HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route

This was a highly enjoyable 10 mile circular walking route to The Needles from Freshwater Bay House on the Isle of Wight.

HF Holidays Freshwater Bay House Isle of Wight

This was our first walk from our walking holiday with HF Holidays, staying at Freshwater Bay House on the Isle of Wight.

SockShop Blueguard Walking Socks

I was also using today’s walk to test out my new SockShop Blueguard socks. Blueguard has a lifetime guarantee so in the event you wear a hole in them from walking, working or sporting activities you simply return them with your proof of purchase for a brand new pair!

I wasn’t anticipating wearing a hole in them on the walk but was really interested to see how they compared to my 1,000 Mile socks, which when my feet get particularly hot tend to slip down and around a bit so although I don’t get blisters I do have to pull them up a few times.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Getting Mustered

We all mustered at 9.30am to set off from Freshwater Bay House heading north to Colwell Bay and then following the coastal path all the way round to The Needles and then up to Tennyson Down and back to the hotel.

Form Freshwater Bay House we walked down the drive to the road and turned left up to St Agnes Church, the only thatched church on the Isle of Wight.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – St Agnes Thatched Church

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – St Agnes Thatched Church Inside

We continued our walk turning left at the track shortly after the church to Tennyson’s Bridge at Farringford. Tennyson wrote a number of his most famous poems at Farringford on the Isle Wight and he used the bridge to escape his visiting crowds into the countryside.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Tennyson’s Bridge Farringford

We then continued our walk along this track, walking right up the path to the road.

We then walked left along the road continuing straight ahead through Middleton where we then walked right up to the next road.

We continued our walk heading north all the way up to the road before the roundabout and walked into Colwell.

We then walked left to Colwell Bay and then left to walk along the seawall.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Colwell Bay

We then walked passed the pier and along the sea wall, walking left up a track to a road where we then walked up into Headon Warren, and our first view of The Needles.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Headon Warren

We then walked steeply down to a road where we then walked right to a roundabout and the entrance to The Needles Landmark Attraction.

We then walked along the lane and up to The Needles, looking back to the famous coloured sands of Alum Bay.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Alum Bay

We stopped off for lunch at The Needles and although it wasn’t a warm day the sun bouncing off the sea made it feel like summer. I also took a really good picture of Tedi at Scratchell’s Bay.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Tedi at The Needles

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – The Needles

After lunch we walked up the track to fabulous 360 degree views of the Island where we started our slow climb up Tennyson Down and eventually to Tennyson Monument.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Tennyson Down

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route – Tennyson Monument.

The last section of the walk was a very welcome gentle downhill stroll which lead us straight back to Freshwater Bay House.

I kept forgetting to switch on my walking app but this walk took us around 6 hours and covered around 10 miles.

HF Holidays Guided Walk – The Needles Circular Walking Route Map

Mike was our walk leader for the day and he was excellent – great with Tedi and very knowledgeable. He really looked after the group and chatted with everyone, the breaks were kept at a time limit everyone seemed happy with and the lunch stop was in a fantastic location.

Tedi wore his Hi-Tec walking boots for the first time and his little feet didn’t have a mark on them when we got back to our room and his feet were completely dry.

My SockShop Blueguard socks performed brilliantly, didn’t slip and felt very comfortable for the whole duration of the walk – including the steep ascents and descents across Headon Warren.