After a hearty breakfast we assembled outside after dumping various pieces of luggage in Neil’s room temporarily. This would save us wearing rucksacks etc on the final day’s loop. A few drops of rain started just as we left, but it it didn’t amount to much and those who had donned waterproofs were soon taking them off as the temperature was already a pleasant 18°C.
A flat section to start with, retracing a trail alongside the estuary we had used earlier in the trip and then a gentle climb up to Whippingham Church. After this, a level section before we dropped down to the Cowes Floating Bridge crossing.
Immediately after leaving the ferry there was a climb up through the residential streets towards the level for the railway path section on today’s ride, the old Newport to Cowes line.
But beforehand, a quick look at the abandoned tunnel portal that led to Cowes Station, closed since 1965.
Once on the railway path I was pleasantly reminded that it has a downhill gradient towards Newport, so an easy four mile ride back to Newport was had by all.
Once back in Newport a coffee stop seemed a good idea and so ‘The Bargeman’s Rest’ pub was an obvious choice given we’d eaten in there both nights on this trip.
After coffee, another fifteen minute loop instead of just going directly back to the hotel that ticked off the final piece of old railway infrastructure, the Newport railway tunnel portal.
Once back at the hotel we collected our luggage and said our farewells to Neil who was staying on another night and headed once again along the estuary to connect with the railway path back to the ferry connection. The overcast skies stayed with us for most of the day, but thankfully it was warm. We actually ended up catching the 14:20hrs sailing which was forty minutes ahead of our actual planned sailing.
At the ferry terminal we all went our separate ways for various chosen parking spots, and I had a chuff wind back to Eastney that had me tapping along at a very pleasant 16mph.
Total miles for me 21, with 780ft climbing.