low tide,the vast tree- backed sandy beach of Priory Bay is well worth the walk as is the ever-changing light on the shore-line rocks at Seaview.

Plan this walk at low tide to make the most of a beachcomber’s paradise. (Tide tables are available from Tourist Information Centres.) There are shells to collect all the way and the added bonus, for children, of shallow waters in which to paddle.

Start out at the rock pools of Seaview beach directly below the traditional seaside village. Allow time to watch the busy pool life led by tiny crabs and take a bucket in which to collect colourful shells.

Follow the beach around to Seagrove Bay and along the walkway, that leads up through woodland and around to Priory Bay, a surprising stretch of sand with rivulets of water running through it.

At Priory Bay you can climb up the National Trust wooden walkway that leads through trees to the back gates of the smart Priory Bay Hotel.

Then retrace your steps to Seaview and the Seaview Hotel, winner of countless- awards for its excellent, welcoming service and highly recommended for its food. There are two bars: a more modern front bar that overlooks the sea and an informal ‘pub-style ’one.

Seaview Hotel (01983 612711) Open weekdays from 7am onwards. Tea and coffee served all day. Lunch:12 noon-2.15pm in bars. 

Specialities: Fresh local fish dishes like Seaview Crab Ramekin, Salmon & Dill Fishcakes and Fillet of line-caught Sea Bass. Choice of veggie meals. Two real ales -Goddards and Adnams. Four wines by the glass. Children allowed in both bars at lunchtime and in the evenings. Dogs also allowed.

Coastal walk 3 - Circular Walk From Crab & Lobster Around Bembridge

Moderate walking
7kms/4 ¹/³ mls.2-21/2 hours. Generally easy walking but narrow in some rural sections and along the final cliff top stretch.
 
High Spots: The interest-filled shoreline from the Crab &Lobster to Bembridge Harbour is of particular appeal to kids and dogs whilst adults will want to check out the historic Bembridge Windmill and take in its panoramic views.

Make this a low tide walk, starting at the Crab &Lobster –a public car park is located behind the pub –and walk down onto the beach. At this point a long rock plateau, bisecting the sands and large pebbles, resembles a miniature Giant ’s Causeway and is full of interesting rock pools. Turn left towards Bembridge Harbour and walk past the imposing turreted facade of Bembridge Coast Hotel. Allow plenty of time on this section of the walk if accompanied by children or dogs as they are bound to want a quick dip or paddle in the clear waters.

Continue past the Lifeboat Station and around the headland to the harbour mouth, with a view of the Duver beach in front of you. Turn left up the gravel track leading to the main road and cross this to the Pilot Boat Inn opposite –a good refreshment stop.

From the inn take Footpath BB19,the Bembridge Trail, which leads along a narrow wooded track, with an area of wooden decking and metal railings. After approximately 300 yards the path leads uphill and reaches a junction with the High Street. Turn right here and continue walking until a bend in the busy road, then turn right where you see signs for Bembridge Windmill, marked Bridleway BB36.

Stop off at this perfectly preserved windmill for a look around or to take in views of glorious rolling hills beyond. From this point, it ’s a lovely pastoral walk downhill with views of Culver Cliff and nothing but greenery all around.

When you come to a junction in the woodland at the bottom of the hill, bear left and take the track leading to a main road.  Cross this and continue through a wooded lane with Whitecliff Bay campsite on the right. Cross at the next road junction, then walk left for 150 yards before turning right into Jenny Street ’s Lane.

At the Kingswood Centre, skirt the perimeter onto the Coastal Path boardwalk. Although there is some cliff erosion here, there are lovely views from the fenced path that leads back to the Crab &Lobster.

Renowned for its locally caught seafood, the Crab &Lobster is welcoming to walkers with muddy boots, their children and dogs. Always busy, there ’s plenty of space in the large bar and an attractive seating area outside with sea views.
 
Crab & Lobster (01983 872244) Open Monday-Saturday all day from 11am, Sundays from 12 noon. Lunch 12 noon-2.30pm.

Specialities: Locally caught crab and lobster dishes. Good home-cooked veggie specials, e.g. vegetable tagliatelli. Real ales include Goddards, Greene King and Flowers. Decent choice of wines by the glass. Children and dogs both welcomed. Outdoor seating overlooks sea.

Coastal walk 4 - Fishbourne Past Quarr Abbey to Binstead

Easy walking
41/2kms/23/4mls.11/2-13/4hours.A gentle flat walk past areas of woodland,wetland and open fields.
 
High Spots: Good views of boat life on the Solent through pastoral fields and the chance for a close up look at imposing Quarr Abbey.
 
Use the Wightlink ferry terminal as your start point for this walk and take the Bridleway R3,marked Binstead Coastal Path, on the right hand side of the road beyond the terminal, just before the Fishbourne Inn. This is Quarr Lane, a leafy track overhung with trees, which, as its name suggests, leads to Quarr Abbey. First, though, the track provides attractive views through pastureland to the Solent and, as it is both flat and shaded, it ’s the ideal walk for families and older people.

After around a quarter of a mile comes the first view of the towering rose-coloured brick abbey, built a century ago by French Benedictine monks to replace the original medieval Cistercian abbey. The walk leads past the entrance to the abbey, whose chapel is open to visitors, and on past the ruins of the original building in sea meadows bordering the Solent.

Just past these ruins, pass through a gateway into a wooded residential area. Beyond the clutch of houses take the left fork onto the Coastal Path (Bridleway R45).At the end of this wooded glade, the track comes out at a small road. Just before this, bear back sharp left onto Footpath R46 for a detour down to the foreshore, providing more Solent views from a beach, most remarkable for its wooden flotsam.

Then retrace your steps to Fishbourne and turn right from Quarr Lane to the Fishbourne Inn, almost opposite. This is a large, family-friendly pub with extensive areas of seating inside and out, ideal as last port of call before boarding the Wightlink ferry to Portsmouth.
 
Fishbourne Inn (01983 882823)
Open Monday-Friday 12 noon-3.00pm, Weekends all day from 12 noon. Lunch 12 noon-2.30pm.

Specialities: Extensive menu of daily specials including fish such as bream, trout and plaice. Real ales include Goddards, Bass and 6X. Excellent choice of 12 wines by the glass. Children welcome. Dogs in bar only. Large garden.

Rural walk 1 - Shorwell village to Fore Down.

Challenging walking
4kms/21/2mls. 11/4-13/4 hours. Essential to follow a detailed map. Interesting, energetic walking with some climbing on downs. Not recommended for the infirm. Suitable for children aged 6+.

High spots: There are great views down to the thatched roofs of Shorwell village from the slopes of Mount Ararat and from Fore Down back to the Military Road and the sea. And don’t miss walking across the 18th century wooden bridge above Shorwell Shute.
 
This walk begins and ends in the pretty thatched village of Shorwell. Starting from
the Crown Inn, follow Walkers Lane a few hundred yards up past the 12th century
church on the right and first take the footpath marked Chillerton. Almost immediately, turn off left onto the bridleway SW14. Climb up the slopes of Mount Ararat, parallel to Shorwell Shute, and wind through the woodland (covered in bluebells and Lily of the Valley in spring) onto the 18th century wooden bridge, rebuilt in 1976. Cross the bridge and follow the route north until you reach the sign The Dell Footpath Centre, a green amphitheatre lined with ivy and wild garlic.

From here follow the footpath north and upward past fields on the left and woods on the right, eventually leading onto a grassy field. Walk along the eastern perimeter until you reach Public Bridleway SW51 and follow this to Fore Down, with the double aspect of a quarry on one side and Renham Down on the other. Now follow the Worsley Trail, which runs along the top of the contour, turning sharp back south-east when you reach the marked gate at Fore Down. Stop awhile for great views to the Military Road that runs the length of the south coast of the Island.

At this point it is important to use an Ordnance Survey map to cut back diagonally across the field, corner to corner. Then skirt around the copse until you find grid reference SZ455834. Here take the path leading past houses onto the Brighstone-Shorwell road. Turn left and walk a few hundred metres back to the Crown Inn. An attractive pub in one of the Island’s prettiest villages, the Crown Inn has a quaint but roomy interior and a charming garden with a stream running through it.

Crown Inn (Tel: 01983 740293) Open Monday–Saturday from 10.30am, Sundays from 12 noon. Lunch: 12 noon-2.30pm.

Specialities: Locally caught Sea Bass. Daily veggie specials. Four real ales include Tanglefoot and Flowers. Choice of three wines by the glass. Children allowed throughout. Dogs welcomed. Excellent pub garden.

Rural walk 2 - Freshwater to Yarmouth.

Easy walking
6kms/33/4mls. 2-21/2 hours. An easy flat walk, although it can be very muddy on the west side. The cycle track on the east side is probably easier for the elderly or infirm.

High spots: Views of Yarmouth estuary and harbour on the approach via the cycle track and equally evocative panoramas from Freshwater bridge. Abundant birdlife and there’s the possibility of sighting a red squirrel along the way.
 
The easiest, though longest, walk of the lot! And it has the bonus that there’s a good pub at either end of the Freshwater Way, so you can break the walk in half by stopping in Yarmouth or wait until you have finished and relax in Freshwater.

Start the walk at Freshwater church on the western side of the River Yar, climbing over the stile and taking a series of pleasant but unremarkable country lanes away from the water’s edge. The footpath is clearly marked and leads through pastoral countryside, fields and woods. It can be very muddy in places and there is varied terrain to negotiate before you reach the main Yarmouth to Freshwater road. Here turn right across the road bridge and into the attractive West Wight harbour town of Yarmouth.

If you want to break the walk here, you can stop off at the King’s Head, a friendly pub with several contrasting rooms - most with stripped pine or dark oak furniture. The return walk is flat and busier, but full of interest. A wide gravel path, once the old railway track and now a cycle way skirts the estuary from Yarmouth Harbour to the old church at Freshwater. This is a good area to spot birdlife and, if you are lucky, red squirrels. Tree-lined and wooded in places, it provides beautiful rural views, with bulrushes and mud flats on both sides of the path.

At Freshwater, the church itself is worth a lingering look as is the view from the bridge back along the causeway, but don’t delay for too long because immediately adjacent is the Red Lion Inn. This pub is known primarily for its much-acclaimed food and you’ll find plenty of locals here. The nicely renovated interior is filled with pine tables, which give a country farmhouse feel to the place.

Red Lion Inn (Tel: 01983 754925) Open weekdays 11.30am-3pm.
Weekends 11am-3pm. Lunch: 12-2pm – book in advance.

Specialities: Homemade Fish Pie and Fish Cakes. A few veggie meals. Four real ales include Goddard’s and London Pride. 28 wines by the bottle, choice of New World or French wine by the glass. Children under 10 not allowed in bar, but welcome in the garden.

The King’s Head (Tel: 01983 760351) Open weekdays from 11am.
Lunch: 12-2.30pm.

Specialities: King’s Head Sizzling Fajita and other Mexican dishes. Veggie meals. Choice of real ales includes Speckled Hen, Flowers, Bass and Boddingtons. Four wines by the glass (3 white, 1 red). Dogs, muddy boots and children all welcomed. Summer patio.

Rural walk 3 - Shalfleet to Newtown National Nature Reserve.

Easy walking
5kms/31/8mls. 11/2 -13/4 hours. A very easy walk on the flat. Expect muddy fields approaching the estuary at wet times of the year. A shorter alternative is to settle for the initial 2km/40 minute walk leading from the New Inn down to Shalfleet Quay and back.

High spots: Wonderful estuary views both from Shalfleet Quay and around the mud flats of Newtown Estuary itself.
 
Park in the Shalfleet car park a few yards from the New Inn and walk down the lane signed Shalfleet Quay. It’s an easy, peaceful stroll down to the quaint old boat yard and back, affording fantastic views of the estuary (mud flats at low tide, river estuary at high tide) and its bird life all the way.

Back at the Shalfleet Quay sign, turn left past Shalfleet Mill over a little footbridge
and follow the woodland path for approximately 1/4 mile until it joins up with a side road leading to Newtown, a further half a mile.

Turn left to Newtown over the humpback bridge by the estuary and past the village’s medieval Town Hall. Continue past the church on the right and down to the National Trust car park. From here cross the meadow and traverse the plank walkway across the causeway to the picturesque Quay with its rustic boathouse. Walk a rectangle around the mud flats back to the meadow with tremendous views of rare birds and plants on the way.

Retrace your steps to the car park and take the footpath opposite across fields and along the shoreline of the Causeway Lake. This leads back to the little humpback bridge at the entrance of Newtown from where you can use the road and woodland route back to the sign for Shalfleet Quay.

Close by is an excellent pub. The New Inn, a misnomer if ever there was one since this is an ancient inn with authentic flagstone floors and oak beams, is well known locally for its fish and seafood. It also accommodates the taste buds of fussy kids.

New Inn (Tel: 01983 531314) Open 12 noon - 3pm. Lunch: 12-2.30pm.

Specialities: Best known for fish dishes, e.g. Swordfish Steaks Thai style with coriander and lemon grass. Wide choice of veggie meals and good snacks e.g. filled baguettes. Real ales include Bass, 6X and Flowers plus one local brewery beer. Choice of 10 wines by the glass - including New World or French wine. Children welcome away from immediate bar area. Dogs and muddy boots accommodated in rooms with flagstone floors.