Ryde; Saturday, 11 August, 2018

I had a very pleasant breakfast in the hotel before heading out over to the bus station to pick up the Downs Breezer open top bus for a tour up over the Isle of Wight downs. The tour headed out of Ryde and up over the Downs before heading down into Sandown and then back along the coast through Bembridge and St Helens back to Ryde.

Back in Ryde I changed onto the local bus and headed out to Wootton to pick up the Isle of Wight Steam train for a ride across the centre of the island to Smallbrook Junction and back. Back in Wootton I was at the stop just in time to pick up the open top bus again. It was quite busy on the top deck, so I had to sit in the covered part at the front, which about 5 minutes later turned out to be the best place to be as another heavy shower passed through.

I got off the bus in Sandown and changed onto a local bus to head along the coast to Shanklin and down onto the Esplanade. I had a wander along the sea front and then stopped in a seafront café for a late lunch before walking over to the bottom of Shanklin Chine.

Chines are gorges that have been formed by rivers running down the cliffs of the island and into the sea. The protection of the cliffs, and the south facing location, means that the Shanklin Chine in particular has become a bit of a haven for wildlife and plants and it’s a very pleasant walk up the side of the gorge to the top of the Chine at the Old Town of Shanklin.

I had a bit of a wander around the old town before catching the bus back to Shanklin railway station and then picking up the Island Line train back up towards Ryde. The Island Line is a bit of a backwater of the National Rail network with services being provided by very elderly ex London Underground trains, but it makes for an interesting ride up the East coast.

Back in Ryde, and with the weather clearing I took the last Downs Breezer of the evening for the full tour, this time it staying dry the whole way round.

Back in Ryde I hopped onto a bus into Newport to find somewhere to eat for the night, given the options in Ryde were a bit limited.

I had a pleasant dinner in Newport and then caught the indirect bus back to Ryde that heads across the island to the South Eastern corner in Ventnor before heading back up the Eastern coast through Shanklin and Sandown back to Ryde.

Back in Ryde I headed back to the hotel for a quick night cap before heading up to my room to turn in.