Red Funnels and Red Squirrels - An Isle of Wight Day Walk from Carisbrooke Castle to Cowes

Ah, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. If one has to take some moderate exercise, one should be cooled by gentle zephyrs wafting off the sea or shaded by majestic oaks spreading in a forest. The sea should be the fairest and busiest, sparkling in the sunshine and ploughed by diverse vessels, and the forest should be the densest and biggest, stirring in the breeze and rustled by red squirrels. This exquisite excursion to the Isle of Wight should be ideal: a convenient and captivating crossing from Southampton, a perusal of the perimeter of Carisbrooke Castle, a shady stroll through Parkhurst Forest, a foray through fields, and a seaside saunter to Cowes, the most 'in' place on the island.

The sights:

On the crossing:

Cruise ships at Southampton: According to the Port of Southampton Cruise Ship Schedule, the Iona, Regal Princess, Virtuosa, and Sky Princess will be in dock.

Fawley Refinery: Owned by Esso, built in 1925 and rebuilt and extended in 1951 and now the largest oil refinery in the UK and one of the most complex in Europe. With a capacity of 270,000 barrels a day, Fawley provides 20 percent of UK refinery capacity. 

Calshot Spit and Castle: A shingle spit extending into the Solent with an artillery fort built by Henry VIII in 1539-40 to defend the sea passage to Southampton. Used more recently as a Navy and RAF base.

On the island:

Carisbrooke Castle (exterior): The strongest and only extensive castle on the island. The general impression is of low buildings on a hill. Saxon mound; Norman keep and curtain wall; gatehouse of 1335-6; solar, range and Great Hall of 14th century; angled bastions of 1587-1600. Charles I was held prisoner here during the Civil War shortly before his execution. Afterwards, the residence of the island's governor. (We won't be entering, just viewing the exterior from close quarters.)

Carisbrooke: One attractive High Street among housing estates. St Mary's Church is Norman, 1070, and 13th and 14th centuries.

Parkhurst Forest: The second largest forest on the island and managed by the Forestry Commission, partly a site of special scientific interest consisting of heathland, relic plantation and ancient forest. It is used as recreational land and is a haven for wildlife including red squirrel, garden warbler, nightjar, woodcock, green and great spotted woodpeckers and long-eared owl. A special red squirrel hide has been recently set up which we'll visit.

Gurnard: An appealing, nicely ramshackle place two miles west of Cowes with some fine villas, gaily painted beach huts and views across The Solent. Gurnard Bay could be used for swimming.

Cowes: Known for its regatta (held in the first full week of August), a jaunty and wealthy seaport. Yacht races started in the second half of the 18th century and the term 'regatta' first appeared in 1814. The Royal Yacht Club was founded the next year, sited on Henry VIII's Cowes Castle. The high point was the Edwardian Era when Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the town. The esplanade has fine Art Deco and Edwardian apartment blocks and the High Street has a nicely enclosed character. 

The route (please click the link to see it): 

The walk is linear, starting at Newport Bus Station after a bus journey from West Cowes and finishing back at Cowes to catch the catamaran back to Southampton. (The Number 1 bus runs from Cowes to Newport every 10 minutes and costs £2 for a single fare.) 

Leaving the bus station we will head south out of Newport to reach the suburb of Carisbrooke whereupon we'll leave the built up area and walk over Mount Joy and around the edge of Carisbrooke Castle grounds, round to the entrance gate. We'll then complete our circuit of the castle grounds, have lunch and walk to Carisbrooke village which we'll leave, and head towards Cook's Farm to cross the A3054 to enter Parkhurst Forest. Here in a glade we'll have a break while the red squirrels put in an appearance. Perhaps. After lunch we'll follow a slightly zigzagging route through the forest, leave it and walk along Whitehouse Road. Leaving this lane we'll go past Little Thorness and reach the sea at Thorness Bay. The coastal path which runs along low cliffs and foreshores will then take us all the way back to Cowes, but only after we've passed through woods and fields, Gurnard village and Egypt Point along Gurnard Bay. I intend to have some time in Cowes before the return crossing so you can explore the pretty place and perhaps get dinner before crossing back to Southampton.

Dogs:

Dogs are very welcome on my walks and this walk has some open countryside, but also a few lanes and roads to walk along. However, it may be too demanding for them in hot weather but they can go in the sea at Gurnard. A dog off the lead must be obedient. 

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(Image credits: View from Gurnard: Photo © Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0); Battery of miniature cannons: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0; Carisbrooke Castle: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); Castle walls and moat, Carisbrooke: Photo © Roger Cornfoot (cc-by-sa/2.0); Carisbrooke Castle western bastion: Photo © Chris Gunns (cc-by-sa/2.0); Carisbrooke Castle: Photo © Chris Gunns (cc-by-sa/2.0); Lunch bench, Parkhurst Forest: Photo © Paul Coueslant (cc-by-sa/2.0); Entering Parkhurst Forest: Photo © Graham Horn (cc-by-sa/2.0); Seafront at Gurnard, near Cowes: Photo © Malc McDonald (cc-by-sa/2.0); Foreshore view: Photo © Ian Paterson (cc-by-sa/2.0); Cowes: Photo © David Dixon (cc-by-sa/2.0); Battery of miniature cannons: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0). The images are copyrighted but are above credited to their copyright holders and are licensed for further reuse under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0).)