Wednesday - we went first to Boniface and Luccombe Downs situated behind Ventnor and Bonchurch. The good news about these Downs is that there is a road that takes you right to the top and the walking is fairly level. The bad news is that even with an OS map the road isn't easy to find - yet again we missed it and had to re-trace our steps even though we have been there many times!
This is the radar station mentioned on the Ghost Walk. The team stationed there played an important role in the Battle of Britain but sadly it meant that Ventnor was the target of enemy bombing raids. Work continued at the radar station until the 1960's. I am not sure what it is used for now but it is surrounded by wire fencing and barbed wire.
Before you reach the radar station there is space to park at the place where the Dakota (see Ghost Walk) crashed and there is a memorial plaque.
Boniface Down is named after Saint Boniface - an 8th century missionary who is thought to have preached here at a place called Pulpit rock
Near one of the car parks (I am not sure which one!) there is a Bronze Age Cemetery (1200-900BC) and once there were 21 Bowl Barrows on the top of the Downs - many have now disappeared due to quarrying.
We then drove along a very bumpy track to park and walked on Luccombe Down with views towards Shanklin and Sandown on one side and countryside inland on the other.
Tennyson - why I didn't take him to Tennyson Down I really don't know. I suspect the heat was addling my brain!
Another Grasshopper - we also saw several Stonechats along the walk.
After eating a packed lunch we drove to the Donkey Sanctuary at nearby Wroxall
Timothy spotted a donkey with the same name as him!
A drive then the short distance to Shanklin Old Village - which is very picturesque.
Time for a Cream Tea at this delightful tea room with fairy gardens.
The interior is very quaint - sorry the photos are a bit dark but the place is just charming.
However, we wanted to eat outside so we had to wait just a short while for a table to become available.
The Strawberry Cream Tea was delicious and it wasn't too expensive either.
A friendly Robin looking for crumbs.
After tea the others wandered up to the shops while I dashed across the road to a craft centre which has shops selling items hand-made on the Isle of Wight. Last year I bought a lovely glass dish and I wanted to buy another piece of the lady's work. Sadly when I got there the shop had just closed :( I did go in a few other craft shops and bought a lovely canvas with a painting of a hare, the moon and a stone circle.
Shell wishing well.
Due to visiting the craft shops I missed my usual visit to this fossil shop :(
As we had visited Shanklin Chine last year we didn't bother this time but if you ever go the Chine it is well worth a visit - there is a feeding station visited by Red Squirrels.
A reminder of the important football match that evening.
Sadly this proved not to be the case!
*D photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50 hs bridge camera
The rest taken by me with the Pansonic Lumix FZ330
The next post will include a visit to the Lavender Farm, Arreton Craft Centre and a walk at a nature reserve on Brading Down.
