Walk 49 Ventnor to Godshill - 3.3 miles

One way to go from Ventnor to Godshill is over Stenbury Down, but this is the lower and relatively flat route. You can start from anywhere in Ventnor but I have started from the number 3 bus stop outside the Island Free School in Upper Ventnor. Where the road bends left, Rew Lane runs behind the main road to rejoin it in Wroxall.

Just past Span Farm is Span Lodge where Rew Lane bears right to lead down into Wroxall village, but take the path that runs straight ahead around Span Farm.

Soon, hopefully avoiding cows, the path leads along the back of Appuldurcombe House, the seat of the Worsley family.

The roofless mansion sits in what were once fine grounds laid out by Capability Brown and, at present, although owned by English Heritage, it is free to wander round the ruins of this grand home. Closed Saturdays. Historic England, in its entry on Appuldurcombe, calls the house a "masterpiece of English Baroque" and records that Henry VIII visited Sir James Worsley at Appuldurcombe in 1538.

The house was once a Norman priory, then a convent, and then home to the Elizabethan Leigh family, connected by marriage to the powerful Worsley family, who became Governors and Captains of the Isle of Wight. From 1701, Sir Robert, the 4th Baronet, began rebuilding the Tudor mansion into a grand country house in Palladian style with Corinthian capitals.

While it was owned by Richard Worsley, the 7th Baronet was the subject of one of the great scandals of his day. He completed the mansion, filled it with Greek marbles and a fine art collection and married the wealthy heiress, Seymour Dorothy Fleming. But the marriage was not a success and Lady Worsley was rumoured to have had 27 lovers, one of them her husband's close friend George Bisset. Lord Worsley brought a criminal case against Bisset, but, scandalised by the revelations, the court awarded him only one shilling in damages, destroying his reputation.

The affair is the subject of the book, The Scandalous Lady W. by Halle Rubenhold, which was turned into a BBC TV film starring Natalie Dormer.

 

As you return through the main entrance turn left to join the track you left earlier to proceed across fields to pass through Freemantle Gate, which was once the entrance to the Appuldurcombe estate, added in the 1770s in Neo-Classical style.

Pass through the gate and take the path leading in 1 mile to Godshill, passing horses and alpacas en route. You pass Godshill Manor Farm and return to the main road opposite Moor Farm, turning left to walk into Godshill Village.

Walk Details
Start: Bus stop by Island Free School School,  Rew Lane
Finish: Godshill
Time: 3 hours                                                                                                                           Distance:3.3 miles
Refreshments: Godshill village cafes.
WC: Godshill Car Park Public Toilets and in The Old Smith shop/cafe                                    Bus: No 3

Walk 44 Bluebells in Beech Copse, Godshill - 1 mile or 2 miles

Starting off 2019, {March 23rd, I recently heard of another bluebell wood, so decided to check it out before having lunch in Godshill. Not really a proper walk, just a mile, but it made a lovely stroll in a patch of ancient woodland just behind Godshill village. As is often the way on the island, a five minute walk away from the thronging coach parties led into a haven of peace and open views across the south of the Wight. Watch out for red squirrels among the trees, but I had no luck today.

The walk starts out along Hollow Lane which runs to the right of the Griffin Inn on the High Street, a large family oriented eatery currently offering a carvery three times a week, with plenty of garden tables, a maze and a bouncy castle. A few steps down the lane, a sign marks the start of the path, which runs along the back of the pub garden.

After about 10 minutes, you reach a gate with the following signs leading into Tottle Bottom Farm.

Here you can take either of the main paths, left or right, as they both lead into a triangular loop marked out with the above brown signs.

This is the area where you will find the best of the bluebells. No more commentary needed, so bluebells....voilà.

From the top of the path, before doubling back along the loop, a path leads away to meet up with the trail leading to the right through the Freemantle Gate and on to Appuldurcombe and Wroxall or left back to Godshill for anyone wanting a longer walk.

Here I found a pastoral idyll spread out before me...

However, lunch was calling, so I made retraced my steps back to the Griffin for a totally unearned lasagne.

Update and Extension March 2022.

No bluebells yet but did this walk again today but extended it past the triangle up through trees to turn left at the top of the slope and take a path down across a field to join the Stenbury trail and then Godshill Park Road to meet the main road opposite Moor Farm. (1.8 miles total). A fairly gentle slope.

Another extension is to add a loop up around Church Hill and Hollow Lane, taking in the church and pretty cottages seen in postcards of the village, taking the total distance to just over 2 miles.

Walk Details
Start: The Griffin Pub, Godshiill
Finish: The Griffin
Distance: 1 or 2 miles
Time:  up to an hour
Bus: No 2 or 3 from Ryde or Newport
Refreshments/WC: Godshill cafes, pubs, public WC in car park opposite Griffin.

Walk 1 A Godshill Stroll - 1 mile

Godshill is a chocolate-box pretty village in the heart of the island. Popular with tourists and coach trippers, the village offers cream teas and lots of gift shops, as well as some pubs and restaurants.
It was this walk that gave me the idea of starting an Isle of Wight walking blog. As it was the day before Mother's Day, I had headed to the village in search of a gift with my camera in my bag and decided to do a short stroll around the village before going home.

The walk began opposite the free car park, beside the Griffin pub, and marked a triangle around the church which rises on a hill in the middle of the village. Turn down Hollow Lane beside the pub, where the bus stops.

 Hellebores were nestling in a number of hedgerows and gardens. 

Godshill is probably the most photographed town on the island and is famed for its picturesque thatched cottages.

When Hollow Lane comes to a T junction, turn sharp right back towards the village, climbing up to explore the church past the row of thatched cottages.

All Saints Church is mostly Norman and also known as the Church of the Lily as it houses one of only two medieval wall paintings of a Lily Crucifix.

In the North Chancel is this stained glass window by William Morris.

© Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

In the churchyard is a restored medieval Churchyard Cross, a stone pillar resting on three circular plinths, which represent the Calvary, and topped with a carved cross under a canopy. At this time, many common people were buried without individual gravestones and a churchyard cross served a communal cross for all those buried the churchyard.

Fabulous views stretch away from the churchyard.

This display of Pulsatilla in one front garden made my day!

I've always known this white spring ground cover plant as Snow-in-Summer, but it is actually called Cerastium.

Walk Details
Start and Finish: The Griffin, Godshill High St
Distance: 1 mile, 
Time: 20 mins
Refreshments: Throughout village
WC: In The Old Smithy opposite
Bus: Nos. 2 and 3