Walk from Shanklin to Ventnor over the Downs taking in the beautiful south east corner of the Island.
The path down to the old Ventnor railway station is one of the steepest on the island, so this part is a short but strenuous walk. Mostly on grassy paths. No stiles but some kissing gates.
It Can be slippery in wet weather and muddy in winter so care is needed.
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Approximately 2 hour coastal walk
Some up and down hills, with steep areas, uneven paths and rickety steps.
Walking from Shanklin to Ventnor is very rewarding. The first part is a bit of an uphill beast but once you leave the town behind the views and the natural environment of the landslip make it worth the effort. There’s a couple of cream tea opportunities on the way, the oldest church on the Island, and the sea by your side all the way from Bonchurch to the beach, cafes and pubs of Ventnor. The No. 3 bus runs every half an hour back to Shanklin, but do check timetables.
Take a left out of Isle of Yoga down to the traffic lights cross over, you can either walk straight ahead along the A3055 and up through the town to the Old Village or up the hill and all the way along Queens Road (past houses, hotels & the church ‘Saint Savior on the Cliff’) turning right at the end on to chine Avenue and make your way to Shanklin Old Village
Once there take a left by the Crab Inn which will lead you downa cobbled lane to the top of Shanklin Chine, cross over the stream and then head up the steps to your left into Rylstone Gardens, carry on up through and out of the gardens cross over and walk up the long uphill of Luccombe Road, this will take you up and out of Shanklin past large houses and hotels and gradually into nature
Stay on the road straight ahead now marked as the coastal path, you’ll see a house called ‘EASTCLIFF’ follow the windy path straight ahead (you are entering the AONB)
*look out for Luccombe Jam Man’s Jam table on the way
You’ll pass some nice houses and the path opens out where you can see more of the downs surrounding the Luccombe village area.
Carry on through on the coastal path and if it’s time for tea (and its between May and September, and it’s Mon-thurs and it’s a sunny day!) you may find *Dunnose cottage open for cream teas! they have a beautiful garden and make excellent homemade scones, very nice indeed.
Having passed Dunnose cottage carry on up the coastal path where you have a choice to either head up some steep steps (soon on your right) to the Culver Haven tea rooms at the top (from where you can enter back down into the Landslip via the Devils Chimney~ a steep stepped dark path through a fissure in the rocks)
Or carry on straight ahead where you’ll find a gate at the entrance to the Landslip.
Wend your way through this AONB. The landslip, look out for Wishing Seat about half way through, there are many paths leading off the main one, but watch out for any leading towards steep drops, the main path through is fairly obvious though you can follow a route up towards the Devils Chimney, this can be hard recognise at first as it leads you up through rock.
So heading through and then down towards Bonchurch with the sea on your left. You’ll come to Monks Bay and you’re in Bonchurch. To visit Bonchurch Church follow the path along and up a lane for a few minutes.
Parts of this church date back to the 11th Century, fairly often the door is open and you can go inside.
Back down at Monks Bay this shingly beach is quite remote you can often be the only people there.
With the sea on your left you can walk along the concrete sea wall to the seaside Victorian town of Ventnor with cafes and pubs along the sea front and a variety of shops and restaurants in the small town. The bus back to Shanklin is aprox every half an hour from outside of ‘Boots’ the chemist
John Keats is strongly linked to the Isle of Wight, Islanders are proud of their Islands artist heritage.
John Keats was an English Romantic poet who died at the age of twenty five. During his short career he published fifty four poems, ‘in three slim volumes and a few magazines’. Having only become a poet in the last six years of his short life retrospectively he has become one of the best loved and often studied English poets. He stayed on the Isle of Wight during 1817-1819.
During that time, he resided in two houses, one in Castle Road in Carisbrooke and the other Eglantine Cottage in Shanklin.
