Appledurcombe House, Pub lunch, Garlic Farm and Sandown

We had so much planned for the day, that I had to write it down. The day started with a scenic drive along the cost to Ventnor. We arrived at Appledurcombe House, a National Trust property, which is shut in winter. It seems to be a theme of this trip. I've never known somewhere so seasonal. I tried to get to the front of the house but alas, I was ankle deep in mud, so had to settle with a picture through the trees. It's the former home of the scandalous Lady Worsley. I saw the film at Christmas, so had to see the house.

Onwards and our next stop was Godshill, a quaint village. Our aim was to go to Chocolate Island to indulge...but the café is shut in January. Instead, we were recommended a pub called the griffin, by a passing lady who wanted to meet Penny and Sailor. What a treat the carvery was, we opted for the two courses and had a pudding too. The owners are dog friendly and very welcoming. We also bought some local produce from the Isle of Wight Cider store.

Our next stop on our local produce day was to The Garlic Farm. I had to stop myself buying things. I bought smoked garlic, strong garlic, isle of wight garlic, BBQ sauce, coronation sauce...and the list went on. The tasting table was devine. Alas, if we had a fridge in the car, I would have bought a vat of the garlic and herb butter.

By this time, our walking was minimal so we vetured to Sandown and a walk on the sandy beach. As most seaside resorts do, it looked a bit bleak in winter, but still a lovely walk. We met another greyhound, the owner is the author of 50 tails of grey. A book about her greyhound. The sun was going down and we had a long drive ahead so after a few runs on the beach, it was back to the cottage.