HF Houses - Freshwater Bay.
There is something about traveling by ferry to start the holiday.
Freshwater Bay House is on the coast and it is one of the larger HF houses with 43 rooms. It was a purpose-built hotel and it has had various name changes over the years such as The George Inn and Plumley’s Post House. It has been extended over the years and had a 3rd floor added. It had many famous guests such as George Bernard Shaw, Lewis Carroll, Anthony Trollope, and Lord Tennyson. HF aquired it in 1956.
A few rooms face the sea but most face inland or over an inner courtyard.
I have put a lot more photographs of the house and gardens on the page here.
Getting to Freshwater Bay by Public Transport
| For more detail about getting To Freshwater Bay by Public Transport I have put more detail on the page here. |
There are ferry's, catamarans and hovercraft to Yarmouth, Cowes, East Cowes, Fishbourne and Ryde.
The Wightlink Lymington to Yarmouth ferry is the most convenient for Freshwater Bay as it involves less traveling on the island.
HF Holidays member discount: If you’re a member, you can get 20% off foot travel with Wightlink Ferry. However you can also buy ferry tickets as part of you rail ticket and this may be cheaper, especially if you have a railcard. If you do get a train ticket for Yarmouth make sure its Yarmouth, Isle of Wight and not Great Yarmouth, Norfolk which one person on my holiday did.
Even if your rail ticket includes the ferry, on certain sailings in both directions, they restrict the number of passengers who are able to travel. On these sailings foot passengers must register in advance (Check restricted sailings) if you don't get a boarding pass specific to these sailings you may not be allowed on. Do it early as there is a limited number available.
To get to Lymington Pier get the train to Brockenhurst:
then get the branch line to Lymington Pier. This is the last stop on the line after Lymington Town. Walk directly from Lymington Pier to the ferry. This picture is taken from the ferry (the ferry in the background must be out of service).
Annoyingly they only let foot passengers on after all the cars have driven on.
At Yarmouth, as you leave the ferry, the buses are just outside.
The island buses are operated by Southern Vectis. Newport is the hub for the islands bus routes, if you want to go between the east and west of the island you will need to change at Newport. Generally on the east of the island the buses are very frequent, on the west of the island (where Freshwater Bay is) the buses are not so frequent.
Route 7 takes you from Yarmouth to Freshwater, you can then get route 12 from Freshwater to Freshwater Bay. Bus 12 is not very frequent so you may find it quicker to walk from Freshwater.
In summer there are open top buses called Needles Breezer, if they are running this is a direct route from Yarmouth to Freshwater Bay and so is much quicker (they are classed as tourist buses so your free bus pass won't work on the Needles Breezer).
| For more detail about getting To Freshwater Bay by Public Transport I have put more detail on the page here. |
The House and Gardens
Freshwater Bay is on the coast and it is one of the larger HF houses. A few rooms face the sea but most face inland. Some rooms lookout on an inner courtyard above the kitchens.
I have put a lot more photographs of the house and gardens on the page here.
Gathering in the morning for a led walk. This was once a Dandelion Cafe more about this here.
One time I stayed there I got a room with this view. This was before HF had the concept of premium rooms and Tony allocated the rooms himself.
The lifeboat returning.
On this holiday I had a view facing inland toward Dimbola Museum (my pictures of Dimbola Museum on the page here).
I have put a lot more photographs of the house and gardens on the page here.
Walks from Freshwater Bay House without Car
Here are some walks from the house or walks using local busses. There was plenty of nice walks for a 7-night self-guided stay. Here is some information about a few that I have done:
- Alum Bay, The Needles and Tennyson Down
- Carisbrooke to Freshwater Bay ( Tennyson Trail)
- Totland, Colwell Bay, Fort Victoria and Yarmouth
- Robert Hooke Trail
- Hamstead Trail
- Shorwell - Brighstone - Freshwater Bay via coast
- Carisbrooke Castle
- Osborne House
- Dimbola Museum and Galleries
- Mottistone Manor
- Farringford
Alum Bay, The Needles and Tennyson Down
Whatever else you do on the holiday you must see the Needles and Tennyson Down.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Tennyson Monument:
Alum Bay with its multi-coloured sand cliffs:
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Totland, Colwell Bay, Fort Victoria and Yarmouth
A nice walk around the coast to Yarmouth, you can walk back along the old railway line or catch the bus back.
It is unfortunate that there is a section where you have to divert inland to bypass a holiday home development.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Fort Victoria:
To the east of Yarmouth is Bouldnor Copse.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Carisbrooke Castle
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
You can get bus 12 from Freshwater Bay to Carisbrooke Castle and on to Newport.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Carisbrooke to Freshwater Bay ( Tennyson Trail)
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
The Tennyson Trail between Carisbrooke and Freshwater Bay is about 10 miles across the downs that form the spine of the island. So outside the forests, if the weather is clear, there are some good views. Unfortunately there are a couple of places toward the end of the walk where the path dips down to the road and back up the other side at Brighstone Forest and Brook Down. So the walk involves some up and down.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Shorwell - Brighstone - Freshwater Bay via coast
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
I got bus 12 from Freshwater Bay to Shorwell. I then walked past Wolverton Manor to the coast.
There are supposed to be dinosaur footprints along the coast. I think the tide was too high when I went.
Then along the coast, there is a lot of erosion:
If the path is blocked you may have to go back to the Military Road to get past the blockage.
Military Road:
To get back to Freshwater Bay House you have to climb up this:
Across the military road and up to the golf course.
I have put a fuller description and more pictures from this walk on the page here.
Other Pages with my pictures around Freshwater
- Alum Bay, The Needles and Tennyson Down
- Carisbrooke to Freshwater Bay ( Tennyson Trail)
- Totland, Colwell Bay, Fort Victoria and Yarmouth
- Robert Hooke Trail
- Hamstead Trail
- Shorwell - Brighstone - Freshwater Bay via coast
- Carisbrooke Castle
- Osborne House
- Dimbola Museum and Galleries
- Mottistone Manor
- Farringford
Red Squirrels
Aparently they can be seen at Alverstone Mead, Parkhurst Forest and The Garlic Farm but this is as close as I got to taking a picture of one. Is that a Squirrel?
Other Pictures
Other Documents on this site
Click on the following for more information
| Former HF Houses | |
|---|---|
| Conwy (1914- 2011) |  |
| Newlands (1914- 1987) |  |
| Swanage (1947- 1995) |  |
| Isle of Arran (1925- ) |  |
| Scarborough (1954- 1998) |  |
| Lulworth |  |
| Beddgelert |  |
| New Inns |  |
| Penrith |  |
| Milford-on-Sea |  |
About This SiteHere is some information I have gathered together about getting to and walking from HF houses when leaving the car at home. On these pages I have also put some history about former HF houses I have visited. The information here is based on my visits to HF houses over the years. It may be out of date so don't rely on anything here without checking. If you find any errors why not let others know by putting a post on the HF Holiday Fans ( unofficial) Facebook forum. I will try to quote such posts here so they don't get lost. This is information I have discovered over the years which would have been useful to know before. Unfortunately the travel information on the HF website, for getting to houses by public transport, is poor. I think it would be better if the information on this page were on the HF website. |
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