On the Trail - The Yar River Trail - part two

Further details/ description of the walk / terrain will be added once the route has been checked , so please check back to this website programme nearer the time.

**Please note that this walk is starting at 10.15 am, not 10.30 am as would usually be the case.

Pursuing the idea of walking some or all of the Isle of Wight's "named trails" in full, this is the second stage of our Yar River Trail, starting in the Central Floodplain section from Sandown to Brading, and then onto the River Mouth section from Brading to the river reaching the sea at St Helens

We meet at Sandown railway station, walking via Adgestone (some road walking), past Brading Roman Villa and Morton Manor, across to Yarbridge , and then via the old seawall across Brading Marsh Nature Reserve to Centurions’ copse (depending on weather some of this area could be a bit marshy – the clue’s in the name), From there, on to Bembridge Windmill and then (largely on-street walking) through Bembridge down to the harbour, round the embankment and across the Causeway to St Helen’s, which is at the mouth of the River Yar and is where this walk ends at the old church on the beach.

For those who would like a shorter walk, there is and easy and obvious earlier "exit" point to a bus route at Brading (or indeed at St Helens). Respective distances for those alternative endpoints will be added to this website entry once this stretch has been recce’d , together with any other additional information e.g. toilets.

We will have a lunch stop so do bring drink and packed lunch or snack.

 From the leaflet produced by the Island Rivers Partnership:

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to follow a river on its journey from source to sea ?

Here on the Isle of Wight you can do just that . From a spring in Niton you will see the East Yar river grow from the smallest trickle and gather itself through a host of tributaries before spreading across its floodplain and joining the sea at Bembridge Harbour. Along the way the river will guide you through rolling landscapes, past ancient manors and into busy cosy pubs.

The Eastern Yar, at 19 miles long, is the Island’s longest river, draining over a fifth of its land surface

The Trail divides into 4 parts:

• Niton to Godshill – The Young River – 5 miles
• Godshill to Newchurch – The Developing River – 4.5 miles
• Newchurch to Brading – The Central Floodplain – 4 miles
• Brading to St Helens – The River Mouth – 5 miles"

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Travelling

By car
If you have a carshare, park one car at St Helens (or your alternative chosen walk end), and bring the second car back to the start point at Sandown railway station

St Helens has pay carparks on the Duver and the National Trust carpark (free to members ) just behind, in the dunes.

At the time of checking , Sandown station carpark is only £1.20 for the day - buy parking ticket at the train ticket machine – but there is usually free on-street parking in the vicinity. However, depending on where you live, this walk may be more easily (and cheaply) reached by public transport (see below).

If you prefer, or need, car travel then please do consider posting any offers of and requests for carshares on the Whatsapp group to minimise pressure on parking, the roads - and the environment.

By bus
I haven’t listed specific timings as there are several options (and currently the Island Bus timetable is only published up until the previous weekend anyway) , but basically:

• From Newport to Sandown – the No 2 (via Shanklin), No 3 (via Shanklin but also Ventnor…) and No 8
• From Ryde to Sandown – likewise, the No 2, No 3, or (long-windedly via Bembridge) the No 8 – or take the train. The 09.47 train from Ryde Esplanade arrives at Sandown 10.03. This is the handiest arrival mode (if not necessarily the cheapest), so the 10.15am start-time is set to tally with that.

Or car + bus combo
This is what I propose to do - i.e. park at or near Sandown station (sea above), and then bus back at the end of the walk.

Whether you drive or bus/train to the start, we would need to No 8 bus back from St Helens which (on current timetable) departs hourly from – how handy ! - the Vine pub on St Helens Green at :

• 09 mins past the hour to Ryde
• 56 mins past the hour to Newport

(or in either case a minute earlier from the Guildford Road stop slightly closer to the walk’s end)