Malcolm Smith's
Walks Pages

 

...  ISLE OF WIGHT   ...

 
ROUND THE ISLAND - Anti-clockwise on the Coastal Path

 
Section 6 : Sandown to Ryde

 
          Section 6 is sub-divided as follows :

          Sandown Pier to Culver Down
          Culver Down to Bembridge Lifeboat Station
          Bembridge Lifeboat Station to Bembridge Harbour
          Bembridge Harbour to Seaview
          Seaview to Ryde Pier

• Sandown Pier to Culver Down - From the pier, continue along the promenade.  When the promenade finishes, turn left up a short road then immediately right along Culver Parade following the line of the seafront.  The road works its way down to rejoin the seafront from which go onto the esplanade to the end then through the car park.  The path leads between a boat park and the sea and starts to ascend the down.  The path has been redefined in places to avoid recent landslips.  In front of the Sandown Bay holiday chalets is the start of the National Trust Bembridge Down.  The incline levels off on reaching a stile next to an information point on Bembridge and Culver Downs.  Continue ahead through the stile and aim for the obelisk on top of the hill ahead above the white cliffs.  The ground starts to rise again at the point where the brown clay sandstone gives way to the white chalk.  As the roofs of buildings ahead come into view, veer to the right to follow the fence along the cliff top to reach a stile.  Pass through a kissing gate and bear upwards directly towards the monument, keeping to the left of the red roofs until reaching a tarmac road.
• Culver Down to Bembridge Lifeboat Station - Turn right along the road for 20 yards then left through the metal kissing gate to the right of the monument.  Bear right to cross the field, leaving it in the far right hand corner, then following the chalky path fairly steeply down the hill.  On reaching a stile, there is scrubland through which there are some steps on the descent.  The path breaks out briefly into a field through which keep hard to the right before entering scrub again, bordering the field before rejoining it once more.  Keep to the right round the edge of an intrusion from the sea, then take the path which is enclosed by fencing and scrub.  Pass a caravan park on the way cross a couple of small wooden footbridges.  On passing the Nab Bars, a small chine is crossed by a bridge which is reached by steps down.  After 100 yards, take the right fork where the path divides near the corner of the field, crossing through some scrubby land, where the path runs level but weaves quite a bit, but with a few sets of steps here and there.  On reaching the Environmental Field Study Centre, bear to the right keeping the study centre on the left.  There is a boardwalk along the way to cross an area of coastal intrusion.   Descend to cross a stream by a small plank bridge then climb the other side, taking a boardwalk over the top end of a gulley.  Shortly after that, the path takes a rightangled left turn just past which the coast path continues to the right, following the cliff top on the right and fields on the left.  A zig zag barrier at the end brings leads out onto an area of gravel where cars are parked.  To the right of a blue painted brick wall, join the footpath bounded on the left by a concrete wall and on the right by a picket fence, descending some steps on the way.  Pass the coastguard lookout point then leave onto a level gravel road which becomes tarmac.  Turn left in Foreland Farm Road until reaching a straight and level footpath between fences.  Exit through staggered barriers onto a road at Warners Bembridge Hotel & Leisure Club.  Cross straight over until reaching the cliff edge then turn left towards the lifeboat station.
• Bembridge Lifeboat Station to Bembridge Harbour - From the lifeboat station, take the sea wall.  Continue on beyond the end of the sea wall onto the shingle beach for 100 yards or so until reaching a green boathouse by a white flagpole.  Take the concrete steps at the top of which bear immediately right.  Continue along the rough path on the cliff edge then, on meeting the end of a track, descend the concrete steps down to the beach then turn left and walk along the shingle bank.  Just before a concrete breakwater, find the yellow way marker at the top of the beach which indicates a path through the trees.  There are some sets of steps along the way.  At the first beach huts, the path bears slightly away from the sea and is bounded by hedges, fences and banks.  Turn left up along a gravel track, then, past a house called "Greylands" turn right into an alley, passing through a staggered barrier then between the houses on a gentle descent.  It broadens out into a track then emerges onto Kings Road opposite the Pilot Boat Inn.  Turn right along Kings Road towards Bembridge Harbour, coming onto Embankment Road.
• Bembridge Harbour to Seaview - Follow Embankment Road to skirt Bembridge Harbour, passing initially between boatyards which then give way to houseboats and then open moorings.  Just past the entrance to Bembridge Marina, cross a river and then enter St Helens.  Turn right at the Nelson's Quay triangle into Latimer Road, then at the bottom of the hill go into North Quay.  Follow round the water's edge, crossing a small stone bridge and passing in front of St Helen's Mill, past which keep left through a gap in the buildings.  Take the footpath causway across the harbour.  On reaching land at the other side, continue straight ahead through open scrubland with grassy areas which is The Duver, a National Trust area, until reaching a narrow tarmac road.  Turn left along the road and as it turns sharp left by Beach House, cross straight over and enter a field over a stile.  Gently ascend through the field, keeping to the right hand boundary, leaving by another stile into woodland, then immediately crossing a small ditch by a plank bridge.  The path winds upward through scrub before reaching another field which is crossed diagonally upward to meet overhead electric cables.  Turn right along athe tarmac road.  Turn left through the gates of the Priory Bay Hotel and follow the driveway.  Just before a set of brick and stone gate pillars, turn left onto a broad dirt bridleway which has scrubby woodland to the right and follows a field to the left.  On meeting a track, turn right and start to gently descend, passing the entrance to the Priory Hotel.  The track becomes a gravel lane with the back fence of houses on the left and a thicket of vines on the right.  Pass through a wooden gateway on the way down then a further wooden gateway, then the track becomes a tarmac road now descending more steeply.  At the road junction, continue down then turn left just past the public toilets, into a tarmac alley which rises slightly upward between houses before becoming a fairly level but undulating gravel roadway.  As the road becomes tarmac and rises up to the left, take the short gravel track down to the right down to the waters edge.  Follow the sea wall round to the end then, where the road starts to climb up the hill, go down onto the shore towards Nettlestone Point.  After a short way, there is a stone promenade which can be reached up stone steps.  This picks up with a waterfront road running behind Seaview Yacht Club to the end of The Esplanade then bear right back onto the sea wall to reach Seaview Toll Road at Seaview.
• Seaview to Ryde Pier - Continue onto Springvale Road then as it turns inland by the green beach huts, continue along the seawall around Ryde East Sands.  Past the Apply Beach Cafe the promenade meets the road once more.  Follow the seawall along the sea front, passing behind the shops and entertainment centres, but keeping inland of the habour wall.  Pass the Hovercraft Terminal and the bus station before reaching the pier.