The shortest and fastest vehicle route to the Island of white is between Lymington, in the New Forest, and Yarmouth in West Wight. A 30 minute route is served by red funnel ferries from lymington or longer if you prefer Southampton. Southampton is also a good base for the Isle of white and Bournemouth the New Forest. Lymington Pier rail station is within the terminal of Red funnel. http://www.redfunnel.co.uk Tickets cost around 30 pounds for car driver and three passengers; lymington is a much quieter and relaxed port to visit the island from, If you are staying on the isle of white more than a day then it's a good idea not tell them you are going for a long stay, just pay the one way trip price. Look out for the brochures knocking around the various local outlets, get concession coupons from the brochures. Booking the day before can also save money and snap a bargain, Certain days and times of the week, such has Mon-Wed; are good days to get a cheaper deal .
Whilst aboard the red funnel ferry you can sit back in the lounges, with bar and café facilities, or relax on the observation decks as you cruise the most picturesque route to the Island.
The Isle of white is our destination; Journey on through the Solent heading out to sea towards Yarmouth and see the famous Hurst castle that almost touches the isle of white, 13 miles to be precise. From distance it makes you just want to lepe over to the island. Oh yes lepe, another famous land mark en-route across the Solent. Lepe Beach is situated southeast of the New Forest and is the closest
mainland coast to the Isle of Wight. On the beach at Lepe are various rocks, these including a dinosaur footprint. On 6 June 1944 Lepe played an important role in the D-Day landings, as a major departure point for troops, vehicles and supplies. Today at Lepe you can still see evidence of the wartime efforts.
The isle of white and the very popular Cowes, Cowes is the yachting centres of not only The Island, but also arguably the world. It's most famous for Cowes Week, which usually takes place in the early part of August. The Port of Cowes can be a little tricky when returning to the UK mainland. East and West Cowes are segregated by the estuary and marina. East Cowes is where you will board the Red Funnel Ferry; don't lose any sleep though if you make the error in the direction of travelling down to Cowes west. It's a little more time consuming making this very simple and easy mistake, if you have never visited the Isle of white before.
If you do make that mistake then you can board the floating bridge that will put you right back on track and just 3 minutes on the car ramp to the other side. It's better to get it right first time if you can and if you remain on the A3021 east and not the A3020 west then you will be much at an advantage. So you have decided to take the lymington-Yarmouth crossing, excellent choice and when you drive off the Red Funnel Ferry in Yarmouth and have shown your visa credentials. You have departed through customer control, and you suddenly get that Deja've been feeling, The Caribbean, You get that sensation you have completely landed poles apart, a dissimilar country altogether. Well maybe not. Everything looking much like the UK mainland, there's one most important chore and necessity; remember to fill up with gas. Petrol stations are quite spaced out depending which direction you travel from Yarmouth. It's a peace of mind anyway.
I guess you are wondering where from here? Travel from Yarmouth to Freshwater bay. Approximately 6 miles to both freshwater and Compton Bay, This area is a favourite for surfers, windsurfers. World-famous views and dazzling multi-coloured sand cliffs are just the beginning of a perfect start to your pleasure-packed day out.
The needles; Needles Park; Alum Rock and Alum chine; where you can try out the many various activities, gift shops and the cable car ride down the cliffs to the beach, if you are brave enough. The needles point and so much to enjoy! From here take to the road and head down the A3055 towards Chale; Black gang chine And Ventnor. The route will take you on a panorama excursion via the coast road; Military Road.
Before you go onto black gang chine, it's essential you refuel your body with a splendid lunch at the White Mouserestaurant, sited on the left driving into Chale approx 13 miles from Freshwater Bay. Black gang chine Overlooks the spectacular South WestCoast' of the Isle of Wight, Black gang Chine is a mix of exciting rides, goblins and fairies, dinosaurs, nursery rhyme characters, cowboys and Indians all set within rambling Victorian gardens and designed to appeal to all ages. http://www.blackgangchine.com The Children's imagination runs wild as they enjoy the themed areas in the park. Smugglers on the high seas, goblins and trolls inside Rumpus Mansion, or the wild west of Frontier land, Black gang provides a base for activity.
Time is passing, and we still have plenty to see and do, continuing along the A3055 open road with many magical views across the sea, we are heading towards the seafront at Ventnor, sheltered by cliffs and a southerly aspect. Ventnor has part sand and shingle beach, very good for sunbathing and swimming. There are plenty of pubs, cafes, amusements, paddling pools and a seafront car park.
Next stop the charm of Shanklin and one of my favourite towns and beaches, 6 miles Approx. Descending towards the town of Shanklin, a town of great character and charm with many interesting small shops dressed in thatch and a variety of Victorian buildings and hotels. Country houses; Sheltering cliffs provide the ideal suntrap position for the seafront and sandy beach, Shanklin Old Village and Shanklin chine With a drop of 105ft to the sea level, and just over a quarter of a mile, the Chine covers approximately three acres, a tour through the chine is a must which takes you through dense foliage mingled with trees, Streams of cascading Water descend down to the sea, or you can You can climb up the chine too the village above and soak in the views from Shanklin, The thatched town... There are many things to see and do on the Isle of Wight, so I have merely skimmed the surface and given you some ideas on where to go and enjoy yourselves. Had enough, tired and weary of the journey, Remember to catch that ferry back, it runs well into the late night hours, check though. Before you head back towards Yarmouth, Sandown is the best place to have fun beside the sea safely with gently sloping beaches. The town itself seems to be rather behind time though but has huge potential, with plenty of shops. Some shops are quite shabby though, Sandown reminds me of Ryde, but both these places are well worth the visit, and I don't be put off. The worse thing could happen two towns like these is them becoming to the fruit machine orientated, and if they let it develop this way then both places will lose credibility.
Change of scenery, the cream on the cake and just 5 miles. I have chosen Godshill, just a short drive away; Godshill has a number of visitor attractions. The village is famous for its picture postcard scene of thatched cottages around the hill-top church. With its charming thatched-roofed cottages, delightful medieval church and a winding main street lined with tearooms, Godshill is the English Village perfect. Situated between Shanklin and Newport, the village has many extensive car parking facilities, convenient for all the nearby attractions including the Model Village. There are also numerous shops offering local crafts; ciders; pickles; mustards and biscuits and splendid welcoming tearooms, serving home made cakes, pubs, for all the family with beamed ceilings and cosy fireplaces compliment its village charm. Life in Godshill is just serene. Heading back down the A3020 towards Yarmouth and your ferry home, you may just have time to stop at Newport which is Approx 7 miles. Newport has many shops and there is a range of speciality shops for clothing and other goods. The town centre has a new Sainsbury's, Safeway's, Somerfield and Marks & Spencer's. However, there are still quaint little shops, an interesting quay side and beautiful walk along the banks of the river Media to Cowes and East Cowes. To the southwest of Newport is Carisbrooke, a pretty village with several good pubs and of course, Carisbrooke Castle, The castle is open to the public and is well worth a trip. Although the isle of white is very easy to get around and distances are not great it can be rather steep and hilly in places, there is plenty to see and one day on the island will certainly not be enough to see what it as to offer. A return visit is essential; because there are many places I have not even mentioned such as Sandown again quite a large place. Grapevine tells me that the isle of white will be the sandbanks of Poole in Dorset, where many properties sell for a mere 10 million.
Pictures of Isle of Wight (England)
GODSHILL
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Venere.com Hotel Booking<br>
Instantly book your Hotel, B&B or Appartment with Venere.com. Huge European selection with photos, reviews, maps and rates. Booking Direct means Lower Prices. Book now, pay on Check out.
Jan 14th, 2008
exceptional by (6%):
very helpful by (91%):
helpful by (3%):
