Sandown to Ryde- the final stretch. It’s strange the way that things look higher and insurmountable from a distance. Perhaps it was because of a ‘somewhat’ less taxing day previously but I set off with a little anxiety of whether meeting the ferry and therefore the train would all work out – silly really as this was only suppose to be a 12 mile stretch.
Fuelled by quite a good cooked breakfast I set off at about 9.15. I knew the Vegan cafe from the previous night wouldn’t be open and decided I’d have to chance my luck with lunch. ( I did smuggle a banana and pre packaged croissant, just in case).
For once the path kept to the route on the map and went right next to the sea at a low level either along a promenade of sorts or the road.
As the road veered away from the sea the path continued up wards from a car park still hugging the edge which was now becoming cliffs and started to skirt around Bembridge Hill. I also began to see the same markers as a few days previously, only this one said 79km!!!! Obviously an ‘ultra’ event. a Quick look back to see the last of these seaside towns.
I also met a few people coming down this slope with lanyards marking their event participation. As I progressed up this ridge I started to see a large number of people walking down in groups, coming in my direction. There were clearly two paths which converged further on and I decided to take the least populated!
I was feeling pleased with my choice and was heading for a gap in the hedge when two men came onto the horizon and started waving. Unclear as to what they wanted I continued, assuming they might be pointing for me to go across for the race. As I got closer it was apparent that one was in a blue coastguard ‘suit’. He came down to me and asked if I would divert as there was a gentleman have difficulties and he feared walkers going passed might ‘spook’ him. I obviously diverted my route, scrambled up a steep bank and came up to a car park which was clearly part of the walking/ running event.
A coastguard team were present and communicating by radio and there were four police cars parked up. So a walk along the road until I came to the spot where my path should have come out. Not sure what was happening but there were high white chalk cliffs at that point.
From the monument the path got more or less on track above the cliffs at the top of Culver Down. Not the same openness as a few days previously but through woods and round fields next to holiday home sites- as the paths narrowed the mud reappeared and increased!
A slip way/ road leading down to the beach with a sign saying private for use only by certain groups of people seemed vaguely familiar. My next clue was an information board in the wood telling me about Bembridge School and how it had been vacated in 1999. And then through the fence I spotted the climbing and abseiling wall which also had a zip wire and then the low ropes course.
It was the Kingswood site which I had taken groups to probably three times. I had instigated an outdoor activities weekend taking place in November – when it was cheap- and available to all four Year groups in Key Stage 2, so from 7 – 11 years old. As they had different sites around the country we rotated so that if you went all four years they got to go to different venues! A great success and in addition to the summer residential for all the year groups.
Quite hard work as we left school on a Friday morning and returned Monday tea time. Some brilliant parent helpers over the years and a few parents got there first weekend for years without children out of it!
Enough reminiscing still a considerable way to go! Luckily the competitors in the charity challenge weren’t sharing my muddy path.
Shortly after this point the path is diverted in land and is directed onto a road running through a housing area. This happens for several kilometres before reemerging just before Bembridge Lifeboat station which is actually at the end of a purpose built pier. Luckily there was a coffee shack and I drank a very good hot chocolate and bought a prawn sandwich to take away- you have to take your chances where you can find them! A rather large cardboard box – not what I was expecting – managed to get it into the top of the rucksack and continued.
After a short stretch close to the sea the path diverts in land again and comes out as the road turns to run around the harbour. A completely different feel, now walking along a pavement and the intermittent boats change to some very large house boats of varying designs. The path is also busy with walkers some of whom look rather weary and I’m walking against the flow. There’s a lot of bikes on the road as well.
The path takes a turn onto a side road and then a path – I’m about to go on a causeway and luckily the charity route doesn’t continue my way.
The path ends up on some scrubby land which looks as if it might have at some point been underwater and then across to a road and a path , and once again I find myself in land a bit from the sea as the route circumnavigates some holiday homes and a hotel complex which has many notices telling you it’s private land but isn’t looking very actively occupied.
At last the path rejoins the sea well almost and I walk down a slip way onto a sandy Seagrove Bay to eat my lunch. I discover that the knife and fork supplied with my sandwiches are useful for the plentiful salad and the most amazing sandwiches – the best £5.50 for a long time! A pure joy. Time to set off again mindful of the fact that ferries only leave once an hour.
In about a kilometre the path stopped wriggling around towards and away from the sea and stuck to a road or sea path all the way into Ryde. Sometimes by houses, through a park, the number of ice cream opportunities increasing. Not the prettiest of stretches and as I got closer more hotels, play areas etc as well as the railway. Evidence of good bus routes and I guess another way to do the coastal route would be to link to a central place to stay and get buses each day. The pier, my goal was visible from afar.
I really did want an ice cream but some long queues and I was weighing up timings. Checked the timetable and 15.45 or 16.45 – seemed silly to waste an hour for an ice cream! I’d almost forgotten how long the pier was. A ten minute walk at least and a slightly strange sensation on the wooden boards above the water with a train track and road running parallel, one on either side.
Managed to catch the 15.45 ferry before starting the train journey home. I always wanted to see Portsmouth, Woking and Basingstoke stations on my way to the familiarity of Reading and Didcot. Somehow even managed to catch a bus home and avoid a £35 taxi fare!
Mission complete!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 