Chillerton Down

Chillerton Down stands alone at the rural heart of the Isle of Wight, a chalk ridge with an unusual north to south orientation that forms the backdrop to the farming communities of Chillerton and Gatcombe. It carries a long record of use: the rampart and ditch of an unfinished Iron Age promontory fort, known locally as the Five Barrows, strip lynchets left by medieval ploughing, and the landmark mast of Chillerton transmitting station. Sheep keep the turf short for harebells, scabious, orchids, yellow rattle and knapweed, and from near the mast the view takes in Chale Bay, Sandown Bay and Cowes. Dogs are welcome across the downs, on a short lead around livestock. Two Trust circular walks start from the lay-by off Berry Shute: a moderate 4.5-mile round of the down and a challenging 9.25-mile route through woods and valleys. Reviewers, cyclists among them, praise the views across the island. The Trust warns of steep downland with stiles, gates and steps that turn slippery and muddy when wet, and of no well-defined paths on the open access land.