Isle of Wight Walking Holidays: Vectis Revealed, October
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Isle of Wight walking holidays: Vectis Revealed returns in October
By Wendy Sneddon
September’s Vectis Revealed weekend is full. We hoped it would fill, and it did, sooner than we expected, and a number of you wrote to ask whether there might be another chance. There is. Kelly Wetherick will be back with us from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October 2026, and booking is open now.
If you have been looking at Isle of Wight walking holidays and wanting something more than a map and a packed lunch, this is the weekend we would point you to. Two days on the chalk downs and the seafront with a landscape archaeologist who reads the ground the way most of us read a newspaper, and a warm hotel to come back to each evening.
What is Vectis Revealed?
Vectis was the Roman name for the Isle of Wight. Kelly describes the island as a diamond, twenty-six miles by thirteen, with a chalk ridge down its spine and claylands and greensands to either side. In her words, put a pin in a map anywhere on the Isle of Wight and there is archaeology under it.
Vectis Revealed: Ancient Paths and Island Stories is a small heritage and walking weekend built around that idea. You walk the paths with Kelly, she shows you what is beneath your boots, and in the evenings she fills in the story with illustrated talks. Among archaeology holidays in the UK it is unusual in that the guide, the landscape and the hotel are all within a few miles of each other.
What happens each day?
The October programme follows the same shape as September. Exact timings will be confirmed in your booking email.
Friday 23 October. Arrive in time for lunch at 1pm. In the afternoon Kelly leads the first walk, up onto Shanklin Down, where she tells the island’s 10,000-year story from the top. This is the steeper of the two walks and needs a reasonable level of fitness. Dinner at the hotel, then Kelly’s evening illustrated talk. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: Friday timings for the walk, dinner and talk.]
Saturday 24 October. A morning walk along the seafront and the old military ground, the Garrison walk, which is mostly flat and easier underfoot. Back for lunch, then an afternoon lecture on the Romans and the island’s place in the wider empire. Dinner together in the evening. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: Saturday timings and whether there is a second evening talk.]
Sunday 25 October. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10am, with check-out by 11am. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: whether there is any Sunday morning programme or a farewell gathering.]
Who is Kelly Wetherick?
Kelly is a landscape archaeologist who has lived on the Isle of Wight since she was nine. She is a former teacher and spent years working in the island’s museums and heritage sector before turning to the landscape itself. She lives in the west of the island near Tennyson Down, and her husband’s family have rested in Brading churchyard since the 1400s.
Her walks for the National Trust, the National Landscape and the island’s two annual Walking Festivals sell out. The feedback she hears most often comes from people who live a few hundred yards from the path: I walk this every day and I have never seen that feature before. One walker who lived half a mile away told her she had opened their eyes to a completely new way of looking at that landscape.
Kelly puts it simply. She wants you to stand on the down, feel the wind on your face, and experience the place as people might have experienced it 3,000 years ago.
Why Culver Down and the Mary Rose?
Kelly filmed her short introduction to the weekend on a very windy Culver Down. Behind her is Portsmouth and the stretch of the Solent where, in 1545, the Mary Rose sank beneath the waves. Her question to the camera was this: how are the Mary Rose, 1545 and the Isle of Wight all connected?
She will not tell us the answer in advance. What we can say is that the defence of the realm, and the island’s place on the front line of it, is one of the three threads she keeps returning to. The other two are the deep story you can read from Shanklin Down and the Romans. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: whether Culver Down itself is a stop on the October walks, or only the setting for the film.]
What’s included?
There are two ways to join us.
Residential, £400. The full weekend. Two nights at The Fig Tree, breakfast each morning, lunch on Friday and Saturday, dinner on both evenings, both guided walks and Kelly’s talks. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: whether £400 is per person based on single or shared occupancy, and any supplement for a second guest.]
Island day guest, £195. For those who live on the island or are staying elsewhere. Lunch on both days, both guided walks, and dinner on both nights, with Kelly as our guest speaker on the Friday evening. No accommodation.
An extra night either side of the weekend can be added for £75. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: that the £75 extra-night rate applies to the October date.]
Prices and how to book
You can also book direct through our website at https://www.thefigtreeshanklin.co.uk, email us at [email protected], or telephone 01983 241 010.
Booking direct means we can arrange a ferry discount for you, so do ask when you get in touch.
Getting to the Island and to us
Ferries run to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington. Tell us which crossing you plan to take and we will help with the discounted fare for guests booking direct.
The Fig Tree Hotel is at 10 Queen’s Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6AN. We have 15 free parking spaces, a lift to every floor and step-free access throughout. Shanklin beach is a five-minute walk from the front door, and the terrace looks out to sea, which is where most of our guests end up with a cup of tea after a walk.
We are a 23-room boutique hotel run by two sisters, Karen and me. Dogs are welcome in selected rooms for £20 per pet per stay. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: whether dogs can join the guided walks.]
A note on fitness and accessibility
The Friday walk on Shanklin Down involves a steady climb and needs decent fitness. The Saturday seafront and Garrison walk is mostly flat, and Kelly is checking whether it is suitable for mobility scooters. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: Kelly’s final word on scooter access for the Saturday walk.] If you have any concerns about either walk, email us before you book and we will give you an honest answer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the September weekend definitely full? Yes. The 22 to 24 September run is full. The October date, 23 to 25 October 2026, was added because of the demand for September.
How far are the walks? The Friday walk climbs Shanklin Down and needs reasonable fitness. The Saturday walk along the seafront and Garrison is mostly flat. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: approximate distance and duration of each walk.]
Can I come for the day if I live on the Island? Yes. The £195 island day guest place includes lunch both days, both walks and dinner on both evenings, with Kelly speaking on the Friday. You go home to your own bed.
Is there a discount on the ferry? We can arrange discounted crossings for guests who book direct with us. Email [email protected] or call 01983 241 010 once you have booked.
What should I bring? Walking boots or sturdy shoes, a waterproof and layers. It is October on a chalk down above the Solent, so expect wind. Everything else, including lunch and dinner, is taken care of.
Can I bring my dog? Dogs are welcome in selected rooms at £20 per pet per stay. [CONFIRM WITH WENDY: whether dogs can join the walks and the talks.]
We would love to have you with us in October. Arrive as guests, leave as friends.
Wendy Sneddon, The Fig Tree Hotel, Shanklin
