Autumn Holiday Part Two - The Beautiful Sea & Yarmouth Castle

 I woke up to an email about a video call interview for a job with the NHS in a couple of days time, but I would need a laptop for it. I then planned to come home from the island a few hours earlier than James and Rob to do the interview. That was a good start, I'd applied for quite a few jobs, but hadn't heard anything much yet from anyone!

After a hearty full English breakfast we prepared where we were staying, we headed over to Compton Bay for a walk along the beach. It was cooler today, and rather blustery, as you can tell by some of the clouds & waves!

The Isle of Wight, particularly it's Southern coast is well known for its beauty, and Compton Bay in particular is beautiful. I love the contrast of the slightly grey looking sea with the earthy tones of the cliffs & rocks here. We had the place to ourselves as well, there was just the occasional dog walker or paddle boarder that we went past.

I've never tried paddle boarding, I kind of like the idea of it, but I don't think the general public is ready to see me in a wetsuit just yet, I wouldn't be able to afford to pay for everyone's therapy afterwards!

All along the beach there's interesting little things to look at, like these water pipes that had come down the cliff at some point. That's the risk of being near the sea, you live better, but the chances of everything crashing into the sea is a lot higher than if you live in the middle of the country. Although after watching that documentary about the super tsunami the other night, I didn't think anywhere was safe! 

I loved the fact that there were hardly any other footprints other than ours there. It's a similar feeling to when it snows and you're the first to step into the soft snow. It's a wonderful feeling. And luckily I had my army boots on, so I could also go for a little paddle too! 

We hopped back in the car as we couldn't get any further along the beach where the tide was coming in more, and headed further along to Freshwater Bay. You can see why it was called that, the water here had a different sort of clarity to it.

There was also this curious line of concrete pillars, which I'm assuming was some sort of breakwater or sea defence, but it just seemed off how it just stopped. I couldn't seem to quite time it right to jump on and stand on it for a photo, the gap seemed to be a little bit too wide to hop across.

A view of the headland, the white stone and greenery spread along it. It was even quieter here, there was literally no one here but us! 

The tide was really coming in now, the crystal blue waters flowing over the top off the sea defence wall we had walked along. We made sharpish retreat to the road, and stopped in the little beachside cafe for a spot of lunch. It seemed to be eerily abandoned, and we grabbed a bacon sandwich each, which considering we were the only ones there took a very long time to make. I'd already eaten my ice cream waiting for it! 

James fancied a bit of time on the arcades, so he took us up to the Needles Landmark attraction at Alum Bay, where we spent a bit of time trying to win some prizes & having a mooch around.

I think he had been practicing at the air hockey, because to be beaten by that margin was quite unfortunate for me!

I didn't manage to get many sweets either on the 2p slot machines! Never mind, I 'll try again!

 

I did get this lovely picture of the Needles though, with its iconic lighthouse right at the end. I always wondered why they were called the Needles, as to me they look more like sharks teeth, long and jagged. Apparently there was a much taller and narrower one, nicknames "Lot's Wife" that looked like a sewing needle that collapsed in a storm a couple of hundred years ago. I've mentioned it before, but the story of Lot's Wife is one of the most fascinating in the bible. It's almost like a fairy tale.

That's a hearty looking dinner!

Our final stop today was Yarmouth Castle, a fortification on the Northern coast of the Isle of Wight built on the orders of King Henry the eighth to defend against French invasion. In an amusing side note, it seems that the history of England & Great Britain has always been about preventing the French from invading. Thank goodness we are friends now! 

The castle is compact but interesting, with lots of information panels and little rooms to check out, as well as this lovely little terrace at the top where the cannon are situated now. It's quite difficult to see the outside of the castle, as it juts out into the sea, but if you're on the ferry that comes in & out of Yarmouth, it's well worth taking a few pictures when you come up close.

The castle was built in the 1540's, ironically on a site previously owned by the church and by stones taken from the local Quarr Abbey, which had been suppressed & destroyed recently before hand. Some of the interesting details can be seen here, like this carved figure holding a crucifix.

The main gallery contains a whole host of information about the castle and its history, and I quite enjoyed the fact that it was broken down into smaller pieces which still being interesting. It was also interesting to learn that this was one of the first forts in England built in the "Italianate style". Rather than rounded towers and walls, they were now pointed like an arrow, which increased the range of fire at the attacking forces.

I didn't want to get too close to the barrels, they looked like they would fall on me! And here you can see the small courtyard for the castle, which would have been a busy hub in its heyday. Again, we were the only ones there. The Isle of Wight is very much a seasonal thing, and most places were closing the week after we visited for the winter, so early October is a great time to come if you want a quieter holiday. Tickets start at £11 for adults, although as always there is a discount for booking in advance online, and English Heritage members can visit for free. To find out more and book tickets, check out their website @english-heritage.org.uk/yarmouth-castle

We then had a walk through the cutesy town of Yarmouth, popping into the local shop to get a couple of things for dinner before heading back to where we were staying. If you're wanting a cheaper holiday, self accommodation can really work for you. You can cook as much or as little as you like which reduces how much you spend eating out. We generally have lunches out, but make our own breakfasts & dinners, and we even bring a small selection of sauces and herbs to cook with. Being this close to home makes that part much easier! Having the car also makes it much easier too, you can just load it up and it's done, no lugging about heavy cases! Plus, being on the ferry is great because you can bring as much back as you like, I brought 25 garlic bulbs from the garlic farm, and no doubt I'd find more stuff to bring home!