Yarmouth to The Downs and Back
15km / 9.3 miles | 2hrs 30mins
Starting at Off The Rails Yarmouth, head south (towards Freshwater) along the gravel track. You will have Rofford Marsh on the left and the Old Mill on your right.
Follow the route of the old railway line for 2.7km until you reach The Causeway (a stone road bridge crossing the river). Turn left and walk along the road for a short distance until you see the finger post F25 (to Wilmingham Lane) on your left hand side. Follow the footpath between trees and hedges.
Taking care, cross over Wilmingham Lane taking path F27 (to East Afton), after walking through a wooded area continue ahead over an open field to cross a mown landing strip.
Follow the path straight ahead and pass through two wooden gates before heading across another field. At the edge of the next field continue on through the wooden kissing-gate in a small thicket before entering the next field.
The path leads over a small boundary ditch, continue ahead to the edge of the field then follow path bearing right before picking up the gravel farm track uphill towards Newport Road and the Downs.
When you reach the hedge and barns at the side of Newport Road, turn left. After a short distance you will see a gate and signpost on your right hand side. Pass through the gate in the hedgerow and carefully cross the main road, go through another wooden gate and continue uphill following footpath F28 (to Afton Down).
At the top of the field go over a wooden stile and turn left following the sunken path along the foot of the slope.
Pass through a wooden gate at the end of the thicket into another field and follow the footpath straight ahead gently uphill.
The footpath eventually reaches a small five bar gate – don’t go through the gate but keep to the right of the fence heading towards the woodland straight ahead.
When you reach the corner of the field and the woodland turn right and follow the footpath (S19) uphill (ignoring the metal gate on the left hand side into woodland), continue straight ahead to a second metal gate further up the slope.
Go through this second metal gate and climb the footpath ahead to meet the Tennyson Trail on the top of the downs. Turn right at a simple wooden bench and follow the chalk track stretching out to the west.
The chalk track eventually leads to a set of large wooden gates leading you onto Freshwater Golf Course.
Keeping to the track, walk through the golf course as it descends downhill. At a fork in the path, turn right, heading downhill and behind a mound.
As you approach the 17th hole turn hard right at the finger post F32. Follow the path down, then around to the left pass a green barn and along the hedgerow to another finger post at the bottom left corner of the green to reach footpath F31.
You will pass some horse paddocks as you descend across the field. At the end of the field go through the large metal gate onto Manor Road. Turn right and follow the private road until you reach Newport Road. With care, cross over the road onto the pavement opposite and bear left then immediately turn right onto The Causeway.
Follow tarmac road back towards the Causeway Bridge. Just before the bridge, by the bungalow, turn right onto the old railway line, after 2.7km you will arrive back at Off The Rails.