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Lake to Shanklin via Ventnor walk

Hilly SE corner of the Isle of Wight - Sandown Bay, the Landslip, Ventnor, and St Boniface and Luccombe Downs

Isle of Wight

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Mon, 17-Jul-23 Ventnor to Shanklin - over Boniface Down [Isle of Wight weekend] 5 warm sun and fairly light breezes
Fri, 14-Jul-23 Shanklin to Ventnor walk [Isle of Wight weekend] 19 wet and
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Ventnor to Shanklin

Length: 4 miles

Toughness: 6 out of 10

Start: walk starts at Ventnor Boots Bus Stop at 10 am

For GPS and further information see here: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lake-to-shanklin/index.html

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Island Line trains Back to Ryde: xx.14 and xx.57 mins

The walk will be back over Boniface Down, Bonchurch Down, Luccombe Down, Shanklin Down and into Shanklin and the railway station.

Alternatively, you can do the Friday walk along the landslip in reverse to get back to Shanklin.

There is a tea room at the railway station for refreshments. Many other refreshment places in Shanklin itself for cream teas, fish and chips and lunch.

  • 17-Jul-23

    5 survivors gathered at the by now familiar bus stop by Boots in Ventnor for this last outing of the weekend. We were at last rewarded with warm sun and fairly light breezes . We had a grand climb up scenic St Boniface Down and an easy walk along the top of Luccombe and Shanklin Downs. Some butterfly spotting on the descent of the latter, and then a stretch down steep steps that even the walk author had forgotten about.

    Arriving at Shanklin station via the old railway line, we said goodbye to one walker who was heading back to London on the 13.14 train. The remaining four went down to the seafront, where we were greeted by beautiful calm blue sea and plenty of people on the beach. We found a quiet spot by the Fisherman’s Cottage pub and had a very pleasant high tide swim. We then had lunch on the terrace of the pub.

    Two left for London after this and two of us staying an extra night walked back through the landslip to Ventnor, thus becoming the first two people to do this entire walk in one day, albeit having done the afternoon first and then the morning. (Even the walk author had never actually done this previously, having cobbled the walk together from two routes he had done separately.) Perhaps it should be renamed Ventnor Circular via Shanklin. It certainly works well in this form.

    Thanks to Branchline for a most successful weekend, and we hope the shade of Sylvia was smiling down on us.

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The suggested walk today is from Shanklin to Ventnor.

Length: Shanklin to Ventnor is 3.5 miles

Other options for varying this walk (eg from Lake to Shanklin via Ventnor) can be found in here

Toughness: 5 out of 10

Suggested Travel: 10.30 train from Waterloo to Portsmouth

Arrives Portsmouth & Southsea 11:57

Bus from Portsmouth & Southsea at 12:12 to station Southsea Hoverport arrives at 12:20departs Southsea Hoverport at 12:30 travel by Ferry to station Ryde Hoverport arrives at 12:40

Departs Ryde Hoverport at 12:40 travel by Walk to station Ryde Esplanade arrives at 12:57

Island Line train to Shanklin: departs Ryde Esplanade at 13:13 arrives Shanklin station at 13:37

Ticket type: A return from Waterloo to Shanklin can be purchased which will include travel by hovercraft, and the Island line train.

The Walk: This is a map led walk (OS Explorer OL29 map). Outline of route, refreshment places, swimming spots GPS etc can be found here:

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lake-to-shanklin/index.html

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Bus timetables: https://www.islandbuses.info/services

Meet at the Lazy Wave Café, Shanklin Esplanade at 14:30. This is a 15 minute walk from Shanklin Railway Station. It is possible to swim here and there are many cafes on the Esplanade.

The walk starts on Shanklin beach. Walk along the beach and then take the Appley steps up and very soon you find yourself in a delightful, wooded area overlooking the sea. Pass through Luccombe village and on to the landslip – a lush and beautiful wood. This eventually brings you out onto the seafront at Bonchurch, which you follow into Ventnor.

From Ventnor you can take a bus back to Shanklin (No.3 bus from Ventnor Boots).

  • 14-Jul-23

    The weather looks pretty horrible today, are people still meeting at the "Lazy Wave Cafe" ?

    Hilary

  • 14-Jul-23

    I will be there with waterproofs.

  • 15-Jul-23

    I counted 19 people who walked today in wet and windy weather. We did not all walk together as people arrived on the island at different times.On arrival in Shanklin eight of us walked down to the beach and had lunch in the Fisherman's Cottage Inn. Several of our friends looked in on us then carried on with their walk. Two were here for the day only. After lunch 7 of us braved the wind and rain to walk to Ventnor. The route was along the well signposted coastal path through lush woodland with views opening out to the sea. There were some diversions on the path. The rain petered out by the time we reached the seafront.Later that evening most of us ate in the Spyglass Inn in Ventnor a lovely pub right on the seafront overlooking the crashing waves.