I thought I would write about a subject that I know a lot about for my next review, so the ideal topic would be the Isle of Wight, which coincidentally is where I live. It’s also has a huge tourist industry, and with the onset of the summer holidays fast approaching, I hope to provide readers with enough information, good and bad, so that they can make an informed choice when deciding where to book their holiday or short break.
So where do I start? It is a huge undertaking and I know that I will never be able to do it justice. I apologise for that now, and I will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have – just leave a message in my Guestbook and I will try to help you.
The Isle of Wight is a county situated on the south coast of the UK. It has a population of 124,600 (1991) and is 380 sq. km. It can be reached via Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington on car ferries, a catamaran, a hydrofoil and a hovercraft. You can also fly here if you have the cash; you will land in either Bembridge or Sandown airports (well, a tiny landing strip with a portakabin café!). Saying that you will have to get a second mortgage to pay the Ferry Company their £60 or so fee to get you there in the first place!
Portsmouth to Ryde via catamaran – foot passengers only Portsmouth to Fishbourne via car ferry Southampton to Cowes via Red Jet – foot passengers only Southampton to East Cowes via car ferry Lymington to Yarmouth via car ferry
Contact details and timetables can be found on the Isle of Wight website – www.iwight.com.
What’s on offer? *******************
Where do I start? Pubs? Attractions? Historic buildings? Think I will start with the pubs!
If you come off the ferry from Fishbourne the first pub you come across is The Sloop Inn. It’s got an ideal location, which is on the creek at Wootton Bridge. It has a lovely garden so you can have a drink and look at the boats across the creek. It doesn’t have any play equipment for children though, which is a major disadvantage for families. It is owned by Brewers Fayre, which is a nationwide company, so the menu is quite standard, providing the usual grub such as lasagne, curry, shepherds pie, salads, burgers etc. It won’t win prizes for culinary masterpieces, but is quite reasonable.
Top tip: Buy the local paper: The County Press. Most weeks they have a voucher, which gives you either £5 off a meal for two, or buy one get one free. It’s worth the 60p to buy it so you can save on your meal.
The Folly – this pub is situated near Whippingham which is on the way to East Cowes. It has lots of seafood dishes and has quite a ‘yachty’ feel to it. It’s also another pub which is very close to the water. In fact it’s just a stones throw away, just remember to watch the other customers when you start chucking rocks!
JoeDaflo’s – this pub/bar/restaurant/bistro was originally opened by Mark King of Level 42 and was named after his children. It has a very young feel to it, serving 100’s of different wines and a huge selection of cocktails. The menu is varied and provides what we ‘oilanders’ (Islanders) describe as fancy nammet (food). I love the feel of the place, and the marscapone dessert the serve is to die for!
JoeDaflo’s can be found in Union Street in Ryde and in Newport. They have just opened another bar in Southampton, very close to the Mayflower theatre.
The Dairyman’s Daughter – this is a lovely rustic pub in Arreton. It serves a multitude of different beers/ales and regularly has live music on most evenings. It serves food all day and provides a range of basics like shepherd’s pie and mixed grill’s to more exotic salads, seafood and veggie dishes. The DD is located in Arreton Old Village and Barns, which is free to customers. There is a large carp farm, gift shops, lavender shop which sells smellies, candles and the like. There is also an area where children can make pottery shapes and take them away. It’s expensive but fun.
The Griffin – this pub in Godshill was recently featured in Relocation Relocation and is definitely a family pub. It’s great for kids, and has a huge space outside with a children’s play area and a maze made from small trees, it grows bigger every year, which also makes it harder to undertake. The menu is standard but portions are huge!
The Appley – also situated in Ryde. This serves food all day and provides a huge range of choices. Their daily specials are very good and the desserts are
recommended. Not much selection in regard to beers and wines, but they welcome children, as do most pubs on the Island.
The Bargeman’s Rest – this is situated in Newport and specialises in seafood and ice creams. It is very similar inside to the DD, probably because they are owned by the same company, but the menus are different. It is close by the river medina, so you can sit outside near the water, despite the fact that you are in the busiest town on the Island.
The White Mouse – has won a shedload of awards in recent times and is very family orientated. It is situated in Chale, which has beautiful views of the countryside. It the summer months, they sometimes have pony trips for the kids.
The Chequers inn – this pub near Rookley has recently been extended. It has a huge following and is always very busy. The garden area is spectacular for the under 12’s, providing slides, climbing frames, wooden play areas and a bouncy castle in high season. The food is gorgeous, but quite pricey. The kids will be kept quiet for long periods, so it’s worth the extra! Visit www.chequersinn-iow.co.uk and have a look, it’s a big place!
OTHER PUBS AND BARS
There are lots of other pubs/bars and restaurants on the Isle of Wight, but I obviously don’t have the time, or the space to go into details. Here is a quite recommendation though of a select few:
The Buddle inn, Niton, Caulkheads, Sandown, Crown, Shorwell, Crab and Lobster, Bembridge, The George, Yarmouth, Hare and Hounds, Arreton, Ponderosa, Ryde, Woodvale, Cowes, The Eight Bells, Carisbrooke.
ATTRACTIONS ************* There are lots of attractions to choose from to suit most tastes, and it depends on if you are visiting as a couple, on your own, or with children. A great deal of the attractions on the island would appeal to many, with lots to do for all ages. You may come unstuck with a moody teenager though, as I remember the time between the ages of 14-17 when I complained with a vengengance, that there was nothing to do!
BLACKGANG CHINE – this is a theme park the kids will love. It’s not on the same scale as somewhere like Alton Towers or Chessington, but will appeal to kids of all ages – I still love it at the age of 33! BlackgangChine was once the haunt of pirates and smugglers, and the park incorporates these themes into the attractions.
Blackgang Chine was opened in 1845 and is still going strong, despite a large amount of the place falling into the sea. They continually update the park, and move things around so that they don’t lose any attractions (literally!). Don’t worry though, it’s close to the sea, but not perching that close to the cliff edge, so you won’t fall over!
There are three water slides at the Chine, and this is probably the biggest attraction. However, there are loads more to see. The park is split up into different areas such as dinosaur land, nurseryland, fantasy land and frontier land. Watch out in frontier land if you hate guns. The kids go mad with guns and caps, having shoot outs in the saloon, jailhouse and other Wild West buildings. It gets very loud and is not for the faint hearted.
There is a huge maze which has been there since I was a child which I absolutely loved. There is also St Catherine’s Quay, which will appeal to adults more than the children. It holds some historical artefacts, and provides a useful history of the Chine, including photographs of the place before it started slipping into the sea. A useful map shows you exactly how much as disappeared!
The Crooked House is not to be missed. It feels like a Friday night when you’ve just got home from the pub. Floor moving? Walls closing in? Nah, never happened to me.
DISADVANTAGES: very hilly, so put on comfy shoes. Not ideal in bad weather, as it is all in the open. Café is very expensive.
Prices: £7.50 per person Under 4’s free Over 60’s £5.50 Or you can buy a family ticket (4 people) for £27.00
The Chine is open from 10am t0 6pm from 29th May to 16th July after that it is open until 10pm, and is floodlit. If you go back within 4 days, entry is free.
www.blackgangchine.com
Robin Hill ***********
ROBIN HILL - was another favourite for me as a child. It had a snake house then, which housed a huge array of pythons. Luckily this is now gone, but there are other attractions to see. RH markets as a countryside park and it is very rural. It has some lovely woodland walks, where you can spot red squirrels, the island is renowned for them, and they haven’t been wiped out by the grey squirrels yet.
RH has a number of attractions which the kids will enjoy. Colossus is a huge boat which swings up and down and makes little children, who have had too much ice-cream violently sick!
The TOBOGGAN RUN is a 400m slide which you ride and control using a lever. It’s great fun, but is the only attraction which you have to pay extra for (£1). Next up is TIME MACHINE which provides a virtual reality ride. It is a platform cinema; you watch the screen and the platform moves. Bit of a cop out really, but good fun. Watch out for the queues in high season, although they won't seem too bad if you’ve experienced Disneyland or Alton Towers!
After you have walked through the woods or taken a short cut down the hill, you find yourself in a huge grassy area which houses a number of different activities. There is a huge carp pond where the children can race over the wooden bridges and try to splash each other. This area also has a café, the toboggan run, archery, basketball, adventure play area, mini golf, Neptune rides, jets, arcades, volleyball activities and lots more.
DISADVANTAGES: Not good for rainy weather, all activities are out in the open. Lots of hills. Café very expensive.
Prices: £6.50 Under 4’s free Senior citizens £5.50 Open 10am – 5pm.
Dogs are allowed, providing they are kept on a lead. The park even provides a free poop scoop!
www.robinhill.com
The Needles **************
This is at Alum Bay and although entry is free, you do have to pay for parking. It’s about £3 per car.
The Needles has the famous rocks and lighthouse which is evident on most postcards you will find on the Island.
The attraction has a number of different things to see such as Alum Bay glass, where you can watch glass being blown, and also buy some from the gift shop. There is the famous chair lift which takes you down the cliff to the beach, where you can have a boat trip to the Needles themselves. You can look at the different coloured sands on the beach, but you won’t be able to collect any here, you can do that at the sand shop, adding it to a glass ornament, which you can buy, and then let it gather dust on your table back at home!
There are also lots of fun stuff for the kids: a small fairground, arcade, sweet factory, café and in the summer months you can watch the fireworks every Thursday evening, when the park is open until 10pm.
All of the rides in this park need to be paid for, so instead of thinking you are getting a cheap day out, it can actually be quite expensive if you go on the chair lift and some of the other rides. You can do it cheaply though, as you can walk down to the beach using the steps. It’s a long way down though!
DISADVANTAGES: You have to pay for each attraction.
ISLE OF WIGHT ZOO – home of the tiger sanctuary and lemurland. This zoo has been around for a very long time, and it has definitely improved with age. Don’t go there expecting the magnitude of say, Marwell, as you will be sorely disappointed. It is very small. They are building a large complex at the moment, but this will not be ready until 2005.
The zoo has a selection of big cats, lemurs and reptiles, and that is about it. The tigers and lions have large cages or enclosures, and they have all been rescued in some way or another. They regularly have big cat talks, and you are given a programme of the day when you arrive.
You can also ‘adopt’ a tiger or other animal housed in the zoo, from a tiny budgie to one of the big tigers or lions.
DISADVANTAGES: Very small compared to other zoo’s. Not a great selection of animals. Lots of creepy crawlies – spiders, snakes and lizards! Eww!
Opening Hours March daily 10am to 4pm Easter till end of October. Daily 10am to 5pm.
Yaverland's Seafront, Near Sandown, Isle of Wight, UK Telephone: 01983 403883/405562 Fax: 01983 401684 Email: info@isleofwightzoo.com
Flamingo Park *****************
FLAMINGO PARK– the flamingo park is based near Seaview. It houses a large selection of different species of birds including:
Penguins, owls, flamingos, pelicans and parrots.
There is also a red squirrel garden, meerkats, wallabies, and beavers.
I am not a great lover of birds, especially if they are kept caged, but this park has penguins and flamingos roaming around (not on their own of course) freely. There are the usual displays and presentations throughout the day, where you can learn more facts about the animals and birds. You can buy birdseed and feed the birds which the
Pictures of Isle of Wight (England)
tigers
kids will love. Open from March 27th to September 30th 10am – 5pm
Free car parking. No dogs allowed.
Flamingo Park Wildlife Encounter Seaview Isle of Wight 24hr Info Hotline 01983 612261
Brickfields ************
BRICKFIELDS HORSECOUNTRY – this is a must if you love horses. I went a few years ago with my son and he loved it. They have a selection of horses, including Stapleford Duke, and Wieser, a gorgeous Shire horse. Unfortunately his brother Bud, died in November.
Things to do: Pony rides, educational talks, café, children’s play area, free wagon rides, carriage collection, mini world, blacksmiths, Porkers paradise and gift shop.
DISADVANTAGES: Not ideal if you don’t like horses, although it is worth going just to see the pigs in Porkers paradise!
Brickfields Newnham road Binstead Ryde IOW
Info line: 01983 566801 www.brickfields.net
Isle of Wight Railway ************************
ISLE OF WIGHT STEAM RAILWAY- the railway at Havenstreet is a must for rail enthusiasts, and the large steam trains are very impressive. The railway is very small, and you will pass through only four stations on your visit. However, the countryside is very impressive and you will get to look at the sights of the island on your way.
The railway offers a range of events throughout the year, including a visit from Thomas the Tank Engine (23 to 26 July), Fish and Chip evenings (Thursdays in July and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in August.), a car rally (20th June) and a visit from Father Christmas in December, among others.
THIRD CLASS (Unlimited travel on day of issue) Adult £8.00 Child (5-15 yrs) £4.00 - 2nd child goes free. Infant (0-4 Yrs) Free, subject to a maximum of two per fare paying adult. Otherwise carried at child rates. Family Fare £20.00 - Available for two adults and two children travelling together.
FIRST CLASS (Unlimited travel on day of issue) For the discerning traveller, First Class day tickets are available at the following rates: Adult £11.00 Child (5-15 yrs) £7.00 - 2nd child goes free. Infant (0-4 Yrs) Free, subject to a maximum of two per fare paying adult. Otherwise carried at child rates. Family Fare £29.00 - Available for two adults and two children travelling together.
Other attractions include a gift shop and café. You can visit the railway and look at the trains without actually taking a trip, however, once you visit, you won’t be able to resist the lure of the huge locomotives.
DISADVANTAGES: Expensive for such a short trip.
Isle of Wight Steam Railway The Railway Station Havenstreet Isle of Wight PO33 4DS
Enquiries: 01983 882204
www.iwsteamrailways.co.uk
Brading Wax works ************************
WAX WORKS – not exactly on the same scale as Madame Tussauds I’m afraid, but worth a look, especially if it’s a rainy day.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm, with hours extended in high season (Last admission advised 1 hour before closing)
Admission Costs: Adults - £5.25 Children - £3.50 (Ages 5-14inc.) OAPs - £4.00 Under 5's free. Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 children) - £16.00 Family Ticket (2 Adults + 3 children) - £19.00
I haven’t been to the wax works since I was severely traumatised there as a child! I peered expectantly down a little chimney, to be scared witless by a small face peering back at me! It depicted a chimney sweep who lived on the island, and unfortunately died while sweeping chimneys. A very sad tale.
Enquiries: 0870 4584477
Wax Works High Street Brading IOW PO36 0DQ
DISADVANTAGES: May be a bit scary for younger children (I am testimony to that!)
Osbourne House ********************
OSBOURNE HOUSE – one of the two Royal Residences (the other being Carisbrooke Castle) on the Island. Queen Victoria’s home in East Cowes is open to the public.
Phone or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk for opening times.
House and grounds: adult £8.50, child £4.30, senior £6.40, family ticket £21.30. Grounds only: reduced prices.
Enquiries: 01983 200022
DISADVANTAGES: May be a bit boring for some children, and the Swiss Cottage is not open all year round. I went with a class of six year olds, who were severely disappointed about this!
CARISBROOKE CASTLE – the second Royal Residence was the castle where Charles I was imprisoned.
Phone, or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk for opening times.
Adult £5, child £2.50, concession £3.80, family £12.50.
Enquiries: 01983 522107
DISADVANTAGES: Not ideal for kids, although they will enjoy the donkeys.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS: other attractions that a worth a visit include:
Amazon World zoo park, Shanklin Chine, Sandown Pier, Isle of Wight Pearl, Butterfly World, Quarr Abbey, Dinosaur Isle, VentnorBotanic Gardens, Puckpool Park, Colemans Animal Farm, IOW Donkey Sanctuary, and the Roman Villa at Newport.
All of these attractions can be found at www.destinationisleofwight.com and include prices and opening times.
If you have children with you I would definitely recommend Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill, you will have a brilliant day at both these attractions.
There are many small towns and villages on the island, and I will just review some of the main towns, which have somethings that may interest you.
RYDE – Ryde is very much a seaside town and has a lovely beach. It has a huge range of pubs and bars, with plenty of restaurants. My favourite is Dos Amigos, a Texan and Mexican restaurant which has nachos to die for, their cocktails are pretty good too!
There is a night-club called The Balcony, which is right on the seafront, and a bowling alley which is in the same building as the night-club.
You will also find: Planet Ice (ice skating rink) where the local team the Wight Raiders play regularly, a skate park (boards, blades and BMX’s) green bowling, a boating lake, children’s fairground, trampolines, swimming pool, Wimpy on the seafront, water play area for kids, a gorgeous Chinese restaurant called Beijing Palace, Puckpool park, a dotto train, Hovercraft terminal and a massive range of tacky gift shops!
In the town itself you will find an assortment of shops like Boots, Woolworth’s, Thorntons, New Look and Superdrug.
Bars include: JoeDafloes, Weatherspoons and The Crown.
NEWPORT –this is the ‘capital’ of the Island and where the main shopping centre is. Destination isle of wight.com states:
“Newport is located in the heart of the Island and is a town whose historic past blends charmingly with its modern role as the Island’s bustling commercial centre. A busy port until the mid-19th century, Newport Harbour still welcomes various vessels, but these days, the quay is a quiet calming alternative to the busy town centre, and is home to attractions such as the Classic Boat Museum, the Isle of Wight Bus Museum and the Quay Arts Centre. Its café bar and the nearby Bargeman’s Rest are among the good selection of places to eat in this area. "
And for the kids there is MacDonalds,Pizza Hut & KFC!!!
There is also a huge indoor kids play area called Xtreme Play, which has ball pools, slides and soft play areas. Grown ups can relax in the café overlooking the play area.
Nightclubs include Club K and Temptation.
SANDOWN – Probably the busiest tourist town on the island, Sandown has a huge beach and loads of things to do. Sandown is home to the tiger santuary and amazon world. Ignore the tacky gift shops like the plague unless you want to buy some fudge (gorgeous) and head for the pier.
Sandown Pier is a haven of arcades, shops, and amusements. It houses Magic Island another indoor play area for kids, which is ideal in wet weather. It’s about £3 to get in, and the kids can play for 2 hours, while you can get some peace. Relax in the café and watch the kids on the TV screens while having a cup of tea!
The pier also has a bowling alley, wimpy express, scruffy jacks bar, the lost world adventure golf (all indoors!) and dodgems, children’s rides and a snake slide (all outside).
Sandown has a huge array of guest houses, B&B’s and hotels, which are all within a stone’s throw from the beach.
Nightclub: Colonel Bogeys.
SHANKLIN – Shanklin is very close to Sandown, and also has a vast amount of accommodation to suit everyone. There are two parts to Shanklin town, the first part is the modern shops like Boots and Woolworths, while the more picturesque Old Village has a range thatched shops, tea-rooms, gift shops and pubs. It looks lovely, like something off a postcard (oh, it is!).
Shanklin Chine is in the old village, and is worth a look.
I love the rock shop – it sells Fudge Ice! Yum!
GODSHILL - Godshill was recently featured on the property programme Relocation Relocation and is home of the Griffin pub. I love Godshill with all it’s tea-rooms and gift shops (not tacky at all!). The Old Smithy is a quaint building which sells gifts, clothes and has a café which sells the most gorgeous (and expensive) cakes imaginable! Watch out in high season, the place gets really busy!
There is a model village in Godshill, and while I have never been, it’s suppose to be excellent. It’s open from March to December, and has an assortment of mini cottages, trains, airships and villages. (Enquiries: 01983 840270)
DO NOT LEAVE GODSHILL WITHOUT A TRIP TO THE CIDER BARN! This is where you can buy Fudge ice, coconut ice, fudge, wines, ciders, beers and rock. Mmm!
COWES –Cowes is famous as the yachting mecca of the south of England. It’s famous for Cowes Week Regatta (first week in August) and allows us poor folk to mix with the rich and famous (a bit like Cannes, without the film festival!).
Shops include: Fat face, Henry Lloyd, Mad Cowes, Chatham, Drew, Quba and T&G. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs, and a brilliant American shop which sells American produce like Hersey bars! Chocolate again – I’m addicted!
OTHER TOWNS INCLUDE: Ventnor, Yarmouth, Freshwater, Bembridge, St Helens, Brading, Brighstone, Carisbrooke among others.
2004 ATTRACTIONS
Isle of Wight Festival – this is an annual event that was reintroduced three years ago. It is a two week music extravaganza, the highlight being the festival itself which takes place on the 11th, 12th and 13th of June.
This year the Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, David Bowie, Charlatans, Groove Armada, The Who, the Electric Soft Parade, The Delays, Suzanne Vega and Snow Patrol are all performing that weekend.
You can get tickets and more information from:
www.isleofwightfestival.com
I really could go on and on with this review, but I don’t want to bore the pants off you. There really is so much to do, and I really love this place. It’s great for kids and families, has beautiful beaches and friendly people. You will have a lovely time, I guarantee it.
I didn’t want to go into details about accommodation, but if you log onto the destination website, there are some great recommendations there. We have B&B’s, camp sites, hotels, guest houses, caravan parks and holiday camps.
I apologise again, for not doing the island justice, but it’s impossible in a review, I would need to write a book, and I just don’t have the time! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If there is anything else you need help or advice on, just leave a message in my guestbook, I will be happy to help.
Thanks for reading!
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Fantastic!I am looking for somewhere to stay at the moment over there but cant seem to find many family friendly accoms that are a reasonable price and available for my dates :(
donf18 03.03.2005 19:31
Excellent revie put the kettle on I'm on my way. Oh and dont forget some chocolate. Don x
fantasybeliever 19.08.2004 10:57
Awesome! I didn't realise there was so much to the Isle of Wight. I've always fancied visiting, but never quite got round to it - this definitely convinces me. Cheers. Christina ;-) x
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