Walking is one of the island's most popular activities - and many hikers say that for scenic splendour, St Catherine's Down is simply the best. At the southernmost tip of the island, it affords commanding views over the English Channel. The surrounding coastline has treacherous waters and a long history of shipwrecks, with Chale Bay once branded the "Bay Of Death". Explorers on the Down will come across monuments to that unfortunate history, notably the Pepper Pot and the Salt Shaker, both abandoned lighthouses. St Catherine's Oratory - the eight-sided Pepper Pot - looks like its nickname. Britain's oldest medieval lighthouse, it was constructed in the early 1300s at the top of St Catherine's Down (then called Chale Down) and managed by neighbouring monks. In 1785, work began on a new lighthouse but was aborted half-way through because of concerns about positioning. It's now known as the Salt Shaker. Today's working, automated lighthouse at St Catherine's Point was built in 1838. Also on the Down are the Hoy Monument, a 72-feet pillar built in tribute to the visiting Tsar Alexander 1 of Russia in 1814, and a poignant stone memorial to three RAF men who died in a crash there.
Places to Stay near St Catherines Down
Wight Mouse Inn (0.60 miles)
The Wight Mouse Inn is a unique 17th Century county coaching inn in the village of Chale on the beautiful Isle of Wight. We offer delightful accommodation that has a modern and fresh feel, a ... More | visit website
Hermitage Court Farm (0.66 miles)
Hermitage Court Farm is the Isle of Wight’s most secluded and tranquil Bed and Breakfast accommodation: the ideal place in which to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern living and relax for ... More | visit website
Herveys Cottage (0.87 miles)
A delightful, Grade II listed, semi detached thatched cottage, adjoining the owner's home in the charming village of Niton. Close to the Island's southern coast, the property is thought to be the oldest cottage in ... More
Enchanted Manor (1.04 miles)
Ford Farm House (1.64 miles)
Old Rectory (1.76 miles)
Gothic View Gourmet B&B (1.84 miles)
Nettlecombe Farm Holiday Cottages & Fishing Lakes (2.17 miles)
Nettlecombe Farmhouse & Fishing Lakes are situated in the heart of the rolling South Wight countryside, at the top of a quiet lane around half a mile from the village of Whitwell. ... More | visit website
St Rhadagunds (2.59 miles)
Guest laundry, games room with pool, table tennis and darts, ... More | visit website
Woodcliffe Holiday Apartments (2.78 miles)
Woodcliffe stands back from and above the Undercliff Drive, in peaceful secluded terraced gardens. The house, cottage and modern apartments face south across the Undercliff offering superb views of the English Channel. Wireless internet.
St. Lawrence ... More | visit website
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