Ryde

Sometimes just known as "the Island", the Isle of Wight can be reached from London via Portsmouth and the 20-minute ferry across the Solent. This is followed by a quaint railway from the pier head, because the island-side of the channel is too shallow for shipping. An added curiosity is that the carriages used to run on London's Underground. The IOW is stuck in a nice time warp before the days of fast food joints and e-scooters.

Apart from the one train service, access round the island is by bus service, which is frequent enough and punctual. In two hops I get to Alum Bay, a colourful blend of sands and clays, in the far west. There's a cliff walk that takes me to a glorious view of the Needles, a trio of chalk stacks marching into the sea. Being extremely lucky with the weather, I take a short boat ride to see the Needles with the late afternoon sun falling behind them.

Most of the island is accessible by the coastal path and the day after, I reach Ventnor in the south-east and walk towards Sandown. For a couple of miles the path leaves the coast and rises through woodland. It's here that I find---along with a walking party---the church of St. Boniface. Listed in the Domesday Book, it must be one of the smallest in the country and one of the most beautiful I have seen.

When the path descends to sea level, the sheer cliffs stay with me for a while until a flat stretch between Shanklin and Sandown. A good six-mile workout.Read more