Harry in the valley

On Tuesday Harry did a challenging walk, where he looked down on a lovely valley.  Today he visited the valley.  He started at Shanklin railway station.

He walked down the disused railway.

He came to this side path which interested him, as it would have taken him up onto the downs that he walked on on Tuesday, but by an easier route.

It looks much easier, but he would have missed some of the best views.

Harry wanted to check which way to go.  He had come from Shanklin and needed to get to Wroxall next.

Harry saw these really ripe rose hips on the way.  They look a bit like Chinese lanterns.

When he got to Wroxall he came off the railway and crossed the road, where he found a signpost to his next destination.

This is the path he needed to follow towards Godshill.

Now that he was in the valley he looked at the surrounding downs to find where he had been on Tuesday.  The third picture shows the downs he walked on.

You don't really expect to see these ornate gates in a field.  They are the gates to the manor house at Wroxall, Appuldurcombe, the home of the Worsley family.  It has quite an interesting history.

You can find out more about it here.

Harry stopped to admire the countryside, before carrying on through the gates.

From here Harry could see the Brading downs to the east of the island.  He walked on in that direction towards Godshill.  He had coffee at Godshill, but Harry was not interested because they didn't give him any biscuits or chocolate to have with his coffee.

He had sandwiches for lunch and Harry ate them, back in the field, sitting on a tree stump and looking towards the south of the island.

He made his way back to Wroxall and up onto the railway line.

Getting on and off of the railway is quite a climb and Harry had to use these steps in both directions.  He is amazed at the number of steps he has needed to climb up or down this week.

Back on the railway Harry loved the colours of these berries.

Part of the way back he met these highland cattle.  We do love these chaps with their floppy fringes and kind faces.

He continued on back to Shanklin.  He had been going to do a different walk, along cliff paths, but it had rained heavily yesterday and was a bit breezy today, so it didn't seem the best idea.  We may well do it tomorrow if the paths are not too slippery.