Bembridge - St Helens & Seafront

Essential Intel

This route has specifically been designed to be a cycling Trail. It includes a section across a narrow causeway which it is impossible to follow by car, so do not try to complete the route by driving.

It could be walked by intrepid Explorers, however the route includes some narrow lanes without pavements, so we do not advise it. Watch the tide on the causeway and supervise children and dogs there.

Navigating The Route

This is a cycling Treasure Hunt around Bembridge, St Helens and the seafront, with Explorers helping the Exploration Society after a young lad in 1545 buried the village's gold and silver to keep it safe during the French invasion, leaving you to solve the clues and unearth the lost loot map's hiding place.

The quest covers approximately 7.5 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll set off from the car park by the lifeboat station at the end of Lane End Road, investigate seafront sections, pedal through Bembridge and St Helens, cross the narrow causeway and continue around harbour, village and coastal stretches before returning towards the start.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The route is for cyclists, with some sections along lanes without pavements, a narrow causeway section and King's Road, which is described as a narrow busy road. You may wish to walk with your bike, and one section says to dismount if necessary.

After the main hunt, return to the Lifeboat Station by following Meadow Drive from the High Street to the end, turning left onto Swains Road, then right onto Swains Lane, then left to Lane End Road.

Getting There

By car: Start at The car park by the lifeboat station, at the end of Lane End Road, PO35 5TB. Park your expedition vehicle here before setting off by bike - the Trail itself is not suitable for driving.

By public transport: Make your way to The car park by the lifeboat station, at the end of Lane End Road, PO35 5TB, to begin the quest.

Need the Loo?

There are toilets near the Pilot Boat Inn after Clue 07, and again just after Clue 16, giving Explorers a couple of useful comfort stops during the ride.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

If your four-legged Explorers are joining the expedition, keep them close throughout. 🐾

Dogs should be supervised at the narrow causeway, especially with the tide rushing in and out of the old mill ponds. The route also includes narrow lanes without pavements and King's Road, which is described as a narrow busy road, so leads and close control are sensible around traffic and the causeway.

Food & Drink Stops

Treasure hunting by bike calls for decent supplies. There are a few pubs and snack shops along the way, Baywatch Beach Cafe is signed at the seafront, and the Pilot Boat Inn is mentioned as a nearby refreshment point.

Packing a picnic is recommended too, with a great spot before Clue 09 if your crew fancies pausing the hunt for provisions.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Bembridge Lifeboat Station

The adventure begins by Bembridge Lifeboat Station, where the newly rebuilt offshore lifeboat station stands at the end of a concrete pier. It is open to visitors to view the Tamar class lifeboat, Alfred Albert Williams, and is the only station covering this area of the Solent, one of the busiest shipping areas in Britain.

Bembridge Windmill

Bembridge Windmill is the only surviving windmill on the island. Built about 1700 and working until 1913, it was an inspiration for J.M.W. Turner. It is now owned by the National Trust and is open from March to October.

St Helens

St Helens is a small village built around a large village green on high ground on the north-west side of Bembridge Harbour. It developed around a 12th century Cluniac priory, now the site of the Priory Bay Hotel.

The Duver

Pronounced 'duvver', The Duver is a spit of land, mainly sand dunes, and a wildlife haven. It also has a sandy beach with converted railway carriage beach huts, making it a cracking coastal add-on once the lost loot map has been narrowed down.

St Helen's Fort

Look out to sea for St Helen's Fort, one of British Prime Minister Palmerston's four forts built in the 1860s to defend Portsmouth from attack. Once or twice a year it is possible to wade out to the fort when there is an extremely low tide.