Having torn myself away from the hovercrafts, found my accommodation for the week, and dealt with the sightly wonky key safe, it was time for a glass of wine. Next morning I was back at the hovercrafts again, and couldn’t help myself watch one come in and one go out again! I include the photo above as it shows in the background the substantial Ryde Pier. In fact it’s almost three parallel piers, one as a road to drive out to the end, there is a car park at the end, one as a walkway and one as a train line. So in my case, I could drive out to the end of the pier, park the car, watch the hydrofoil dock and jump on a train!
If you are thinking that the Isle of Wight (IOW) train looks a little like a London tube train you’d be right. I think there were once ex- tube trains, although I believe these were new, directly to the Island in 2022. Having been to the Island many times over the years, I never went on the “regular service train”, (there is a preservation steam train) so this trip I decided I must. I went the whole length, Ryde Pier head through to Shanklin, 8.5 miles in about 28 minutes. Above is the train going out to the pier head that I caught back and below, the other end of the line Shanklin station. First opened on 23 August 1864.
A short walk took me down to the sea front and the start of my walk. March is out of season for the Island, but the crazy golf was open. So was the coffee shop.
Walking north, back in the direction I’d just travelled the end of Shanklin sea front doesn’t take long to reach. At the end is a car park is the oddly arranged area that the seawall, car park, and slipway have turned into an almost concrete battleship!
The view from here shows the way forward….
Chatter: All images are on Ilford Delta 100, made with the Canon EOS 30 and the STM 40mm. Developed in home made FX21.
S.H.O.U.T. 