View of Garstons Down – Carisbrooke Castle loop from Newport

Mountain biking trails

View of Garstons Down – Carisbrooke Castle loop from Newport

Moderate

4.8

(9)

riders

View of Garstons Down – Carisbrooke Castle loop from Newport

03:10

41.6km

530m

Mountain biking

Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 20, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 19.4 km for 138 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

9.68 km

View of Garstons Down

Highlight • Natural

Garstons Downs has been listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1971 as it is an important area of untouched chalkland. It can be fairly quiet up here compared to the more visited coastal downlands so a run up here should give you a wonderful opportunity to bathe in nature.

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11.9 km

View of Chillerton Down

Highlight • Viewpoint

You will have seen Chillerton Down, long before you arrived on the top of the chalk downland, as its tall mast, part of the Chillerton Down transmitting station is a landmark for miles around.

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13.3 km

Sheard's Copse

Forest

19.5 km

Common Mead Withybed

Forest

21.5 km

The Village Shop

Highlight • Rest Area

Amazingly stocked village shop with all you need to refuel

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25.1 km

Baghdad Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Flowing so well at the moment, felt way faster and covered in lumps all ready for you to pump into and gain speed. Lots of fun - just turn left after dropping back on the main track & head up to the top again for another run!

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31.4 km

View of the Tennyson Trail

Highlight • Trail

This path is named after Alfred Lord TENNYSON (1809 to 1892). He was already a prominent poet during his lifetime, in the middle of the 19th century. In 1850, he received two awards for his literary work: Queen Victoria ennobled him as 1st Baron Tennyson and gave him the role and title of "Poet Laureate". He held this honorable office - the tradition of which even then stretched back many centuries and still exists today - until his death.

Translated by Google •

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34.1 km

Carisbrooke Castle

Highlight • Historical Site

The first signs of a strategic fortification appeared on this hilltop site around the year 1000, probably as a defence against the invading Vikings. The first castle was built around 1066-86, when William FitzOsbern was granted the Isle of Wight and wished to secure it for the Normans. Carisbrooke's long and tumultuous history has since seen the castle taken over and modified numerous times, including against the French in the 1500s and the Spanish in the early 1600s. In the early 20th century, Carisbrooke was restored on the orders of Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest child, who was at that time the Governor of the Isle of Wight and resided in the castle.

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