Familiar Roads

Path through the woods

There’s no doubt that the Isle of Wight is great for a cycling holiday, but it is also pretty fantastic for the locals. It’s no secret I’m a fan of Island roads. Knowing its network of little lanes offers endless possibilities mid-ride, and I love to make it up as I pedal. On Sunday we headed out for a coffee and ended up riding 60k, spurred on by the last of the summer sun, and the excuse for another coffee (and cake) stop.

It’s a pleasure to know roads well enough to plan a route in your head and travel without a map. I’m a little in love with the old road names, and wonder at their origins. Our Sunday route took us up Kite Hill, through Firestone Copse, down Beacon Alley, across Bleak Down, past Thorness Bay, and over Egypt Hill. I’m not practical enough to remember useful road names, (I pity the driver who asks me for directions in a town) but these old road names are so evocative, they’re forever in my head.

Do you have a favourite road, or a favourite route?  Mine always has to involve a good coffee stop!

9 thoughts on “Familiar Roads

  1. from home up brook shute, over the downs to freshwater bay, along railway line to yarmouth with hot chocolate and blueberry cake at butterflies.

  2. What a lovely post. I know exactly what you mean about remembering the roads with the good names, not the practical ones. My favorite is Keely Island Drive, full of memories and a summery-wispiness that I love.

  3. I really liked the Greenway Trails of Block Island. They crisscross the island and were quiet and beautiful when I experienced them during early autumn a few years back. It was post-tourist season and things had really slowed down, the weather was cooling, restaurants were closing their shutters, apples were ready to be picked.

  4. Lovely to discover your blog and I live on a little Island out from New Zealand and we have many nice walks and place to go to.
    That must have been a wonderful bike ride and love the photo.

    Happy weekend
    Carolyn

  5. Sarah edwards on said:

    Ramsdown aka the back route to the top of chillerton, there is nothing better than riding that route on a late autumn crisp and sunny Sunday morning, with frost on the ground, losing yourself on the back roads through yafford and Brighstone and sitting in the winter sun or coffee and homemade cake at dimbola, I hate cold toes on a bike but it worth for this!

    • Do you mean round Rill? I love that road! No doubt- Dimbola does the best cake! Certainly worth a cold-footed ride over there!