IOW – things change

Solent Way (part 1) Milford on Sea to Lymington

Thursday, Jul 4, 2019Thursday, May 5, 2022 MikeBLeave a comment

Yesterday I walked the first leg of the Solent Way, the stretch from Milford on Sea to Lymington. I tend to dawdle and stop for photographs, so the 8 miles or so took about 4 hours.

Transport went smoothly – a train from London to Brockenhurst and another onto Lymington, followed by the X1 bus to Milford on Sea, and then the return journey after the walk.

I’ve done most of this part of the Solent Way several times over recent years, so it’s very familiar. It’s a flat walk on good surfaces, though the long, shingle walk along Hurst Spit demands a bit more effort. I couldn’t face the walk back along the Spit so I caught the little ferry to Keyhaven, missing out a short section of the Solent Way.

The beach at Milford on Sea. (That’s the Isle of Wight and the Needles in the distance)

At the start of Hurst Spit

Hurst Castle is at the end of the Spit and where there is a ferry to Keyhaven

The ferry (£3.50) avoids the long walk back down the shingle spit!

That’s Hurst Castle and the Spit in the distance, and beyond that the Isle of Wight and the Needles

The yachts at Lymington can be seen in the distance

Just time for an ice cream before heading home (It’s not only grandchildren who can have these treats)

The 8 Solent Way walks:

Walk 1: Milford on Sea ⇒ Lymington (9 miles) (✓ 4th July 2019)
Walk 2: Lymington ⇒ Beaulieu (10 miles)
Walk 3: Beaulieu ⇒ Hythe (6 miles)
Walk 4: Hythe ⇒ Hamble (7 miles)
Walk 5: Hamble ⇒ Lee On Solent (7 miles)
Walk 6: Lee on Solent ⇒ Portsmouth (6 miles)
Walk 7: Portsmouth ⇒ Hilsea (7 miles)
Walk 8: Hilsea ⇒ Emsworth (8 miles)

Days out/IOW

Day trip Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight

Monday, Mar 25, 2019Tuesday, Mar 26, 2019 MikeBLeave a comment

A trip for the ferry ride.

Camera images on the way but then the lens mechanism jammed and the iPhone camera took over (but not in raw format – my mistake).

Days out/IOW/Lymington

Travelling by boat

Monday, Aug 7, 2017Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017 MikeB2 Comments

The best bit about travelling to a destination by boat is the travelling by boat! However I’ve never experienced a rough boat trip, so it may not always be the case. The first of our voyages during our 48 hours in Lymington was the round trip to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

Leaving Lymington

Sailing towards Yarmouth

Arriving at Yarmouth

The ferry deck

The other ferry

Days out/IOW/Lymington

Hurst Castle from the Isle of Wight

Saturday, Aug 5, 2017 MikeBLeave a comment

I’m too knackered to process and cull the 100+ images taken during 48 hours in Lymington, but here is a nice picture of the wonderful Hurst Point / Hurst Castle site, taken from the Isle of Wight. More to follow…

Hurst Castle taken from the Isle of Wight

IOW/Lymington

Lymington

Thursday, Jul 21, 2016 MikeB2 Comments

Hurst-Castle-IMGP1695 — Hurst Castle from 2 miles away, taken from the IOW ferry to Yarmouth

Lymington-IMGP1666 — Ferry between Lymington and Yarmouth, IOW

Lymington-IMGP1631 — Lymington on a scorching (30 degrees plus) day

Lymington-IMGP1655 — Lymington coastal path at end of day

Lymington-IMGP1676 — Lymington marina at the end of day

Lymington-IMGP1754 — Lymington marina at the end of day

Boats/images/IOW/Southampton

Cowes, IOW + boats in Southampton Water

Friday, Apr 17, 2015Friday, Apr 17, 2015 MikeBLeave a comment

images/IOW

An Isle of Wight panorama

Friday, Apr 10, 2015 MikeBLeave a comment

A panorama made up of 5 images stitched together. Click the image for a bigger version.

Days out/images/IOW

IOW, Yarmouth to The Needles

Friday, Apr 10, 2015Friday, Apr 10, 2015 MikeBLeave a comment

I’m a huge fan of the coastal Hampshire town of Lymington and the coastal town of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, and of the ferry linking the two!

On a glorious spring day it took me four hours to get to Yarmouth (walk, train, train, train, ferry from Lymington). After spending just over four hours walking the coastal path to The Needles and around this wonderful location, I returned to the ferry port at Yarmouth on a windswept, open-top bus (watch your head on those overhanging trees!). Another four-plus hours to get back home, but what a glorious day, including much quality reading-time on the trains.

The first third of this coastal walk is barely coastal since it veers inland, through and around holiday-home estates, but after that it’s a pleasurable walk. It seemed to be mainly uphill all the way to the Needles!

As is becoming the norm, my blog images are big, and bigger still if you click on them. I’m still over-editing them so that some look more like paintings than photographs. Perhaps I want to be a painter but don’t have the necessary skills! Note that ghostly images 2 and 3 are of the wonderful Hurst Castle (www.hurstcastle.co.uk) – another great place to visit from Lymington.

images/IOW

My pictures look so green and dull

Thursday, Aug 21, 2014 MikeBLeave a comment

My blog looks so washed out. I need some orange or yellow, but I haven’t a suitable cheerful picture. Instead, I doctored an old picture of the Lymington to Isle of Wight ferry. It’s not ideal (no orange or yellow) but it’s OK.