Places Features

Walking the Wight

Over ten thousand walkers took part in the charity walking marathon, Walk the Wight, on Sunday 17 May.

The 26.5 mile course runs straight across the middle of the Isle of Wight - from Bembridge in the east to the Needles on the western tip.

The BBC South walking team

Now in its 19th year, Walk the Wight in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice is now the biggest sponsored walk in the South of England.

This year a team from BBC South joined the walkers - you can look back at their progress and savour the atmosphere of the day via our Twitter feed.

Anniversary walks

The Isle of Wight Walking Festival, now the biggest of its kind in the UK, features the most extensive variety of guided walks ever held in the UK, with over 265 to choose from.

The 2009 Isle of Wight Walking Festival promises to be the best yet with a variety of themed events aimed at walkers of all ages and abilities.

The stunning view of Alum Bay.

This year, the festival marks two historical anniversaries. Charles Darwin wrote part of The origin of Species - the book which revolutionised the way we understand life on earth - when he was holidaying on the Island. 

To mark the 150th anniversary of its publication, special walks include The Origin of Sandown Bay and Insectivorous Plants at Bohemia

And 2009 also marks the bi-centenary of Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson's birth. He lived at Faringford House overlooking Freshwater Bay. There are a number of festival walks along the Tennyson Heritage Coast on the spectacular western side of the Island.

Add to that ghost walks, meditation sessions, garden visits, town trails, wildlife watching as well as food walks and pram and toddler and seaside walks for families. 

Television presenter, journalist and Vice President of the Ramblers Association Janet Street-Porter will be hosting an evening at Medina Theatre on 15 May where she will talk about her life and her love of walking.

Three Wight Weddings

One of the most popular events in recent years has been the speed-dating walk which was first introduced in 2006.

One of the Island's many coastal paths.

The circular 4 mile/three-hour walk starts from Shanklin and finishes at a local pub. It has created many perfect matches - infact three couples who met during the walks have gone on to get married.

Festival information

Most walks during the festival are free, but some guides will request a donation for their chosen charity. Booking in advance is recommended.

The Isle of Wight Walking Festival, 9-24 May 2009. More information from www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk or 01983 813800.