If you’re interested in a local walk to help familiarise yourself with the Appley area then this might be a good one to get you started.
To begin, head straight out of Wightsands and along one of the lanes that leads off the estate. Circle around the pitch and putt golf course and continue on your way downhill. Eventually the path meets the seafront and from here you should head east towards Puckpool Park. The other direction takes you towards Ryde town, which although is quite a nice walk in itself, isn’t as tranquil as the one I’m describing.
As you meander through Puckpool you can either keep to the seafront or head through the park. I usually try and walk both routes, one on the way out, and the other when returning.
Puckpool Park has many activities, including a child’s play area, crazy golf course, skateboard ramp and tennis courts. There are also remnants of WW2 anti-aircraft batteries. Thankfully they are used for nothing more than messing around in these days.
Should you wish to have a bite to eat then Puckpool Tea Gardens serves food of a very good standard. The café is one of the reasons why the park gets busy in the summer. Another is due to the free car park, which will quite often reach capacity during peak times. A short 10 minute walk from Wightsands can save you a lot of hassle during these periods!
Once through Puckpool you will notice The Boat House pub, which means that you only have a little way to go along Seaview seafront before stumbling upon Hersey Nature Reserve. Aside from a few polite instructions there are no restrictions on what you may do here. Just amble through the blissful setting and see what animals you can find!
The sea wall extends a lot further for those who want to continue the walk. It’s not as nice once you pass through Seaview, but you can go the entire way along to Priory Woods if you wish. If it’s a low tide then you can even reach Bembridge! (I don’t recommend this).
