Ryde to Cowes
We landed at Heathrow on a Saturday morning and sleepily took a bus, then train, to Portsmouth. We crossed the Solent on a catamaran, landing in Ryde. After walking down the half-mile long pier, we walked around Ryde, ate lunch, bought the Isle of Wight Explorer map at the tourist office, and stopped by the B&B where we would stay at the end of the circuit. We had asked permission to leave two small bags with clothes we wouldn't need.
By mid-afternoon we were on our way, soon passing the ruins of Quarr Abbey. Limestone from the area was quarried to build this abbey, as well as Winchester and Chichester Cathedrals; hence the name of the abbey. It was founded in 1132, and contributed much to the island's education and poor relief; now, thanks to Henry VIII, it's just ruined walls on a farm.
A pretty farmhouse cottage is attached to an abbey building, and we were once again admiring the typical English front garden.
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Nearby Binstead church dates in part from Norman times, as it was built for the workers constructing the abbey.
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This tombstone in the
churchyard was the first of our many encounters with the
history of smuggling on the island. The inscription
reads: To the memory of Thos. Sivell who was cruelly shot on board his sloop by some officers of the customs on the thirteenth June 1785, at the age of 64 years... |
| It was a warm day, and we stopped for welcome drinks at the Sloop Inn, finding a picnic table in the shade. |  |
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Approaching Cowes (on one
of the unfortunately frequent road-walking sections of
this afternoon's eight miles) we passed near Osborne
House, seeing its towers. It was the favorite residence
of Queen Victoria, and she spent much time here. That was
a major reason for the popularity of the Isle of Wight
during the nineteenth century. Over the years, we've seen many "three-wheeled" cars, but we don't know anything about them.... |
Cowes is divided by the Medina, and the "Floating Bridge", a chain ferry, connects its two parts.
