ISLE OF WIGHT CHINES: THE WILD AND INACCESSIBLE WHALE CHINE

In the 3rd of our series on Isle of Wight Chines, Island Echo examines probably the deepest and most unspoilt chine on the Isle of Wight: Whale Chine. The spectacular ravine is 140ft deep and is located off Military Road, just west of Chale. Up until 2005, it was possible to descend to the beach via a set of 126 rickety steps. However, for the past 20 years, coastal erosion has left the steps in disrepair, and the Council has declared the footpath descent down the Chine to be officially closed. The steps were apparently swept away by the sea in the winter storms of 2013/14. Whale Chine beach is now inaccessible from the land. This has not prevented adventurous (or foolhardy) anglers, nudists and fossil hunters from attempting to make their way down the gorge though. Swimming on the beach is not for the faint-hearted. The stony beach is steeply shelved, so swimmers can swiftly find themselves out of their depth. Moreover, the swell is considerable, and there is a danger of being swept out into the Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N27J6eNl6Fc The rugged and remote environment has appealed to naturists. If you are offended by the sight of naked bodies, then Whale Chine is not the place for you… The Chine is a Mecca for fossil hunters. It yields the remains of prehistoric fish and lobsters, ammonites, brachiopods, bivalves and occasional reptile and dinosaur bones. The sandy cliffs are often subject to landslips, leaving fossils exposed. However, this also puts fossil hunters in danger of being buried underneath a cliff fall, so please take care. Whale Chine is a popular spot for anglers who are able to access it. It is regarded as one of the best spots on the Island for Ray fishing between March and October. Pout is the most common fish caught in winter. It is also common for shoals of mackerel and bass to drive whitebait onto the shore.

Most people believe Whale Chine got its name from a monster of the deep washed up on the beach. However, this is not true. Dead bodies, stricken ships and drugs have all come ashore in the environs of the chine – but no whales. The name ‘Whale Chine’ is a corruption of the name ‘Wavell’, owners of nearby Atherfield Manor in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Wavells are an old Isle of Wight family, who have lived here since at least the 14th century. There are currently 26 Wavells residents on the Island. The most illustrious member of the Wavell family was Field Marshall Archibald Wavell, the wartime Viceroy of India.

2 major shipwrecks occurred in the environs of Whale Chine in the 1880s. The first was the Clairmont, a 668 ton steamer carrying a cargo of copper and iron ore from Vallerigan to Middlesborough, which came ashore in dense fog on 27th January 1881. Fortunately, all hands were saved by the Brighstone lifeboat and the tug Victoria from Cowes.

The 2nd shipwreck was that of the Cormorant in the early hours of 21st December 1886, again in thick fog. She had been spotted in difficulty from the shore and a boat was sent to her, which returned requesting a tug. The tug attempted to pull her off the shore, but the tow rope broke. The wind and swell then drove her closer to the cliffs. Happily, the entire crew of the vessel were saved. Gangs of men with the help of horses hauled the cargo of cotton up the cliff, where it was loaded onto farm wagons and taken to Newport, where it was loaded onto a further ship. After its cargo had been offloaded, the Cormorant was sold and broken up. Whale Chine has also seen several bodies washed ashore. In December 1924, a corpse – believed to have been from the steamer Hartley – was found on the beach. In August 1952, the body of merchant seaman Frederick Francis Williamson came ashore. Tragedy struck Whale Chine again in the Autumn of 1960 when the corpses of 5 men from the collier Lesrix washed up on the beach. Its loss had been a complete mystery: visibility had been good, the seas calm and the ship seaworthy. A 5-day inquiry could only suggest that the Lesrix had hit a mine or other floating object while at sea.

Dead bodies and shipwrecks are not all that have been discovered washed up at Whale Chine. In 2023, packages of cocaine were found on the beach… Have you been fishing, fossil hunting or skinny dipping at Whale Chine? Let us know in the comments…