A cycle along Undercliff Drive (Niton to Ventnor) - Isle Of Wight - 2017
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2017
- After the landslips of February 2014 when sections of this road were lost, it was no longer possible to travel through.
Over time, (and after a lack of action from the local council,) local folk rebuilt a section of road at the Niton side of the landslip themselves for vehicular access. The council soon closed it, and later built a single lane access road from that end.
The larger slip was closed off completely for years until 2017 when the area received a bit of attention that now enables walkers, cyclists, & horse riders to pass through on a path.
I'd personally still like to see the road replaced, but some right of way is better than none.
If I cycle a little slow at times, it's to take in the view. (Nothing to do with being knackered and unfit, honest....) :-)
Yes I cycled a little along Belgrave road on a one way section, (for the view) and besides, It was quiet & I was cycling one way..
Finishing off at 'The Spyglass ' for a drink. Lovely.
I ride this same route to Niton and back once a week if I can, I know lots of people complain about no through access for cars anymore, but it really makes it a nice road to cycle on now without worrying about too many cars.
Robee Shepherd
It is a lovely ride.
Good to hear others are enjoying it too. 👍☺️
This used to be a smashing ride on the bus, especially for those to old to walk it, and or, not having a car. A very beautiful area of the Island, and one I used to do reasonably often when Isle Of Wight Studio Glass was still there. Happy days.
Lovely! Miss that drive so much when I come over to the Island.....this brought it all back, hitching a ride with you on the bike!
This is still one of my favourites to watch and I live on the island and go there quite often. But I still love to just sit back and watch and listen :D
Thanks for watching, and for the nice comments..
Just watched it myself for the first time in ages..
Greetings from Southern Ontario, I enjoyed this very much as I once lived in Greenlydd close, Niton then St Edmunds Walk, Wotton. The IOW holds many happy memories.
Thank you for your comment.👍
Like so many others i miss driving that road. Used to love it on a warm summers day with the windows down. Or a nice evening drive along to the Buddle for a meal. Nice to see you stopped at the Spyglass, my favourite pub in Ventnor. Thanks for the bike ride, was great to follow along. Can only hope that if the land ever settles that the road may one day be reopened.
100SteveB
Thx.
I'd love it to be reopened.
Maybe one day..
I miss the drive through dearly. I was going to do this, but you beat me to it. I never tire of undercliff drive, only tire of those who are adamant it will never reopen fully
ISLE OF WIGHT ARCHIVE
I love it along there skip.
Absolutely gorgeous.
A world all of it's own.
Bit late here, but nice video. I watch a lot as to the IoW, and this gives a nice aura, of which is why i find this island (especially Ventnor and surrounding areas) almost magical. Hard to explain, but i do.
I thought the tune was gonna be Boards of Canada to start with, lol. But nice tune anyway, quite fitting : )
I'm the same... Absolutely love the whole Undercliff area... It's magical to me too.
@@Oske.images Hey, thanks.
Should be over again very soon, and making a walk along this route is to the top of the list. Well, from Niton, up to where the road crumbled anyway : )
Love to hear that you think it's special!
Very glad you posted this. really enjoyed it. Cheers !
jw
Thank you very much.
I really enjoyed the ride.
So beautiful & scenic. ☺️
This video means some much to me, because my parents used to live in Hunts Road St Lawrence and it always felt like I was coming home driving along the undercliff, sadly my father passed away last year. I am hoping to return and live here very soon.
I'm surprised that pint didn't go down in one! I really enjoyed that, thanks.
Looks like you needed that pint after cycling that far, , ,ever thought about an electro bike saves your energy.
Great filming matey, , a story of the old old ghostly road of the isleofwight.
Enjoyed that thanks, good to see you rewarded yourself with a pint :) Cheers........Les
fepowson
Thanks Les..
A tasty pint it was too.
Island Brewed. (Yates).
last time we drove the whole of Underclive Drive was in August 2009, when we over on holiday just after my Grandad had passed away. We went to Niton to see the plaque to my Grandparents in the graveyard then we drove to Ventnor. My daughter used to love how you totally lost radio signal in the middle. So sad to see how it looks now!
mandy davis
Thanks Mandy..
It did look a lot more sorry after the slip.
At least you can get through now.
And yes..
Signal still disappears. 👍😊
Lovely, and a well earned pint.
I live in Niton and I usual go for a stroll along that road, only all the way up to the point at 4:19. And out of curiosity how long do you think it would take to WALK from Niton to Ventnor along the Undercliff Drive?
I've done it both ways, but never without stopping off places.
If you just walked without stopping, you'd find its a lot quicker than you'd think.
Awesome bike cam vid matey, so nice to go for a bike ride without leaving my chair...atb..jeff.
jeffiow Cheers Jeff.
Not so hard on the legs either.. 😁
Great stuff. I love walking on this road - it's a lot quicker on a bike though. Just pleased it's all finished and looks decent. It was an horrific mess form a few years after the landslide. Cars will never (be able to) go through - it would just speed up another landslide.
I can see where you start at Institute Hill. I've always wondered what the garage at 0:17 looked like in the old days with the petrol pumps and all. I must try and find a picture.
Good to see you slowing down as it started a little too fast for my liking.
That Buddle Inn sign at 0:37 is now mostly hidden by overhanging bushes - odd the owners don't bother to cut them back.
Road on right at 1:33 - dead end - no access to Puckaster Cove. Ditto - 2:00.
Footpath on the left is the steep incline to the coastal path and Niton (Cripple Path).
Those double decker school buses used to run along here - that wouldn't have helped.
4:50 - Massive buddlea bush on the right side now.
4:57 - That building was still there this year - still with signage suggesting it is still taking guests. I think it's a sheer drop the other side of it.
5:55 - Huge wood on the right - been though it many times. If you know the name of it please let me know.
8:54 - Road on right leads down to Woody Bay / Binnel Bay.
9:00 - That's the old St.Lawrence Inn on the right where Yates started brewing in 2000. They'd moved before I visited in 2005/6.
10:09 - I don't recall seeing that gateway but presumably it is still there - I would have been looking the other way (Seven Sisters Road).
I've only ever done with Ventnor end a couple of times - seemed endless and not so inviting. I recall some old lady stopped in her car to offer me a lift last time (a few years back). Of course, I was only a mile outside Ventnor then. Both times it was evening time just before dusk.
Botanic Gardens on right at 12:50 - Only ever been once.
I'm normally going into Ventnor by bus or walking along Whitwell Road which is nice as there's a footpath alongside it Ventnor end.
Ventnor beach is deserted and it's July!!!!!! It was busy as hell this year when I was there July / August - maybe September too.
I fancied a pint at The Spyglass this September but there was a large 'q' for food and I only wanted a bloody pint so I left.
AN EXCELLENT FILM! Such a nice day - must have been a great ride. Hope you enjoyed your beer. I do hope it was a local one.
Of course Belgrave Road has now slipped too.
More because of the supporting wall below not being maintained than natural land movement..
They should have rebuilt the wall, put in extra support and rebuilt the road.. But no, they leave it to crumble, fill with rainwater, and get worse..
Ok - not familiar with that end as there's no walking opportunities as there is in Niton / St. Lawrence. WTF is going on with your council? It's be *ucking useless for years!!!
Is it run here on the mainland? Makes me so, so angry and I don't live there.
They shut down all the Tourist Info places. sticking them into small corners in other premises years ago. The do *uck all maintenance to anything so it all rots and crumbles. They are very good at doing the simplest of tasks though - like putting 'footpath closed' signs up. Takes them ages and ages to sort repairs / diversions and I believe a lot of this is now done by local ramblers (like those steep, steep steps in Shanklin Down).
It's all too late and everything is started to crumble big time!
I used to love driving along this road....so sad that erosion is irreversible.
Thanks for watching. 🙂
05.23 ,, an example of paradolia!! The tree in the middle of the screen at the top looks like ShrekS head!! Paradolia is when you can pick out things from shapes and patterns that they say aren't there, some psychiatrists say this is a disorder or an illness,, I think it's just observation, this Shrek head isn't the best example, if you youtube or google it you'll see some great examples that the most skilled artist would have trouble re-creating on paper!! Nice island video!! Up the caulk heads!!!
Nice journey! Were you really on a bicycle? You seemed to miss all the pot holes
Malcolm Taylor no potholes in the road!
Very nice interesting video, thank you! After several visits to the area, am just beginning to get familiar with parts of it. It's a very complicated network of roads, tracks and paths down there!. Just away towards the coast from your ride is Woody Bay, which looks worth a visit. How easy is access to the beach there?
Westwoodii
Hi Thx for watching..
Woody bay is accessed easily enough via the coastal path.
A path leads to the coastal path from Wolverton road, and another path leads to the coastal path from the main road just a little past Ventnor Botanic garden, near a sign on the inland side of the road that lets you know you're entering St Lawrence.
There are rumours (and a book) about Germans landing at Woody bay in WW2.
But no evidence whatsoever to support the tales.
Isle Of Wight Alternative Attractions
Thanks very much for that very informative reply! We are visiting again this Sept (second this year) so will follow your advice for Woody Bay. Maybe I'll make a short clip and post it on YT. Intriguing to hear about the WW2 story - a good myth needs no evidence! Have another pint on us at the Spyglass (our favourite hostelry, btw)!
Westwoodii
No probs..
If you haven't been there before, I'd suggest the old Blackgang road from Niton..
Leads to Rocken End car park & it's very scenic.
Always a good idea to pop in 'The Buddle inn' whilst there too. 😉👍
Thanks again, IOWAA! Will add those on the to-do list as well :) Have been past the Buddle, but not in it yet. You've earned another pint!
There is an engineering solution to fixing this road!
I agree..
Wish they'd get on with it...
so riding the wrong way down Belgrave road was ok was it
Artistic licence..
@@Oske.images You would have looked very artistic if a car coming the correct way drove into you.
There would have been bits of you all over the place, 50 shades of red maybe...lol
@@davidperry2306 Can't drive cars along that road currently as the roads dropped due to a support wall below giving way.
Council typically haven't repaired it . 🙁
@@Oske.images You rode along Belgrave Road and at the junction of Bath Rd you went through No Entry signs, both on the road and the Red circle with the White stripe. You continued along Belgrave Rd which had arrows on the road surface facing the opposite direction to which you were travelling. At the junction of Esplanade Rd you went through more No Entry signs and continued until you got to the junction of Alpine Road. You travelled some 390m in the opposite direction to the traffic flow. Think BIKE.
Bore off, you self righteous nobber.
Incidentally - do you really cycle that fast, or is this speeded up?!
Just normal speed..
Though a lot is downhill to begin with.
I guess wide angle makes it seem faster.
( Apart from the slow uphill bit Ventnor end.)
21.45 ... Shrek!!!!!
Well done cycling all that way. U truly deserved that pint of ale
Pathetic, this road should be opened, Dave Stewart and his Council can't organise a prayer in a chapel, even a mason's chapel!