It is part of the chalk ridge that forms the backbone of the Isle of Wight, this ridge extends to the west for where it ends with
The Needles. To the east the hill descends gently down to
Freshwater Bay where the sea has cut through the ridge. To the south is
Highdown Cliffs, a near vertical chalk cliff drop of over 100 metres to the sea below. The top of the Down is fairly flat and is predominantly grass downland which provides a wide area for walking. There is some scrubland and small trees mainly on the northern side which is away from the prevailing wind. The Down is owned and managed by the
National Trust and is grazed by cattle and rabbits which ensures that its grass surface is closely cropped. It is open to the public. At the top of the Down at a height of 147m stands a huge granite cross commemorating the life of
Alfred Lord Tennyson. From here on a clear day it is possible to see
Old Harry Rocks and the
Isle of Purbeck to the west,
Yarmouth and
Lymington to the north, and to the east, much of the
Solent,
Fawley Oil Refinery, a large part of the western half of the Isle of Wight, and
St. Catherine's Point, 20 km away across
Brighstone Bay. Surprisingly it is not possible to see the Needles from here as they are hidden beyond the next hill to the west which is known as
West High Down. The
Tennyson Trail, an Isle of Wight footpath, passes right along Tennyson Down and also makes up part of the
Isle of Wight Coast Path in this area. Tennyson Down is one of the most significant downland sites in Britain. It forms the western end of the
Tennyson Heritage Coast. It is part of the
Headon Warren And West High Down SSSI (
Site of Special Scientific Interest) and is part of the Isle of Wight's
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Image:Towards_Freshwater_from_Tennyson.JPG|From Eastern side of Tennyson Down; looking towards Freshwater Bay Image:Cliffs_of_the_Down.JPG|The Monument in the far distance Image:Tennyson_Monument_Closeup.JPG|Close-up of Monument Image:Tennyson_Monument_Western.JPG|Western face of Tennyson Monument Image:Tennyson Down Shrubbery.JPG|Shrubbery of Tennyson Down Image:Trees Windswept.JPG|Trees face heavy wind thus grow in interesting shapes Image:Flower on the Down.JPG|Tiny purple flower found on Tennyson Down Image:Blue Flower found on Tennyson Down.JPG|Tiny blue flower found on Tennyson Down == External links ==