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Tennyson Trail - Isle of Wight's Best Mountain Bike Route
The Tennyson Trail is perhaps the best cycle route for mountain bikes on the Isle of Wight. It offers scorching views and lots of up and down hills that require suspension and a resilient bottom.
It is about 11-14 miles in each direction, depending on whether you stop at Freshwater Bay or carry on to the Needles. It is also a popular walking route and is well signposted. I won't say 'you can't go wrong', as we usually do. There are no stiles between Carisbrooke and Freshwater Bay on the Tennyson Trail (we encountered one near the Needles but I think we might have gone wrong).
You can download a map from Visit Isle of Wight but you shouldn't really need it if you read through our basic instructions.
We completed the Tennyson Trail recently and thought it was worth sharing our experiences.
It is about 11-14 miles in each direction, depending on whether you stop at Freshwater Bay or carry on to the Needles. It is also a popular walking route and is well signposted. I won't say 'you can't go wrong', as we usually do. There are no stiles between Carisbrooke and Freshwater Bay on the Tennyson Trail (we encountered one near the Needles but I think we might have gone wrong).
You can download a map from Visit Isle of Wight but you shouldn't really need it if you read through our basic instructions.
We completed the Tennyson Trail recently and thought it was worth sharing our experiences.
You'll need a mountain bike with suspension for the Tennyson Trail (or a good quality chamois cream)
Finding the Tennyson Trail
I grew up about 200m from the start of the Tennyson Trail and recall my Dad talking about how it had rattled the bolts free on his new Muddy Fox mountain bike in the 1990s.
Despite this proximity, I couldn't exactly remember where the track started.
You need to head for Carisbrooke High Street. If you are coming from Cowes then you'll need to follow the first section of the Red Squirrel Trail to get to Newport first. If you have bikes strapped to the back of a car then I would park at the bottom of Carisbrooke High Street (opposite the Co-op). There's not much free parking around there, but you might be lucky and get a free space on Priory Road that leads towards Gunville (near The Waverley). There is a large free car park which is a five minute cycle away, opposite Carisbrooke Priory.
We were starting in Carisbrooke so we peddled up the hill, past the Waverley and onto Nodgham Lane. The bikes were in full 'Turbo' mode. I am not particularly fit but e-bikes have helped me discover that I actually love cycling. My mother is shocked at this as I spent many years complaining on family bike rides. Yes, I know riding an e-bike isn't 'proper cycling' but it suits me.
Rather idiotically, we managed to miss the start of the Tennyson Trail and whooshed straight down the hill in the wrong direction.
I apologised to my fellow cyclist (Ian) and headed back up the hill where a local resident put us straight. The track you need is between houses and is opposite Park House (here on the map).
Despite this proximity, I couldn't exactly remember where the track started.
You need to head for Carisbrooke High Street. If you are coming from Cowes then you'll need to follow the first section of the Red Squirrel Trail to get to Newport first. If you have bikes strapped to the back of a car then I would park at the bottom of Carisbrooke High Street (opposite the Co-op). There's not much free parking around there, but you might be lucky and get a free space on Priory Road that leads towards Gunville (near The Waverley). There is a large free car park which is a five minute cycle away, opposite Carisbrooke Priory.
We were starting in Carisbrooke so we peddled up the hill, past the Waverley and onto Nodgham Lane. The bikes were in full 'Turbo' mode. I am not particularly fit but e-bikes have helped me discover that I actually love cycling. My mother is shocked at this as I spent many years complaining on family bike rides. Yes, I know riding an e-bike isn't 'proper cycling' but it suits me.
Rather idiotically, we managed to miss the start of the Tennyson Trail and whooshed straight down the hill in the wrong direction.
I apologised to my fellow cyclist (Ian) and headed back up the hill where a local resident put us straight. The track you need is between houses and is opposite Park House (here on the map).
The Tennyson Trail is easy to miss on Nodgham Lane - it's next to the red sign on this picture
An unpleasant start in Carisbrooke
The general rule with the Tennyson Trail is that it gets more scenic as you go along, assuming you start from Carisbrooke.
I found the first section to be hard going and unpleasant. The hedgerows and weeds had been furiously growing so the useable track was barely as wide as the bike. I did my best to avoid being stung by nettles and had to screech to a halt whenever a dog walker arrived from the opposite direction. I began to question if it might be like this for the next 14 miles.
After about three quarters of a mile on narrow tracks, we emerged onto a more pleasant track where we enjoyed good views towards the Bowcombe Valley. I treated Ian to a selection of Limericks about a man from Bowcombe (pronounced Buck-em by locals).
I found the first section to be hard going and unpleasant. The hedgerows and weeds had been furiously growing so the useable track was barely as wide as the bike. I did my best to avoid being stung by nettles and had to screech to a halt whenever a dog walker arrived from the opposite direction. I began to question if it might be like this for the next 14 miles.
After about three quarters of a mile on narrow tracks, we emerged onto a more pleasant track where we enjoyed good views towards the Bowcombe Valley. I treated Ian to a selection of Limericks about a man from Bowcombe (pronounced Buck-em by locals).
The first section of the Tennyson Trail was narrow and hard going, like a conversation at a wedding with your right wing uncle
Brighstone and Mottistone
We continued our way along a mixture of chalky and muddy tracks, including a shaded section through Brighstone Forest. It hadn't rained for a while but there were still a few slippery patches under the trees.
The Tennyson Trail takes you through Brighstone Forest
After a while, we ended up on Mottistone Down, which is favourite area of mine.
Mottistone has a couple of interesting things about it - although both would require a detour from the Tennyson Trail.
The main attraction in Mottistone is a manor house and gardens, which is managed by the National Trust. The gardens are open to the public and are worth a visit if you have membership. Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter were married in the church in Mottistone.
There's also The Longstone, which is the Isle of Wight's mini version of Stonehenge, with two big rocks that are thought to mark a burial ground.
We found a bench with a view of the sea and I took a few videos with my drone before setting off again.
Mottistone has a couple of interesting things about it - although both would require a detour from the Tennyson Trail.
The main attraction in Mottistone is a manor house and gardens, which is managed by the National Trust. The gardens are open to the public and are worth a visit if you have membership. Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter were married in the church in Mottistone.
There's also The Longstone, which is the Isle of Wight's mini version of Stonehenge, with two big rocks that are thought to mark a burial ground.
We found a bench with a view of the sea and I took a few videos with my drone before setting off again.
We sat on this bench at Mottistone Down for some time
Mottistone to Freshwater Bay
This next section of the Tennyson Trail was probably my favourite and included a couple of rather thrilling downhill tracks.
I found myself deciding between the sensible option (cautiously squeezing the brakes all the way) and the riskier option (screaming like a child and pedalling like crazy). It had been many years since I had done a proper mountain bike ride, but I found my risk-taking gradually increased as I survived each section.
There was then a big climb up to Afton Down. If I didn't have a Turbo setting on the electric bike then I would probably still be climbing this hill. There were a few other hazards along the way, including a cows and sheep sitting on the cycle track.
From here, we cycled through the Freshwater Bay golf course. I was slightly worried that I might be hit by a golf ball before remembering that I was wearing a helmet. At one point I stopped to allow a golfer to take his shot. I bellowed "good shot!" as an attempt to encourage him. In reality it was an average shot at best and I now worry that he might have thought I was being sarcastic as I whooshed past at top speed. I still wake in the night worrying about this.
The views as you head into Freshwater Bay are some of the best of the day. They are similar to the views you get on the Military Road but you have a bit more time to enjoy them.
I found myself deciding between the sensible option (cautiously squeezing the brakes all the way) and the riskier option (screaming like a child and pedalling like crazy). It had been many years since I had done a proper mountain bike ride, but I found my risk-taking gradually increased as I survived each section.
There was then a big climb up to Afton Down. If I didn't have a Turbo setting on the electric bike then I would probably still be climbing this hill. There were a few other hazards along the way, including a cows and sheep sitting on the cycle track.
From here, we cycled through the Freshwater Bay golf course. I was slightly worried that I might be hit by a golf ball before remembering that I was wearing a helmet. At one point I stopped to allow a golfer to take his shot. I bellowed "good shot!" as an attempt to encourage him. In reality it was an average shot at best and I now worry that he might have thought I was being sarcastic as I whooshed past at top speed. I still wake in the night worrying about this.
The views as you head into Freshwater Bay are some of the best of the day. They are similar to the views you get on the Military Road but you have a bit more time to enjoy them.
The cycle track passes through Freshwater Bay Golf Club
Arriving in Freshwater Bay
We know Freshwater Bay very well (we have a holiday let there that you might like to stay in) but it felt peculiar arriving from an unfamiliar direction.
There's a choice of places to eat including Dimbola (also a photography museum), the Piano Café (previously home to Queen Victoria's piano tuner) and The Albion (renovated into a plush hotel in 2024). Freshwater Bay also has a thatched church and a statue of Jimi Hendrix to mark his final performance in the UK, which took place on Afton Down at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.
My mother met us at Freshwater Bay so we indulged in a swim. The sea was sparkling blue that day but Ian refused to join us. Perhaps the screams I made in the cold water might have put him off a bit.
There's a choice of places to eat including Dimbola (also a photography museum), the Piano Café (previously home to Queen Victoria's piano tuner) and The Albion (renovated into a plush hotel in 2024). Freshwater Bay also has a thatched church and a statue of Jimi Hendrix to mark his final performance in the UK, which took place on Afton Down at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.
My mother met us at Freshwater Bay so we indulged in a swim. The sea was sparkling blue that day but Ian refused to join us. Perhaps the screams I made in the cold water might have put him off a bit.
Freshwater Bay has a few options for a lunch stop
After lunch, we went to Dimbola for a panini and a cup of tea before planning the next move.
My dream was to continue up Tennyson Down and on to the Needles.
There were a couple of issues with this. The first was that it was the day of the Isle of Wight Festival and we had plans to meet a friend there later. This was resolved easily enough with some jigging around.
The second was our range anxiety, as the bikes were on three bars out of a possible five. I was very much of the attitude that we should 'keep the bikes on turbo and hope for the best'. I was convinced that the Tennyson Trail had taken it out of the battery and that we could take a smoother route back to Carisbrooke.
Ian was a little more cautious but gave in to my (allegedly) better local knowledge. This proved to be unwise and I will never forgive him for it.
My dream was to continue up Tennyson Down and on to the Needles.
There were a couple of issues with this. The first was that it was the day of the Isle of Wight Festival and we had plans to meet a friend there later. This was resolved easily enough with some jigging around.
The second was our range anxiety, as the bikes were on three bars out of a possible five. I was very much of the attitude that we should 'keep the bikes on turbo and hope for the best'. I was convinced that the Tennyson Trail had taken it out of the battery and that we could take a smoother route back to Carisbrooke.
Ian was a little more cautious but gave in to my (allegedly) better local knowledge. This proved to be unwise and I will never forgive him for it.
Tennyson Down and The Needles
We swigged our drinks at Dimbola and began the ascent to Tennyson Down.
This is another chance for excellent views with the mainland on your right and France somewhere on your left.
Climbing to Tennyson Down is on a grass track, so it would have been much harder going without a battery shoving me along.
As we reached the top of Tennyson Down, the batteries were still at three bars so we decided to continue to the Needles.
This is another chance for excellent views with the mainland on your right and France somewhere on your left.
Climbing to Tennyson Down is on a grass track, so it would have been much harder going without a battery shoving me along.
As we reached the top of Tennyson Down, the batteries were still at three bars so we decided to continue to the Needles.
The Tennyson Monument sits on one of the Isle of Wight's high points
This next section was a little confusing. The first gate we reached was a bridle gate (i.e. one that you can take a bike through without lifting it over) but it had a small, faded sign saying no bicycles.
I peddled down to a second entrance that didn't have a 'no cycling' sign. Unfortunately, this one had a stile so we began discussing/arguing about what to do. Were we allowed to cycle in this field? Could we lift the massive great bikes over the stiles without injuring ourselves? And would we have enough battery left to get back?
This discussion could have carried on until dark, but we eventually decided that we would go for it, since we were only half a mile from The Needles. We heaved and groaned as we lifted the bikes over and continued onwards.
We did question whether we were meant to be cycling along here but we didn't see anything to say otherwise and were soon passing other cyclists in the opposite direction.
I peddled down to a second entrance that didn't have a 'no cycling' sign. Unfortunately, this one had a stile so we began discussing/arguing about what to do. Were we allowed to cycle in this field? Could we lift the massive great bikes over the stiles without injuring ourselves? And would we have enough battery left to get back?
This discussion could have carried on until dark, but we eventually decided that we would go for it, since we were only half a mile from The Needles. We heaved and groaned as we lifted the bikes over and continued onwards.
We did question whether we were meant to be cycling along here but we didn't see anything to say otherwise and were soon passing other cyclists in the opposite direction.
We lifted the bikes over this stile (but without much style)...
...and soon arrived at the Needles
The Needles is probably the Isle of Wight's most famous landmark, although there was a bit of graffiti in Newport bus station for a long time which became quite iconic ("Beans blow your mind").
There are a few options here. For a quick and free view of the Needles, head for the signposted viewpoint at the New Battery (here on the map). I pointed out that a new battery was exactly what we needed, but the range anxiety had affected Ian to the extent that he could barely manage a light chuckle.
If you want a break, pay to go into the National Trust's Old Battery (about £8 or free for members) where there is a small café with great views. There's also a tunnel here that leads to a lookout near the Needles.
The third option is to cycling along the road to The Needles Landmark Attraction where you can ride the chairlift, play a round of minigolf, hook a duck and stuff a plastic guitar full of layers of sand. Entry is free, you just pay for what you want to do.
We went for the first option (the New Battery) and then began another discussion about how to get home. As we were approaching the Needles, the batteries had dropped to two out of five bars. Considering we were now halfway, this was not good news.
There are a few options here. For a quick and free view of the Needles, head for the signposted viewpoint at the New Battery (here on the map). I pointed out that a new battery was exactly what we needed, but the range anxiety had affected Ian to the extent that he could barely manage a light chuckle.
If you want a break, pay to go into the National Trust's Old Battery (about £8 or free for members) where there is a small café with great views. There's also a tunnel here that leads to a lookout near the Needles.
The third option is to cycling along the road to The Needles Landmark Attraction where you can ride the chairlift, play a round of minigolf, hook a duck and stuff a plastic guitar full of layers of sand. Entry is free, you just pay for what you want to do.
We went for the first option (the New Battery) and then began another discussion about how to get home. As we were approaching the Needles, the batteries had dropped to two out of five bars. Considering we were now halfway, this was not good news.
The drop to two bars caused some heated discussions
We considered three options to get back to Carisbrooke:
We went for option three and I remained optimistic that it would 'probably be fine'.
- Back along Tennyson Down and the Tennyson Trail. This option is pretty direct and most fun on a mountain bike, but it's also the most bumpy and very hilly - and it seemed almost certain that the battery would run out.
- Along the road via the Middle Road (B3399). This is the most direct route on the road, but the road is fast and it's not easy for cars to overtake safely for much of it.
- Along the road via the Military Road, Brighstone and Shorwell. This is about three miles longer, but the roads are a bit quieter and the scenery is nicer along the Military Road.
We went for option three and I remained optimistic that it would 'probably be fine'.
Back to Carisbrooke (nearly)
The return journey started well, as the road from the Needles New Battery down to the Needles Landmark Attraction has beautiful views of Alum Bay. It's also one of the windiest places in the UK so it's an exciting bit of cycling (Storm Eunice reached 122mph at the Needles in 2022).
The ride down from The New Battery to the Landmark Attraction gives good reviews of Alum Bay
Things then started to go wrong. My planned route to Freshwater Bay was closed and then I missed a turning, which used up another chunk of valuable battery.
To save battery, we lowered the level of assist. This went strongly against my opinion that an electric bike should be used with 'turbo all the way'. I mean, why would you wash up in lukewarm water when you've got a dishwasher?
The journey back was very pretty, although much more familiar as I have done it in the car hundreds of times. The climb up to Compton Down is a steep one but you get terrific views looking down the coast to the spot where I proposed to Mrs Guru. I had written 'Marry Me' in the sand but the tide had come in, so she had to agree to 'Marr Me' instead.
By the time we reached pretty Brighstone, we were six miles from home with one bar remaining on the battery. As we tucked into ice creams from Brighstone's village shop (a Magnum Classic and a Solero for anyone taking notes) I warned Ian that there was one more large hill to tackle. He looked at me as if I had just used his last tenner to blow my nose.
We proceeded from Brighstone to the notorious Shorwell Shute, which whiffs of wild garlic. Things were going swimmingly until the final 100m or so, when my battery gave up. I had assumed that you would get a little bit of time with the battery showing zero bars. But no, zero really meant zero.
Riding an electric bike uphill without any power could be a competition in World's Strongest Man so I gave up and walked up the rest of the hill.
A few minutes later, Ian emerged - also with a flat battery.
And so, we peddled the final two and a half miles. The flat bits and downhill bits were OK but we both breathed a sigh of relief when St Mary's Church in Carisbrooke finally came into view.
To save battery, we lowered the level of assist. This went strongly against my opinion that an electric bike should be used with 'turbo all the way'. I mean, why would you wash up in lukewarm water when you've got a dishwasher?
The journey back was very pretty, although much more familiar as I have done it in the car hundreds of times. The climb up to Compton Down is a steep one but you get terrific views looking down the coast to the spot where I proposed to Mrs Guru. I had written 'Marry Me' in the sand but the tide had come in, so she had to agree to 'Marr Me' instead.
By the time we reached pretty Brighstone, we were six miles from home with one bar remaining on the battery. As we tucked into ice creams from Brighstone's village shop (a Magnum Classic and a Solero for anyone taking notes) I warned Ian that there was one more large hill to tackle. He looked at me as if I had just used his last tenner to blow my nose.
We proceeded from Brighstone to the notorious Shorwell Shute, which whiffs of wild garlic. Things were going swimmingly until the final 100m or so, when my battery gave up. I had assumed that you would get a little bit of time with the battery showing zero bars. But no, zero really meant zero.
Riding an electric bike uphill without any power could be a competition in World's Strongest Man so I gave up and walked up the rest of the hill.
A few minutes later, Ian emerged - also with a flat battery.
And so, we peddled the final two and a half miles. The flat bits and downhill bits were OK but we both breathed a sigh of relief when St Mary's Church in Carisbrooke finally came into view.
