Bonchurch is the kind of village that rewards wandering slowly. The old church, the overgrown graveyard sloping down toward the sea, the literary connections that run deeper than most people know. This guided walk on 14 May builds a 90-minute storytelling route around the graveyard itself, introducing the people buried there and the lives they led, from the poets and novelists who summered in the village to the islanders who rarely made it out.
The guide frames the walk around specific graves and the stories attached to them, so it works as both a history lesson and a way into the physical character of the place. Bonchurch graveyard is one of those settings that photograph beautifully but rewards being in it with someone who can explain what you are looking at. The walk is gentle in terms of gradient and pace, which suits a mid-morning outing before lunch in Ventnor.
Paid, booking through the Walking Festival site. Part of the heritage programme running across the island 14-17 May. Ventnor is a short drive west and worth combining with the afternoon.
