The mass of Chillerton Down looms ahead with its tall transmitting station mast on top — A lovely ridge walk along Chillerton Down with long-distance views | © National Trust / Sue Oldham

Isle of Wight

Chillerton Down circular walk

This 4.5-mile walk circumnavigates Chillerton Down, a peaceful, unspoilt and largely undiscovered area of chalk downland in the centre of the Isle of Wight. It's regarded as something of a beauty spot, with great views of the Island, and is arguably at its best in the spring, when the wildflowers turn the hillsides in to a sea of colour.

Chillerton Down paths

There are no well defined paths on the open access land on Chillerton Down, so it is best to choose an aiming point and walk towards it.

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Total steps: 6

Start point

Lay-by off Berry Shute, Chillerton, grid ref: SZ481829

Step 1

Take the G13 bridleway to the base of Chillerton Down, ignoring a path to the left. Immediately after passing through a gate, follow the curving upward path along the right-hand side of the chalk pit in front of you. When level with the top of the pit, carry straight on up the hill to the fence visible on the skyline, just to the right of the mast. This is the perimeter fence of Chillerton transmitting station.

Chillerton Down

Chillerton Down lies at the rural heart of the Island. Providing the backdrop to the small farming communities of Chillerton and Gatcombe, it is a peaceful, unspoilt and largely undiscovered place. Visit in spring to see it ablaze with typical chalk grassland wildflowers such as harebells, scabious, orchids, yellow rattle and knapweed. You may even see a hare, or a kestrel soaring overhead.

Step 2

Turn right and follow the fence line. Go through a kissing gate close to the boundary corner and, aiming just left of straight ahead, head towards a group of trees by a fence corner where there is a wooden bench and viewpoint.

Chalk downland

Chalk downland once covered large parts of Europe. Shallow soils on chalk and exposure to wind and rain combine to make it difficult for large plants to establish. Strip lynchets (banks of disturbed soil caused by ploughing) on Chillerton Down provide evidence of medieval arable agriculture, but today the downland is grazed by sheep. They keep the grass short, enabling clumps of a wide variety of small, low-growing plants to establish.

Step 3

Follow the top of the ridge to a kissing gate 110yds (100m) down from the top field corner. Pass through to leave the open access land, and continue onwards along a defined path, descending gently then steeply close to the fence to the far lower corner of the field. Go through the gate and turn immediately left for 25yds (25m) then through another kissing gate and follow the path through a copse. Go straight along G8 at the signpost and around a field gate to reach a crossing track.

Open access land

Chillerton Down is designated as open access land. This means that walkers have the right to roam freely without keeping to a footpath. Access to large swathes of open countryside was granted under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000. Campaigning for a 'right to roam' goes back many years – one of the milestones was the mass trespass of Kinder Scout in 1932. The Act took effect in 2005 after a mapping exercise to show where walkers' new rights could be exercised.

Step 4

Turn left and follow the track as far as a minor road, then turn left. Leave the road just to the left of Newbarn Farm and follow an uphill bridleway, part of which is a sunken lane. Bear right just after a signpost indicating G22 Dunkem Down, and after a short rise bear left just before the gate at the top. Now the path rises more gently, passing a dew pond on the right. Shortly after this, go through a gate to reach a crossing track in the conifer belt.

Land management

Our walk passes two man-made dewponds, which are built to provide water for livestock in this chalky area. Much of the other land in the scenic valley with gently undulating hills leading up onto the down is managed for pheasants and partridges. This is part of the 2000 acres (800 hectares) of the Bowcombe Estate, which is the biggest privately owned shooting estate on the Island. A very careful balance of cover and open ground is maintained here.

A dew pond full of water on top of Chillerton Down near the transmitting station — One of the two dew ponds by the side of this Chillerton Down Circular walking trail | © National Trust / Sue Oldham

Step 5

Turn left and follow the ridge-top bridleway signed N146 to Shorwell. Pass the Chillerton Down Transmitting Station to reach its concrete and tarmac access road.

Chillerton Down Transmitter

The Chillerton Down Transmitter was built in 1958 to provide the main site in central and southern England for ITV. It has a slim-line design to make it less obtrusive in the landscape, and is held in place by 15 stay lines secured by nine anchoring blocks. This design has meant that it could not handle modern UHF and digital TV traffic. Rowridge, three miles away, is the Island's TV transmitter. Now Chillerton broadcasts FM and DAB radio.

Step 6

Cross the access road and go through a gate. Take the downwards sunken path straight ahead. Curl left-wards round the hill, pass through two gates and rejoin the outward path back to the start.

Chillerton chalk pits

There are a number of mainly post-medieval chalk pits and quarries in this area, often found at the base of the downs. In medieval times, much of the chalk downland was shared out between local manors and often used for grazing. Chalk was also used as a local building material and for fertiliser. There is still a large modern chalk quarry on nearby Cheverton Down. You may even be lucky to spot some bee orchids on the steep quarry banks in June, for this is one of the areas where they thrive.

Sheep graze Chillerton Down, with the chalk cliffs of Old Harry Rocks near Swanage visible in the far distance, and a bee orchid — Sheep keep the grass short on the sides of Chillerton Down, and a bee orchid | © National Trust / Sue Oldham and Chuck Eccleston ARPS

End point

Lay-by off Berry Shute, Chillerton, grid ref: SZ481829

Trail map

Chillerton Down Circular walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2015 Ordnance Survey

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Isle of Wight, PO30 3HA

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