The Friends of Shanklin Theatre completed the first of two ‘Coast to Country Walks’ on Sunday as part of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival 2019.
There are around 100 walks to choose from across the 2 week festival this year – from short to long, flat to hilly, beaches to forests and everything in between. Over 50% of the walks are new this year.
For 2019, Membership Secretary Jacqui Robertson decided that it was time to include Shanklin Theatre on the Walking Festival calendar. After considerable hard work and extensive research by Jacqui, the new ‘Shanklin Coast to Country’ walk was born.
Both walks are narrated at specific points to highlight volunteer work and key historic facts. Starting at Shanklin Railway Station, the walk guides participants towards Shanklin Esplanade before coming to an end at Sibden Hill Nature Reserve.
The first walk was held on 5th May and a total of 37 walkers – and a black Labrador – took part. 2 of the guest walkers were from Ontario, Canada.
A refreshment stop took place at Shanklin Theatre where a brief talk was given about its history by Rob Robertson. Homemade cakes, hot and soft drinks were provided for all taking part in the inaugural Shanklin walk, raising over £88.00 in donations.
The next scheduled walk is on Sunday 19th May. For further information and to register visit https://isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/walks/shanklin-coast-to-country.
