On the Friday we managed to get away from the cottage just after 10.00 am which was a bit of a nightmare as I am not a morning person. To make it worse I had hardly slept the night before worrying about getting up and being out by ten! There is always so much to do like stripping the beds, packing toiletries and fridge food bag, packing the car and doing the last minute washing up and drying up!
In the end we decided to drive straight to Yarmouth and have a look round the town.
Boats at Yarmouth
Another new plant for the 2026 Wild Plant Challenge - Scarlet Pimpernel.
Mallow again!
D and I had a browse round the second hand bookshop there and I bought a book on Isle of Wight Churches.
The church of St James which I have visited previously.
We had yet another ice cream - I think we had at least one every day of the holiday.
The Harbour
D and I had a look round Yarmouth Castle
Mosaic by the entrance. I couldn't get a photo of the whole mosaic as it was so large!
Yarmouth Castle was built in 1546-7 on the orders of Henry VIII. It was the last fortification of his national programme of coastal defence that he started in 1539. Together with Hurst Castle its objective was to guard the western entrance to the Solent and to stop the Isle of Wight being captured. The castle continued its role until the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). It had an occasional military role in Victorian times and during World Wars 1 and 2.
Hall and Parlour of the Master Gunner's House 1560.
We had a look round an interesting exhibition on the history of the castle.
We also spotted another new species for the 2026 Wild Plant Challenge there -Thrift or Sea Pink.
A few of D's Photos of Yarmouth and the Castle etc
Dinosaur in a garden in Chale on the journey
Chalk cliffs and Freshwater
I had fun blazoning this coat of arms :) I really must get back to finishing my heraldry course - I am on unit 18 of 20. So I have nearly finished. The man who designed the course kindly sends two emails a week to members of the Mortimer History Society Heraldry Group with coats of arms to blazon which in the next email he explains. I may not always blazon accurately but I have learnt so much from doing the course.
Black-headed Gull
D and I spotted a Compass Jellyfish in the harbour :)
We were fortunate and managed to catch a slightly earlier ferry back to Lymington at 1.50 rather than 2.10 pm.
Back in Lymington
We eventually stopped to eat our sandwiches at a layby and I spotted this plant. I haven't been able to identify it so would welcome any suggestions - thanks so much.
With reference to the 2026 Wild Plant Challenge to see 100 species we managed to identify 17 definite new species (I still have a few to try and identify) which brings our total now to 103. So we have gone passed the 100 mark but we shall continue and see how many more species we can add this year.
The journey home took a long time as we got caught in Friday traffic and several traffic jams especially on the A34 by Oxford!
We had a really lovely holiday and I am so glad that we were there before the heatwave struck! I have missed the Isle of Wight - 2018 is the last year we went as in 2019 we went to Anglesey and, apart from Herefordshire, we haven't been away since.
Reference: English Heritage website page on Yarmouth Castle
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked *D taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)
