Niton, Shorwell & Godshill

The area around Niton, Shorwell and Godshill sits on the island’s central-southern chalk downland and farmland, linked by narrow lanes and footpaths. Niton occupies the lower slopes of St Catherine’s Down and gives access to the headland at St Catherine’s Point, where a 19th-century lighthouse and the older stone oratory known locally as the "Pepperpot" stand close to the coast. Fields, hedgerows and small copses surround the villages, and public footpaths climb the downs or run along valley bottoms toward the sea.

Godshill is set on a south-facing slope and is known for its cluster of thatched cottages and the village’s model reproduction of the church and roofs. The parish church at Godshill shows medieval wall paintings inside. Shorwell lies between the two, with a long-established manor house and lanes that follow surviving field boundaries. Local farms, cider orchards and horse paddocks are common, and a network of public rights of way links the three settlements, making short circular walks possible without crossing major roads.