On a brisk overcast wind-swept September Monday morning, 11 members of the Solent and Dorset GOC gathered to board the Wightlink ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth. This was the beginning of a five-day break-away on the Isle of Wight, enjoying 4 walks and social visits, while staying at The Bay Colwell Holiday Resort, just round the corner from Yarmouth (a favourite haunt we visited 3 years ago).

Monday – Once settled in, we set off for a linear Colwell to Yarmouth (approx 4 miles) walk, keeping to, as much as possible, The North West Coastal Path; much of which has succumbed to cliff landslides and coastal erosion. Enjoyable but challenging when forced inland; permissive paths winding through and around village estates and private campsites, occasionally pausing in the shelter of woodlands because of the changeable weather, from windy, dry, but damp, to suddenly being hit by a wall of driving drizzle; poor weather forced us to drop a visit to the defensive “Fort Victoria” (built c1855) and its country park (perhaps for another time); a counter point to Hurst Castle, Keyhaven Spit across the opposite side of the Solent Strait.
Just as quickly as the heavens poured, the weather cleared up. Coming out of the woods we enjoyed sunny spells as we crossed the Yar Bridge into Yarmouth, concluding the day with a perfect meal in our favourite haunt, The Bugle Coaching Inn.

Tuesday – With finer weather but still blustery winds, we had great expectations for today’s walk, totally organised for us by a local resident and new member, Andrew C..; a combination of a 3 mile local Bus ride Pondwell to Ryde, Returning 3 miles+, taking in Ryde Esplanade eastward along the Appley Coastal Walk, Puck Pool Park and the coastal defence battery of 1865 (returned to a public as a park attraction 1929), the Hersey Nature Reserve, past interesting individual local housing projects protected by sea defences, and returning via Woods, the home of Red Squirrels, and concluding with an enjoyable hot and very tasty Lunch at the Wishing Well Pub (aka Wight Spirits Mermaid Bar, the distillery & home of a very popular “Mermaid Gin” [various flavours] and Vodka [Zesty Salt]).
For the evening as the elements calmed down, we split in to groups: after a walk along Colwell Bay seafront some chose to eat at the fish specialty restaurant The Hut, while others strolled further, dodging the waves and landslip destruction of the promenade, and were hosted at the “Waterfront” bar & restaurant. Good meals were had by all.

Wednesday – “doing our own thing”…… A dry start, though overcast and blowy, some of us elected to visit Carisbrooke Castle; an eye opening and interesting historical place: highly recommended and well-worth the entrance fee (English Heritage) ~ what turned out as a 4miles+ enjoyable walk exploring the ramparts and local grounds (an amphitheatre of a bowling green, very reminiscent of Maumbury Rings in Dorchester). The Castle is rich in history, starting off as a great Anglo-Saxon fortress that held out against Viking raids. The Normans built a “ShellKeep”  on a towering raised mound. Later the walls were reinforced. It temporarily saw Charles 1st seeking sanctuary. Later ironically it became his prison during the English civil war between the Parliamentarians (The Roundheads) and the Royalist supporters, the Cavaliers.
Stopping off for a break in the castle Café; then on to the Life and Importance of the Donkeys (bringing up water from the castle’s water source, the aptly named “Well House”); the Chapel of the Church of St Nicholas, very reminiscent of the layout of the Houses of Parliament, the pews being in rows against the walls, rather than horizontal across the Chapel in common with today’s churches.
After a “history animated video” presented by one of the donkeys, we concluded our visit in the “Museum“, next door to the retained “Family” private residential buildings, along with EH Rented lodgings that are also available.
After Charles I was beheaded in the Tower of London (1649), after a failed escape from the Castle, getting caught stuck in a window, of all things, the Parliamentarians lost interest in the castle, and it returned to royal patronage, for a short time, a daughter of Charles 1st, Princess Elizabeth Stuart,
then later 1896-1944, Princess Beatrice, a daughter to Queen Victoria, and ruling as the Governor of the Isle of Wight.