Isle of Wight Ramblers protested at the gates of Osborne House in East Cowes yesterday (Monday), against English Heritage’s refusal to allow a new coastal path to run through the grounds. English Heritage – the charity in charge of the former Royal residence – maintains that the proposed path constitutes a security risk to its collection of artefacts belonging to the late Queen Victoria. However, Isle of Wight Ramblers believe the failure to grant access places walkers in danger as they will be forced to use a main road (York Avenue). The route between East Cowes and Wootton forms part of the proposals for the 2,704-mile King Charles III Coast Path. The ramblers would like to see the route following the coast, past the beach at Osborne. However, English Heritage will not allow this. 
Isle of Wight Ramblers have said:
“There are currently no public footpaths in East Cowes which lead to the countryside. A coast path at Osborne and Barton would give residents the opportunity to enjoy these amazing seascapes. It would also ensure that we have one of the finest coastal stretches in England attracting many tourists. However, Isle of Wight Ramblers has met many organisations and politicians and have concluded that Natural England is unlikely to pursue a coastal route and must therefore follow the main A3021 road towards Whippingham.
“A 2,700 mile England Coast Path, a new National Trail, is being implemented and nationally, much of the trail is open for enjoyment. However, on the Island no part is yet open. The route from East Cowes to Wootton has not yet been determined and this is one of just 2 locations nationwide where Natural England has not yet proposed a route. Indeed we are the only location where there is no route proposed where there are no existing public footpaths. “The Osborne Estate is a designated Park and Garden and is exempt from the Coastal Access scheme and it seems that a large diversion will be needed along the main A3021, bypassing Osborne and Barton estates and on towards Whippingham. “The Isle of Wight Ramblers feel that this is unacceptable. The National trail was named King Charles III England Coast Path after the Coronation last year. Surely a National Trail following a main road with no coast views is not fit to be called a King’s Coast Path.”
Ramblers vice-president Kate Ashbrook has said:
“Osborne estate was given to the nation by Edward VII in 1902. A National Trail should be allowed through a national asset. So many other large estates such as Blenheim, Stourhead, RHS Wisley, Windsor Great Park all have public rights of way where people can enjoy our heritage.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvCzfC0zF2I
Of course English Heritage won’t allow it, they make money from charging the public to go and see Queen Victoria’s private beach. English Heritage are just a bunch of cowboys who ruin our heritage. Look what they did at Appuldurcombe House, turfed out the popular falconry centre and the cafe and gift shop, leaving nothing interesting to see.
Just who do these bloody serfs think they are? This area belongs to the landed gentry. We don’t want groups of ruffians roaming across our lovely gardens, with their litter and their dog poop.
If you don’t regard the ruins of Appuldurcombe as interesting in their own right, I’m not sure what you were doing there in the first pace. As for charging to enter the Osbourne estate, how else is the upkeep to be paid for? Do the National Trust not charge for admission to their properties? Yet another who expects something for nothing.
2 reasons not to vote Green Party in one photo!!! You can walk round the grounds for free anyway it’s just the house you have to get a ticket to go in, anyway I like the fact as a fully paid up member that I don’t have to see the rambling nonsense as I enjoy a cream tea on the beach front.
Nah, you have to pay even for just the grounds visit if you’re not a member.
You cannot enter Osborne without paying an entrance fee
As a fully paid member I actually don’t enjoy the status quo as I’d love to exit beach via the coast and have lovely walk by the castle and to the Esplanade, instead of going through a car park and streets of East Cowes.
I’d much rather watch sea on my way to the Osborne House than a petrol station.
Ramblers Association v English Heritage fight! My money is on English Heritage once they bring in their cannons from Yarmouth Castle & take pot shots of them crossing Queen Victoria’s lawn. It won’t be pretty.
Handbags at dawn!
Why do Ramblers think they have this God given right to go where ever they want? It’s private property, you don’t seriously think they will just make a pathway straight down to the beach just for you? There are countless other walks across the Island, stop making out like you are hard done by.
Let’s set up a path via your back garden and see if you like it. Silly sods….
Most of us do in fact have a public right of way running by our gardens, it’s called a Road
The ramblers a bunch of lefty militants
Ramblers= urban northern wasters. Nobody asked iw born and bred if we wanted coastal path. Not welcome. Just intent on trashing west wight nature areas. Go home..
Eric, I’m so intregued by this idea that no one should ever move about. How do you think society developed, machines invented and built, medical advances made, etc, without people moving to cities, universities, new areas for work or leisure? Perhaps you would prefer that we were still all peasants (doffing caps to a lord) and dying before 30.
Walk somewhere else, you walkers have the whole island to walk on, instead of complaining about something so petty WALK!! More important things in life?
Having to walk from East Cowes up York Avenue towards Whippingham is not the problem. It’s the path less section down Alvestone and Brocks Copse towards Wootton that is absolutely lethal, and that needs a detour through the Barton Estate.
The Alverstone Road and Brocks Copse are perfectly safe with no incidents or accidents involving walkers for decades. In addition, Barton Estate is a private one, comprising multiple privately owned properties, and therefore your suggestion to detour through there is 1) inciting people to break the law through trespass, and 2) ruining the lives of the residents by invading their privacy and essentially walking over their driveways and gardens. I am very sure King Charles would not wish his name put to any scheme deliberately doing tremendous detriment to innocent home owners.
Surely if the estate had no public footpaths on it originally, which I doubt being a royal residence at the time, why should they should they think it is okay to walk through it for free? In 1843, Alexander Dabell leased a large plot of land at Blackgang and landscaped it with ornate gardens and small morbid curiosities that interested the Victorians. His real business was in gift shops and if you bought an item you could enter for free, if not you paid 6d admission fee. And that is how it has always been. If private land has a public footpath through it, then go nuts. If not, expect to pay something or be told no!
Crazy how in many countries free access to nature, forests and coast (or even lakes) is a right of citizens but here in comments we have plenty of Brits fighting against citizens having more rights.
I kinda understand why you folks did Brexit now. And have terrible public transport unlike Germany. And close to no cycling infrastructure unlike the Netherlands. And water full of shit unlike EU countries. And potholes everywhere unlike Spain.
You guys just like it! I cracked it!
People actively fight you in the comments to keep their lives WORSE than other countries, lol.
Oh yes and do you want to walk in blue slipper clay and then need rescuing by a voluntary service. Or should those who belong to English Heritage pay for a footpath to be fenced so you can ramble by the sea, lets have some common sense and not forget that there are tides which can be dangerous to those who dont respect the sea. The costal path along East Cowes Esplanade is blocked anyway and no one wanted to pay for that piece of road to be cleared.
The Ramblers are correct in it is difficult to walk peacefully in many area of the island….
Mainly though to there often being large groups of Ramblers taking the mob rule stance.
Why always in such large groups… they are the Lycra yobs of footpaths.
So this bunch of riff raff wants to stomp across Osborne and through Barton.what happens when they reach the other side of Barton because between Barton and Parmers Farm is a wide area of very dodgy Reed beds ,which I might add has ssi status
I see the numpty jarman is in the pic,getting as bad as seely for a photo op,step down jarman,and stop causing chaos to stoke your pathetic ego!