[1] From the quay, walk under the road bridge and immediately turn right to walk with the Riverside Centre on your left. Past the car park, walk up the slope and go through the tunnel. You are on the old Newport to Ryde railway line. Follow the path along this track, crossing Halberry Lane to Mews Lane. Turn right on track N118 towards New Fairlee Farm. The track passes Little Fairlee Farm and continues between hedges, shortly bearing right. When the farm buildings come into sight, continue beside the field with the hedge on your left. Passing the buildings on your right, you come to a meeting of paths.
[2] Cross style and turn left to follow N116 with the hedge on your left. Walk in this direction by several fields, leaving the last one by a stile in the corner to the left of a pylon.
[3] A path straight ahead leads down to the access track to Belmont Farm and goes under the old railway bridge to reach the A3054.
There is a fine viewpoint at the next stile.
The alternative route to the right makes the walk just less than a mile longer. Take the path to the right as it descends gently through woodland. At the bottom of the slope, where the field on your right becomes woodland turn to walk along the path to the left. Go through the gate onto the old railway line. Turn left passing the buildings of the disused Whippingham Station on your right.
(A) Although Whippingham station was built solely because of the need to have a station within close proximity to Osborne House, the only royal ever spotted actually using the station was a young Lord Mountbatten. Although the line was always clean and tidy, it was never very busy. and as a result was closed down in 1953. The station house, is now a private dwelling and is opposite the Islands Crematorium.
About 30 metres before a fence across the track a path goes down the embankment on the right. to remeet the main route.
[4] Turn right to reach the A3054. Cross the main road with care and walk down the road opposite to Island Harbour and straight ahead to the riverside.
Passing the control tower on your right turn left along the old millpond wall with a Paddle Steamer on your left.
(B) The paddle steamer Ryde Queen, now sadly rotting away, was a passenger ferry between mainland England and the Isle of Wight from 1937 to 1969 and later, after war time service, became a nightclub. For detailed history see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Ryde
Follow the riverside path into Newport, passing the area used for the Isle of Wight festival (C) in June. As you reach Newport Harbour and the Travel Inn, the path continues beside the fence on your right behind the warehouses. Walk along the Quay towards the road bridge and the Riverside Centre.