Castlehaven

Castlehaven is a small bay sitting to the east of St. Catherines point. Its a quaint little bay with some Fishermans huts along the shoreline and their boats drawn up on the slipway. During the summer a small cafe is open at the bay. Its a great spot for a sunrise shoot as the sun rises over the sea and can bath the bay in light as it breaks the horizon. It also works as a sunset and astro photography location. It is particularly good for Astrophotography as it is one of the darkest spots on the Island. Sitting close to St. Catherines it is a good location to visit in conjunction with St. Catherines Lighthouse and it is possible to visit both locations in one shoot.

Getting there:

The nearest village to St. Catherines is Niton which can be reached by taking the A3020 from Newport towards Sandown, to reach the Blackwater Junction. There turn right to continue on the A3020 towards Rookley at Godshill.

On reaching Rookley turn right onto Niton Road (Signposted Niton, Chale, Blackgang) and follow the road right to Niton.

On reaching the village centre there is small one way section, turn left at the T Junction by the village pub and head towards the Niton Undercliff. Once in the under cliff area there are signposts for the Lighthouse that you can follow, turning right onto St. Catherines Road. After turning right there is road on your left which takes you down to Castlehaven. It is possible to drive down the road despite the signs warning of no vehicular access, however the road soon becomes a rough track and a vehicle with good ground clearance and 4 wheel drive would be recommended.

Alternatively it is possible to park on St. Catherines road just past the junction and walk down to the bay, its a nice walk with views across to St. Catherines Lighthouse. A 10 minute walk down the track will take you to Castlehaven Bay.

What to Shoot:

Seascapes are the main attraction of Castlehaven, and during the winter it can be quite a lively spot with waves breaking against the wooden breakwaters and the sea defences at the entrance to the Bay. It is possible to use these as leading lines and foreground interest in conjunction with the large pebbles on the first slipway you get too. Just take care to keep an eye on the waves if you are getting close or getting the camera low to emphasise the foreground as it is possible for rogue waves to break over the sea defences or rush up the slipway and catch the unwary out.

There are also a group of Fishermans huts on the shoreline of the Bay and these can make a nice subject to help tell the story of the location. Walking round the bay it is possible to get down onto the beach at low tide, or with some care one the sea defences at the bottom of the cliff to use these as leading lines up to the Fishermans Huts. Shooting in this direction can work well at Sunset.

Castlehaven is a great spot for Astrophotography with the Milky Way shining brightly over the sea and clearly visible to the naked eye on a clear night. Early in the year the arch of the Milky Way can be seen over the eastern headland and by mid summer the Milky Way Core is sitting to the south of the bay meaning the slipway can be used as a nice foreground leading the the stars.

Other Options:

At low tide it is possible to work round to the sandy beach at the eastern end of the bay, otherwise the Sea is the main attraction of the bay and there are many options for seascape shots using the rocks and boulders in the bay. Close by is St. Catherines Lighthouse which offers a range of options for sunrise, sunset and Astro along with Watershoot bay further along the coast.