Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2009 | Page 71

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

life

Chine and Appley Steps to Horse Ledge.

Three Island walks to give you
a sense of the wonders that
inspired one of our greatest
naturalists.

This section of undeveloped coastline has
not changed since Darwin’s time.

Walk 3 Freshwater
Park in the main car park at Freshwater

Walk 1 Around Blackgang

Bay (Darwin’s Freshwater Gate) and

Park at the Blackgang viewpoint car park

turn right out of the car park heading

and find the small path that leads south

towards the Albion Hotel. Walk along

towards the cliff. Continue along the

the left hand side of the road until you

cliff path to Niton. Below this path is

reach an open field which you can turn

the route of the old Niton to Blackgang

into. Follow the path up the hill to the

Road which would have been used by

downland and cliffs above Freshwater.

the Darwin family but was severed by

Continue along the Tennyson Trail and

a landslip in 1928. At the junction with

you will find lovely views toward Dorset

the main road, follow the road into the

and across the Solent. At the Tennyson

village and turn left to the church. Here

monument turn right and make your way

take Bury Lane up to St Catherine’s Down

down the steep slope to the car park

where it joins Crocker Lane.

above the High Down pub.

Turn left here and walk west before

Walk down the lane to the pub and turn

taking another left to St Catherine’s

right. Continue along the road where

Oratory (known as the Pepper Pot).

you will find Farringford House (home

Follow the path from the oratory directly

of Lord Tennyson) and Dimbola Lodge

down the hil