[1] From the car park, head towards the river to walk along the river bank path. Turn left to cross the River Yar by the road bridge. Continue along the footpath beside the road to a turning on your left, Gasworks Lane, where a guide post indicates ‘Freshwater Way’. Walk along this lane to where it bends sharply left, and take the path ahead through woodland. Again a guide post indicates ‘Freshwater Way’. After the wood, descend to where the path skirts trees on your right. At the bottom of the field a series of cross stiles and footbridges and then, bearing left ascend the track and then descend with the hedge to your left towards King’s Manor Farm.
[2] Shortly after reaching the farm access drive go through a kissing gate on your right. The path crosses a field to a stile in the hedge on your left just past the buildings. Turn right on the lane. Where the lane turns sharply to the right after bungalows, walk straight ahead towards the church. Join the road near the church lych gate.
[3] Turn right and walk towards the main road. Cross over to the Post Office and straight ahead, almost immediately, take footpath F63 on your right. Straight ahead this path becomes bridleway F17, which passes between trees. At the crossing of paths by the school on your left, turn right up the gravelled bridleway (F15 to Golden Hill). Where the track levels out near the top of the hill take the gravelled circular walk on your right, marked with blue waymarks.
There are extensive views over the Solent, River Yar and the sea beyond Freshwater Bay.
Follow the blue arrows on the gravel track circling Golden Hill Fort.
(A) Golden Hill Fort was a defensible barracks built as part of the Palmerston defences by the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom and has now been converted into 18 private homes - http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Hill_Fort
[4] On reaching the road to the fort, turn right to reach the Totland Yarmouth road. Here turn left to descend the hill. Cross over and turn right along Monk’s Lane ‘Public Footpath F6 Fort Victoria’. Where Monk’s Lane enters an area with holiday chalets turn right, with a high wire fence on your right.
[5] Follow the path into Fort Victoria Country Park and to the view point.
(B) View point, where Hurst Castle, built by Henry VIII, can be seen across the water - http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/hurst-castle/
Descend the steps and bear right along a good path through the woods. Turn left near a seat where a good gravelled path is signed ‘Fort Victoria Cafeteria'. At the bottom of the hill turn right to pass inland of Fort Victoria and to reach the access road.
(C) Fort Victoria was built by Henry VIII to protect the Solent - http://www.iwight.com/living_here/planning/Countryside/Site_Management/Fort_Victoria/History/default.asp
Walk along the road to a point where it bends to the right. Take the short path F6 straight ahead to the sea wall promenade. At the end of the tarmac promenade, walk forward and round to the right to join the road. Turn left to recross the River Yar on the road bridge, then retrace your outward route to the Car Park.