Our CLOG Visit to the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight (IOW) is about 23 miles east to west and 13¼ miles north to south with a total area of 147 square miles, but within that apparently modest area there is plenty of scope for interesting walks, as we found. Of course, we were never far from the coast, so many of our walks followed the Downs and the cliff tops. However, there was also a lot of scope for inland walks and of course for cycling. The maximum height on the IOW is 241 metres, but some ascents can be quite challenging.

Here are some of our party on our walk on our second full day (Sunday) along the coast from Totland to Mottistone and its National Trust Gardens.




We rounded off each of our two main days by visiting local restaurants, like here on Sunday evening at the Waterfront Inn at Totland Bay.

We also had the opportunity to do some sightseeing; Osborne House (of Victoria and Albert fame), Carisbrooke Castle (of Charles I fame) and Mottistone (National Trust) Gardens as well as a heritage steam railway were all interesting possibilities vying for our attention. Some of these attractions could be incorporated into our walks or were only a bus ride of not more than 1½ hours away.

Many of us visited Osborne House, the ornate former island home of
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Incidentally, the Romans were on the Isle of Wight before us, and used to call the island "Vectis". So, what? Well, the name "Vectis" occurs on the island in association with numerous businesses and organizations, large and small. So, for example, as we would find out, we have: "Vectis Electrical", a local electrical shop in Freshwater, and, on a much larger scale, the all-island bus company, "Southern Vectis".

Thank You !

A big thank you, Georgina, for so diligently organizing this trip. Thank you Georgina and Jane, for organizing the restaurant visits on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Thank you event leaders, for leading walks and arranging "cultural" visits. Thank you to all for your company and for your contributions. Thank you to the Weather Gods; we had perfect weather throughout our stay!