Stunning seafront and former railway trail
5.25 miles
This section of the trail takes you around Sandown Bay, stretching from Sandown to Shanklin. A short section on-road through the two towns is rewarded by the flat ride between following the traffic-free esplanade with sandstone cliffs soaring above you on one side and sand & sea stretched out on the other. You might want to take some time to explore the two towns which have a range of visitor attractions and great places to get something to eat or drink. From Shanklin you’ll head along the former route of the railway from Shanklin towards Ventnor, upgraded in 2014 to provide better multi-user access. This route takes you right into Wroxall which has a shop and pub and just further along the route is the shell of fascinating stunning Appuldurcombe House.
Map
Wildlife on this section
You’ll see lots of birds along this section, especially gulls like the black headed gull and the large and rather noisy herring gull which you’ll see in large numbers, but you may also spot guillemots, cormorants, red necked grebes and many other interesting birds. If you venture along to the cliffs at Yaverland at the east end of the bay you’ll find rather older evidence of wildlife, as the cliffs here regularly turn up fossilised remains, including the only known fossil of a small theropod called Yaverlandia.
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