Tennyson Down
Tennyson Down
4.8
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.8
187 reviews
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55mo55
London, UK247 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
A fantastic walk with plenty of room and marvellous views across the island. We walked from the car park in Freshwater Bay and continued to the viewpoint of the Needles and back almost 18000 steps and loved every minute. If unsure of footing be very careful as lots of rabbit holes to potentially damage an ankle on. Not particularly wheelchair friendly but we did see one couple manage it to the memorial
Written 18 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
places2seeplaces2go
England, UK7,024 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We parked in a very small National Trust car park (free to members) and followed some steep steps & walk up to Tennyson Monument.
Amazing views from there on the mixed weather day we visited.
Once up at the top we felt compelled to walk across the top of the downs to The Needles at the very end.
The walk was fabulous, once at the end you can walk around the outside of the coastguard station to get a spectacular view of The Needles. We also walked around the outside of the newer (WW2) battery, which is huge. A couple of days earlier we had walked the lower cliff/road walk to The Old Battery so this gave us a very different experience.
We obviously then had to return back to our starting point.
In all about a 6mile walk.
Thoroughly brilliant.
Amazing views from there on the mixed weather day we visited.
Once up at the top we felt compelled to walk across the top of the downs to The Needles at the very end.
The walk was fabulous, once at the end you can walk around the outside of the coastguard station to get a spectacular view of The Needles. We also walked around the outside of the newer (WW2) battery, which is huge. A couple of days earlier we had walked the lower cliff/road walk to The Old Battery so this gave us a very different experience.
We obviously then had to return back to our starting point.
In all about a 6mile walk.
Thoroughly brilliant.
Written 17 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dee S
Aylesford, UK548 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Beautiful walk - up from Freshwater bay . Long steep rolling hills . But worth it for the great views . Benches around the Tennyson monument to take a break . Carry on walking to the Battery at the Needles - well worth a visit . National Trust property
Written 16 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
baileygeee
Romsey, UK632 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We parked at Alum Chine, if you are a NT member show your card to get a £2.00 reduction in the parking change. The walk is lovely, fabulous views of both sides of the island, in July lots of wild flowers on the walk to the Needles and over the downs. It's a walk we have done many times, usually start off at about 10.00am, coffee and homemade cake at NT needles cafe, picnic lunch at the monument and aim to be at Freshwater about 1.00 then get the 2.00pm bus back to Alum, number 12, not that many during the day, if you miss the 2.00 it's a wait till 4.20. But it's a wonderful walk whatever.
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin T
6 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
This is a fantastic walk across the downs with great views across the Solent. You can join it at various places but the easiest is via the Alum Bay/Needles car park which will cost you £6 (Sept 2020). Other joining points have limited parking but are free.
The complete round route is 7 miles and is challenging. We took about 3 hours to complete it including a 30 minute break for lunch. It is best to print off the route as the sign posts are missing in places especially around the Freshwater Bay area.
However you don't need to do the complete route and walking to the Tennyson Monument and back is still a good walk.
The weather was beautiful when we did it and the views to the mainland were amazing.
Highly recommended for keen walkers.
The complete round route is 7 miles and is challenging. We took about 3 hours to complete it including a 30 minute break for lunch. It is best to print off the route as the sign posts are missing in places especially around the Freshwater Bay area.
However you don't need to do the complete route and walking to the Tennyson Monument and back is still a good walk.
The weather was beautiful when we did it and the views to the mainland were amazing.
Highly recommended for keen walkers.
Written 18 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jelibori
Maidenhead, UK145 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Stunning walk along the top and not too steep. Would say reasonably accessible for anyone that is active. Easy to walk from the needles to freshwater and views are spectacular on a clear day. Lots of wide open space with beautiful flowers and birds.
Written 10 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJK
Coventry1,388 contributions
Oct 2021
This place was supposed to be just a point on the map during our cliff walk between the Needles and Freshwater, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.
Great views, an impressive monument - all on a sunny autumn day framed by a blue sky.
A wonderful place and unforgettable views during our vacation on the Isle of Wight.
Great views, an impressive monument - all on a sunny autumn day framed by a blue sky.
A wonderful place and unforgettable views during our vacation on the Isle of Wight.
Written 26 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alliemayt05
Salisbury, UK105 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We parked in the tennyson down national trust car park (for free) before starting out hike we had planned for the day.
We went from the car park through a lovely country path to freshwater, then onto a coastal path to the monument.
It is quite an incline from freshwater to the monument, but there is a bench about halfway and again at the monument to stop, and it is perfect for admiring the stunning views.
We went from the car park through a lovely country path to freshwater, then onto a coastal path to the monument.
It is quite an incline from freshwater to the monument, but there is a bench about halfway and again at the monument to stop, and it is perfect for admiring the stunning views.
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NLJ000
Folkestone, UK31 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
We walked from Freshwater up over the Tennyson Downs (past the monument) to the Needles, then past Alum Bay to the Needless Visitor area and back along the bottom of the Downs (West Down?) to arrive back in Freshwater. A long but relatively easy and absolutely beautiful walk, incredible views and so peaceful up on the Downs. Lots of birds and butterflies to spot. Highly recommended for a day out (the round trip walk including a stop at the Needles and the visitor area took around 4-5 hours and we weren't in a rush).
Written 12 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UkPj
UK344 contributions
Sept 2020
We were lucky enough to have picked a lovely day to do this walk out to the Needles. Parked in a VERY small NT Car Park near Totland, luckily someone was leaving as we arrived or would not have got in. We walked out to the headland along the Eastern path, so the views cross to the mainland were hidden (not done intentionally), and when we reached the Needles the view was breathtaking. We then walked back on the Western path and enjoyed the beautiful views, wanted to just sit and stare. A walk not not be missed.
Written 11 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, how long does it take from Freshwater Bay to Tennyson's Monument? Thanks.
Written 27 January 2016
Hi
It all depends how fit you are, it is 1.5 miles from Freshwater bay to Tennyson`s monument and rises 400 feet, after leaving Freshwater bay there is a very steep initial rise but it is a short rise, after that it is just a steady rise to the Monument and the views are stunning, for an average person I would suggest allow 45 minutes
Written 28 January 2016
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