Tennyson Trail
| The Tennyson Trail | |
|---|---|
The cliffs of Tennyson Down, which the trail follows.
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| Length | 15 mi (24 km) |
| Location | Isle of Wight |
| Trailheads |
Carisbrooke 50°41′27″N 1°19′09″W / 50.6907°N 1.3193°W The Needles 50°40′00″N 1°33′57″W / 50.6666°N 1.5658°W |
| Use | Hiking |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Moderate |
| Season | All year |
| Sights | The Needles Battery |
The Tennyson Trail is a 15-mile walk from Carisbrooke Castle to The Needles on the Isle of Wight. The route goes through Bowcombe Down, Brighstone Forest, Mottistone Down, Brook Down, Afton Down, Freshwater Bay, Tennyson Down, and West High Down to Alum Bay. The name of the trail comes from poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, a former resident of the Isle of Wight.
There are several points of interest along the walk, including The Tennyson Monument on Tennyson Down, Farringford House and The Needles Battery which overlooks The Needles.
The walk was completed on 25 May 2001. However, in December 2002, the National Trust revealed that illegal 4x4 drivers and riders were destroying the paths, threatening the trail.
The route can be joined at any point, or walked in any direction however below it is described from Carisbrooke to Alum Bay.
The route starts from Carisbrooke near Newport. The sign for the Tennyson Trail is present on Nodgham Lane. After this, the trail follows a steep hill in a south-westerly direction along an ancient road with banks on each side. Views to the left show Carisbrooke Castle, leading on to Bowcombe Valley. The route later crosses bridleways N125 and N127 and later passes N140 where a television mast is visible. At this point the path starts to descend before crossing a gate to a crossing track at the bottom. After crossing this, the route travels along Bridleway N136a to Brighstone Forest to another gate around 80 metres further ahead. An overhead electrical cable will later pass overhead and will follow a narrow beech plantation to the left. After passing Bridleway N198 the trail continues straight ahead and uphill through open fields before levelling off at a gate which levels off and follows the sign for Bridleway N139 to Brook and Freshwater. As the track continues, it slowly becomes enclosed in trees through Brighstone Forest.
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Wikipedia