Malcolm Smith's Walking Pages

Malcolm Smith's
Walks Pages

... ISLE OF WIGHT ...

VENTNOR - Circular route via Niton and Whitwell

Distance	-	About 8 miles
Start point	-	Ventnor seafront (OS Ref. SZ5162772)
Date walked	-	Sunday 24 August 2003
Weather	-	Bright sunshine with a gentle southeasterly wind. Temp about 23° C
Conditions	-	Dry and hard underfoot.

From the west end of The Esplanade ascend Bath Road to Belgrave Road. Turn left then ascend Zig Zag Road, turning left again into Castle Road. Continue into Lower Gills Cliff Road then Whitwell Road.

The ascent lessens along Whitwell Road and eventually the path ducks behind a hedge and follows the road from the other side. As the road bears away to the right the path continues ahead with a steep drop to the left.

Cross a stile into scrub and follow round to the right until reaching another stile on the left. Cross the stile and descend the steps down to St.Lawrence Shute. Cross the road and ascend the steps then once over the stile turn left to follow along the top of the inland cliff.

The path generally follows the edge of fields but occasionally drops into scrub at the edge. On leaving the third section of scrub, take the path that runs up the field. At the far side cross the stile and bear right along the hedgeline to the corner of the field and leave by the path on the right. Follow the path until it reaches the recreation ground in Allotment Road.

Turn right along Allotment Road which becomes a gravel track past the last houses. Pass through a field then on reaching a small group of houses, bear left and upward through another field and continue to the top. The track meets the driveway to a house. Bear left along the drive which develops into a lane. Pass a cemetery on the left.

On reaching a road, turn left then after a short distance turn right into a grassy track and pass The Whit Well. Enter a field and continue ahead to cross a small stream. Proceed ahead upwards to a crossing of paths and bear half left up to the corner of the field. Go through a gate and skirt some fishing lakes at Nettlecombe to another gate.

Turn right and follow the track upwards for a short way before turning left onto a sunken track through trees. After a gate the track runs through a field, rising increasingly steeply until reaching a flight of steps, finishing with two consecutive stiles. Beyond this, follow the hedgeline to the left until reaching a grassy track on the crest of the down. This is the Stenbury Way.

Turn righ onto Stenbury Way and follow it as it runs between fences, picking up with the edge of Ventnor Golf Course on Week Down. Just before the path runs into scrubland, cross the stile onto the golf course and follow the path round to the 11th tee. The path then descends down through grass and bramble to Steephill Down Road at the entrance to Rew Down nature reserve.

Take the road downward then at the junction with Ocean View Road descend the steps to St.Albans Road. Cross directly over and descend further steps to Lower Gills Cliff Road. From here reverse the outward route by taking Castle Road, Zig Zag Road, Belgrave Road and Bath Road back to The Esplanade.

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