Spring walks on the Isle of Wight

With longer days, bird song in the air, bright buds, and new green leaves starting to unfurl, spring is a beautiful time of year for walking on the Isle of Wight. In the woods and across the downs, flowers are starting to blossom, and new life is emerging daily. With over 5000 acres of countryside in our care to choose from, we’ve picked some of the best walks for spotting the signs of spring.

The Long stone sits starkly in the Mottistone landscape catching the winter sun
Mottistone Gardens and Estate   Isle of Wight

Spring Wildlife and History Walks on Mottistone Estate

Sun 25 Mar, 29 Apr, Thurs 10 May, 11am, 2 hours, 1.5 miles, moderate. Mottistone Estate has a landscape history that stretches thousands of years into the past. But it’s also a haven for wildlife. You can join one of our rangers as you walk across the landscape and back through time to discover life both then and now. Booking essential 01983 741020. £7 per person which includes lunch.

Book your place
Bluebells cover the floor in Borthwood Copse
Walking trail

Purple haze 

Downloadable, 45 mins, 1.2 miles easy. If you go down to the woods today….you probably won’t find a bear, but you’re more than likely to find a carpet of purple. From late April, a stroll in Borthwood will take you along paths and tracks that wind between delicate bluebells that cover the woodland floor. And as the copse is full of the sweet smell of these protected flowers, it makes a walk here a real treat for the senses.

Follow the trail
The sandy Redcliff and chalk cliffs of Culver Downs seen from the beach
Bembridge Fort and Downs   Isle of Wight

Coastal Change Walk: the Cliff Experience

Sun 6 May 9.30am, 3 hours, challenging. If the arrival of spring has filed you with energy, then you might like to join our guided walk up steep Culver Downs and through the Redcliff landslip. We’ll look at how the movement of the land and cliff has carved the landscape into the shape you see today.

Join the walk
Yellow flowers of a cowslips on the downs on the Isle of Wight
Walking trail

Golden mornings 

Downloadable, 1.8 miles, 1 hour, easy. Taking a gentle stroll on a sunny spring morning is a lovely way to start the day. Our trail across Culver Downs is suitable for those who are less mobile, so that everyone can enjoy the golden cowslips and primroses that cover the banks and ditches of the fort and surrounding downland.

See the trail
Early morning light over Newtown creek
Newtown National Nature Reserve and Old Town Hall   Isle of Wight

Dawn Chorus walk

Sun 6 May 5am, 2 hours, gentle. As the sun rises over the creeks, meadows and woods at Newtown, birdsong fills the air as the new day awakens. It might be an early start, but when you come along to our morning walk, you can experience it for yourself and discover why it's so special. And afterwards, there’ll be a well-deserved warming breakfast, which is just what you need after being up with the lark (£7 per person inc. breakfast, booking essential).

Discover the dawn chorus
View of the bridge and meadows at Newtown National Nature Reserve, Isle of Wight
Newtown National Nature Reserve and Old Town Hall   Isle of Wight

The Story of Newtown Walk: A Changing Landscape

Thurs 10 May 2pm, 1.5 hours, gentle. Despite its name, Newtown is a very old place. In fact elephants once roamed here. Our guided walk will take you out to the water’s edge and explain the changes that have taken place over thousands of years, right up to the present day and the effect of rising sea levels on the estuary.

Find out about Newtown's past
A view across the meadows of Newtown, Isle of Wight, towards the harbour at Big Camp 2015
Newtown National Nature Reserve and Old Town Hall   Isle of Wight

Newtown Wildlife Walks

Wed 16, Thurs 31 May 2pm, 1.5 hours, gentle. Newtown is unique - the only National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight. Our work here ensures that the delicate habitats and wildlife that you’ll find in the woods, creeks and meadows are looked after now and in the future. This summer we’re running a series of walks to help you discover the wildlife that lives here and to explain why your help is so important.

Discover more about Newtown
Peacock Butterfly
Walking trail

Butterfly walk 

Downloadable, 2 hours 5 miles, moderate. After the cold of winter, the bright colour of butterflies dancing and flitting across the downs and meadows is a welcome sight. Although in late spring and summer our countryside is covered with these delicate insects, even in the earlier months of the years you may be lucky enough to spot them on a walk.

Follow the trail to see if you can spy them yet
Old English goats with kid
Walking trail

High on the hills 

Downloadable, 2 hours, 4.5 miles, challenging. It’s not just the woods that are covered in bluebells in spring. High on Ventnor Downs you’ll also find a profusion of purple dancing in the breeze and shining in the sun. And if you’re really lucky you may even spot some other recent arrivals: baby kids from our herd of Old English feral goats.

Download the trail
The view from Mottistone Down
Walking trail 

Spring walking

If you’d like to discover more of our countryside, we’ve plenty of other walks to choose from. You can download your favourite, and print it out, so it’s even easier to explore the beautiful Isle of Wight landscape this spring.

Find more walks to choose from