Headon Warren

Headon Warren sits right at the western tip of the Island and has wonderful views across to the iconic Needles landmark and lovely views across Poole Bay to the Purbecks. As well as its amazing views the location itself is lovely in its own right with gorse bushes that fill with yellow flowers in the Spring and heather with its purple blooms in late Summer. The area is criss crossed with paths which can make for interesting leading lines and the variety of gorse and heather bushes make for interesting foreground options. This is a classic sunset location and in Autumn and Winter the sun will be setting behind the Needles. In Spring and Summer the sun sets over Poole Bay and can cast lovely golden light on the Needles and the cliffs of Tennyson Down as it sets.

Getting there:

Getting to the Headon Warren is fairly straightforward. From Newport take the A3054 Forest Road to Yarmouth. It is possible to park at Yarmouth and get the Needles Breezer Bus the rest of the way during the summer months. Its a fun open top bus ride with some wonderful views. However the bus only runs during the day in the summer so is of little use to photographers wanting to get the best light of the day.

From Yarmouth continue on the A3054 through Colwell to Totland. At the roundabout in Totland go straight across onto the B3322 past a small parade of shops to arrive at another smaller roundabout. Take the third exit towards Totland Bay

At the end of the road, before it drops down to Totland Bay turn left and follow the road as it climbs up through some houses in Totland. The road is quite narrow so take car on the bends. Beyond the sharp bends the road straightens and the houses end on the right hand side. It is possible to park on the roadside here. The footpath to Headon Warren is on the right hand side of the road next to the small enclosed reservoir. The path leads up to Warren Cottage. Jut before the cottage there is a path on the right hand side. This leads through a wooded area and out onto the heathland of the warren. There is an obvious path up the hillside to the top of the Warren. Once at the top there are a myriad of paths to explore.

What to Shoot:

The main draw of the area is the view across Alum Bay to Tennyson Down and the Needles. There are a number of options for compositions depending on the time of year. In Late Summer the area has stunning heather blooms which is one of the main draws, the best blooms tend to be on the southern side of the headland and there is a gravel path that leads you along that side. The heather bushes make for nice foreground interest.

The Path along the top of the Warren is an obvious leading line, however for the best combination with Tennyson Down and the Needles continue along the path almost to the end of the Warren. Just before the path starts to drop to the old gun emplacements there is a second path that drop down the side of the hill towards Headon Hall. This points directly at the Needles and is flanked by both Gorse and Heather bushes so there is plenty of interest in Spring and Late Summer.

On Thursday evenings during the Summer Holidays the Needles Landmark Attraction at Alum Bay put on fireworks displays for visitors. Headon Warren provides a great viewpoint for the fireworks as they are set off in the Valley behind the theme park. From the southern side of the headland you get a great view of the fireworks with Alum Bay, Tennyson Down and the Needles in the background.

Other Options:

Its possible to walk on from Headon Warren to Alum Bay and its famous coloured sands. From the Needles Landmark Attraction site there is a footpath that leads down to Alum Bay and the cliffs can be photographed from the beach, is addition the view across to The Needles from Alum Bay holds options. From Alum Bay the walk along Tennyson Down brings you to the end of the headland where the view of the Needles themselves is one of the classic Isle of Wight Shots.