Alum Bay strata near The Needles, IOW

After breakfast our host Bob took us for a pre lunch outing to The Needles, which lie at the extreme westerly end of the chalk downs on the Isle of Wight. We managed to drive right up to the coastguard station which saved my rather ailing hips and we walked around the headland  to a special viewpoint where we could see the chalk stacks which are The Needles. 

The view included a sheer drop below us to the beach which is only accessible by boat. I loved the visible wave patterns washing up the beach. Take a look at the first 'Extra photo' to get a sense of the scale of the place. We then walked a bit further around the headland to the south where we found the old rocket testing concrete bunkers dating form the 1950s. NI liked this view into the sun of Bob and Helena taking in the views across the sea.

On the way back to the car I ventured along a path to catch a view of the famous Alum Bay, which is on the north side of The Needles. It is renowned for the strata of many coloured sands which have been tilted into vertical through ninety degrees from the horizontal position in which they were laid down in former geological periods. I first came here on a geography field trip from school when I was in my teens! 

Helena thought the colours and shapes in the exposed sandy cliffs made the best blip. 

Our short trip was closely followed by a drive across the island to Cowes where an artist friend of Bob and Mary was having a lunchtime drinks party. It is full on here in Freshwater Bay.