With just 1 month to go before the start of the Isle of Wight Spring Walking Festival, organisers have announced a raft of new walks.
The Spring Walking Festival, between the 7th and 15th of May, includes all manner of walks, from history and nature walks to storytelling walks for little ones.
A new addition to the walks is a 5-mile historical and nature trek at Alverstone Mead, combining the tales of two kings and an almost queen with an opportunity to see squirrels at the wetland nature reserve.
Isle of Wight story-teller Sue Bailey will lead children on a short, mile long search around the grounds of Northwood House to find a pair of missing socks. The clues to finding the socks are in the stories Sue tells.
The 5-mile Carisbrooke evening circular walk provides a chance to explore ancient drovers’ routes, whose origins are lost in the distant past, made by farmers taking cattle from one place to another.
Ryde Carnival Association will be hosting an evening walk, taking on part of their summer carnival route, exploring the town’s royal connections and popping into a pub or two along the way.
For a more demanding walk, the Two Saintly Lighthouses is perfect, with the chance to learn more about the Pepperpot (St Catherine’s Oratory) and St Catherine’s lighthouse at Niton Undercliff in the company of a former tour guide from the Victorian landmark.
For the ultimate in discovering the Island, the iconic Walk the Wight in aid of Mountbatten takes place on Sunday 8th May.
The world-famous event is largest annual fundraiser for Mountbatten Hospice and is set to see thousands make their way from east to west, or take part in shorter walks, all raising valuable money for the charity and its vital work.
David Howarth, from the Isle of Wight Ramblers Association, has said:
“They say the Isle of Wight is like a little bit of England the whole way round. Whichever way you go there’s completely different aspects. The Walking Festival is a terrific way to learn so much more about the Island, the guides are so knowledgeable, and they are willing to share that knowledge with you!”
To find out more, go to https://isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/.
