Situated at the eastern-most point of the Isle of Wight, the attractive villages of St Helens and Bembridge sit either side of the sweeping Bembridge Harbour, behind which are the protected lagoons and marshes of the Lower Yar Valley – home to the RSPB’s only reserve on the island, Brading Marshes. This varied walk takes you on a tour of the marina and up inland into local woods and rolling countryside, visiting the coast path at Whitecliff Bay and the island’s only surviving windmill. Keep an eye out overhead for light aircraft taking off and landing at Bembridge Airport, which is hidden at the heart of this circular route.
1. START From the car park on the Green (SZ628891), walk downhill along Vine Road and head south down Latimer Road. At the bottom of the hill, where the road curves right, continue straight ahead into the marina. Cross the bridge and the gravel car park to exit onto Embankment Road. (Access is permitted to this private land.) Turn left to follow the footway round Bembridge Harbour, with some great views of the water and some interesting houseboats. Inland are the reclaimed salt wetlands of Brading Marshes and Bembridge lagoons, which are home to buzzards, egrets, green woodpeckers, and the rare Bembridge beetle. Where the road doglegs right uphill, turn right
in front of The Pilot Boat Inn and go up Station Road.
2. Continue straight ahead along the private road, which continues as a footpath beside woodland, with iron railings to your left. Follow the path where it turns left and go uphill to the road. Turn right along the road and keep going to a sharp left turn, but continue straight ahead here to Bembridge Windmill. Now owned by the National Trust, the island’s only remaining windmill was built around 1700 and is open to the public for a small fee. Passing the windmill on your right, follow the track into Steyne Wood. A little way into the wood, take the left fork. Cross straight over the road to where the path continues through trees and beside a campsite. At the next road, go left up the hill for about 100 yards to a path on your right (the BB14). Follow this path where it goes right round a large building and, after passing along a wooden fence to your left, continue to the coastal path and turn right along Whitecliff Bay.
3. Turn right between hedges onto a field with seats and views of Culver Cliff. The path crosses an open area with crazy golf and timber chalets on the right. Cross here to the hedge opposite. Turn right alongside the last chalet and, after a short distance, go left along a narrow path between hedges. When this path reaches a road, go left and after about 100 yards, go right up a rough road to cross a stile by a stone cottage. The path runs diagonally right across two fields. Near the farm buildings, cross the stile to the left, leaving the track and following a hedge on your right behind Bembridge Farm. Just behind a brick house, cross over a gate onto the road. Turn left along the road and, just over the brow of the hill, turn right down a shady path to Centurion’s Copse. At a fork in the path, go left and after
a few yards take the left fork again onto the BB23 path towards Brading. The path goes over a sluice and follows the course of the old sea wall, crossing the River Yar. Passing a house on your right, go through the kissing gate onto the track of the old railway line.
4. Turn right along a narrow path, pass through the gate and walk along the disused railway line. Continue on the old track to its end by some buildings. Bear slightly left to pass to the left of these buildings and continue along the rough track to the road. Turn right to carefully follow the road back to St Helens and the car park at the green.