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Ventnor
Ventnor, a small town clinging to the steep hillside of St Boniface Down with hairpin bends on the roads and paths to the sea, became popular for its mild climate. The Botanical Gardens hosts a great variety of plants and can be reached along the seafront on the cliff path or from the main Ventnor to St Lawrence road.
Along the seafront you will find a sandy beach with pubs, cafes and small shops. Around the corner between the pub and the Botanical Gardens is Steephill Cove, a tiny bay that can only be reached by foot. A few cottages, boats and a cafe line the sea wall. |
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Ventnor Down
View of Sandown Bay and Culver from Luccombe Down
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Small Hope beach at Shanklin
America Wood, Shanklin, adjacent to Ninham Holidays
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Shanklin old Village
Shanklin shares the bay with Sandown but although it has all the seaside resort amenities it has a quieter ambiance about it.
Shanklin is made up of three parts - the seafront, the shops, and the 'Olde Village'. The seafront can be reached by a lift in the steep cliffs and offers a sandy beach bordered to the south by the Fisherman's Cottage, a lovely thatched pub on the beach and nearby Shanklin Chine.
The Chine is a fissure in the cliffs stretching into the land. and is well worth a visit as a walk down the winding path through the trees ferns and waterfall is magical. At the head of the Chine you are now in Shanklin's Olde Village, a collection of beautiful thatched cottages with lovely tea gardens.
There are many walks around Shanklin including America Wood which is adjcant to Ninham Holidays. Many paths climb St Boniface Down to Ventnor and Wroxall. There is also an undercliff path to Sandown beside the beach. |
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Situated with Lake and Shanklin on the Island's golden coast, Sandown is the premier holiday resort. It has many hotels and guest houses and all the facilities to be expected in an English seaside town.
The beach is magnificent with soft white sand against the backdrop of Culver Cliff. The esplanade is lined with bars, cafes, bingo halls and amusement arcades. At the Yaverland end of the town is a long-hole pitch and putt course plus the famous Isle of Wight Zoo housed in Granite Fort. |
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View of Sandown Bay from Lake to Culver
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View across Compton Bay and Freshwater
The main town of Freshwater at the western end of the Island sprawls beside the valley of the River Yar. Amazingly, of the three rivers on the Isle of Wight, two are called River Yar, one flowing into the sea at Yarmouth naturally enough, the other empties into Bembridge Harbour. The old part of Freshwater lies at the top of the Yar adjacent to the church and comprises a few houses and a pub. The newer part is a mile away and consists of housing and a couple of streets of shops servicing the West Wight.
On the outskirts of Freshwater towards Freshwater Bay lies the famous thatched church of St Agnes. Freshwater Bay has a shingle beach with high chalk cliffs either side. Here you can find pubs and cafes for refreshment |
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Cowes
Cowes is famed around the world and in particular the first week of August sees the famous Cowes Week when hundreds of yachts and thousands of sailors arrive to race and party. It is a truly wonderful spectacle and in the past was adorned by the presence of Royal Yacht Britannia.
Cowes sits astride the River Medina at the northern tip of the Island. The entrance to Cowes harbour is dominated by the famous Royal Yacht Squadron, housed in what was the original Cowes Castle.
Cowes High Street is now mainly a pedestrian precinct and there are many interesting shops to browse whilst wandering through the narrow streets.
West Cowes is linked to East Cowes by a chain ferry across the River Medina, The High Speed Passenger Ferry Terminal is in West Cowes, and the car ferry is in East cowes. |
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