Our journey to the Isle of Wight took us through Lyndhurst in the New Forest. We have been there before and but we did make a note to avoid it on the way back as it is a choke point for traffic especially it seems for everyone going North. After passing through Brokenhurst we stopped for a coffee at Rosie Lea’s Kitchen.
Rosie Lea’s Kitchen
The tea room is in a greenhouse at the Setley Ridge Farm shop (and vineyard). The tea and scones were excellent and I’d recommend anyone passing through Brokenhurst to stop here for a break.
We were soon at the ferry pier in Lymington which is next to the platform for the local trains that ferry passengers to nearby mainline stations such as Brokenhurst. Waiting passengers were well provided for with a cafe as well as Costa Coffee shop there.
After driving onto the WightLink ferry we went to the cafe upstairs to have a comfortable seat. By now the rain had started and the saloon was packed. As the ferry left Lymington I did manage to find some sheltered spaces on the viewing deck to watch as the ferry threaded its way out of the river and into the Solent. Here’s the other ferry on its way into Lymington waiting to enter the river channel.
After reaching Yarmouth we turned right, after leaving the ferry, away from the town towards Freshwater and passed where we would be staying for the week – Norton Grange. After passing through the one way system in Freshwater we passed by The Vine Inn and as it was now past lunchtime we decided to stop.
The Vine Inn, Freshwater
I did have to go out of Freshwater a little way to turn around and come back to be able to get into the pub car park which is after a sharp bend in the road and easily missed. The car park was close enough to the pub entrance (the 3rd door that you pass from the car park) to not get too wet from all the rain. The excellent soup of the day was leek and potato. From the chalk board menu I choose to have cod and chips. After lunch we left the car park by turning left away from Freshwater as making a right turn would have meant guessing if a car would be coming around the (blind) corner.
Back at Norton Grange checking in was made chaotic by the torrential rain coupled to having to dump suitcases by the entrance to the car park. The suitcases were then delivered later to the ‘car-free’ chalets.
Yarmouth
On our second day on the Isle of Wight the rain had thankfully stopped and after an excellent breakfast we decided to walk into Yarmouth along the Coastal Path. At the bottom of Norton Grange’s garden was the public path and over a low wall was a tarmac path alongside the sea defences.
In the distance is the town itself with the ferry pier. After a few hundred yards the tarmac path gave out and we had to turn back up to the Freshwater road. Walking along the footpath was easy and soon we came to the swing bridge that allowed yachts in and out of the river estuary into the harbour.
The old wooden pier runs alongside where the WightLink ferries dock and it is possible to look back to Yarmouth Castle. On the other side of the pier is the building of one of the yacht clubs. At the side of the ferry dock is the harbour entrance. The much recommended cafe is a the start of the pier but instead we opted to walk back from the pier to The Bugle Coaching Inn – just in time for lunch.
The Bugle Coaching Inn
Unfortunately for me the draft Doombar had only just been put on and had yet to settle, so I had to compromise and have a pint of Brakspears. For lunch we had sandwiches and they were were very generous with both the bread, the fillings and the accompanying salads. I can recommend any of the beef, the ham or the shrimp ones.
Look what I discovered on the wall in the bar that we were in, a celebration menu from the centenary of P&O back in 1937.
Back at Norton Grange we watched the world go by along the coastal path below us and I took the opportunity to sample some Sharps Pilsner (they are the brewers of Doombar) and read a book.
As it was Saturday after dinner the guest band were scheduled to play. Their set was supposed to be in two halves but due to ferry timings they opted to play a longer single set, so more music for us. They were Fleetwood Bac and much to my pleasure we had a fair smattering of the original tracks before the remnants of the original blues band left for California. They were excellent and as a long time fan of the original Fleetwood Mac (in all their guises) I had a great evening.