Favourite Places On Isle Of Wight
So I thought I would list a few of my favourite places on the Island. I realise they are all well known and obvious and not some tiny bolt hole which no-one knows about but there is a natural beauty on the Isle Of Wight and sure there is a beach on the coast off Military Road where you could go and see the moonlit beach all alone but those kind of places you find on your own and become your special place. I have tried to inculde links for these places so you can get more infomation. Feel free to comment or add your own favourite places on the comment box below. If you want an extra info on the Island on these places do contact me. CONTACT ME-CLICK HERE!
Arreton Old Village/Barns- Lovely little craft village to walk around. Keep away from The Corn Exchange and Martime Museum and look around the craft shops and often see them being made such as in the leather shop and glass shop. Don't forget to walk up to the pond and 12th Century church. Apart from the museum its free!
Godshill Village- A lovely little village to walk around. Full of old thatched cottages and little tourist driven shops. The Cider Barn is a must for their lovely jams and if you go to the back of the gift shop at the Old Smithy their is a lovely garden to walk around. Th church which towers above Godshill and gives it its name is well worth a visit and well worth the walk to the top. Some of Godshill is a bit tacky but well worth a visit. Watch the roads as the pavements in Godshill are narrow or non existient and lorries and double decker buses pass through as you walk on the road.
Alum Bay Beach- The Needles pleasure park is a bit tacky and good for kids. Be warned though the coloured sand you put in bottles no longer comes from the cliffs there. It comes from Saudia Arabia to stop the cliffs falling down. Still a unqiue gift. If you use the the chairlift or 100s of steps to get down to the beach and walk along for a few mins your'll find the beach is lovely. You can sit at the bottom of the cliffs and admire the lighthouse (which is now automated)
Shanklin Chine- This is a beautfuil little wooded place to walk. It costs £4 to get in but lovely to explore. If you have ever walked between Ventnor and Shankin you have probably sneaked in without paying though. It's also the oldest tourist attraction on the Island!
Brading- Since the Wax Works closed not so much of a destination and more of pass through to Sandown or Ryde. A lovely old place to visit and admire the old high street.
Ryde- Forget Newport this is the best town on the Island. I was born there and spent my whole childhood there. It boasts an ice-rink, bowling alley and all the shops you ever need. Union Street for shopping. Stand on the bridge and watch the Hovercraft power in and take a stroll up the Pier before they start charging to walk up again. Walk along the seafront to Seaview via Appley. Its a lovely walk. You can also get a 1930's ex London tube train or get a bus anywhere on the Island from the Esplanade interchange.
The End of Sandown Pier (especially after dark)- Many people don't get past the arcade at the start of the pier but its a lovely walk up the Pier. At the end is a little funfair but ignore that and just look at the views. You can see the whole of Sandown Bay and south east coast of the Island on a clear day. You can see right down to Shanklin and Ventnor and Brading. Block out the noise from the funfair and its a lovely peaceful place that reminds you why you came to the Isle Of Wight in the first place. If you are feeling brave go down the steps to the fishing bit. Pleasure boats use to leave and arrive from here and according to my Grandad boats use to arrive here and hundreds of people would stream down the pier. Just don't drop any coins as they will disappear down the cracks of the wooden boards to never be seen again. If the beach is quiet going under the pier (the dry bit at the road end not the wet bit in the sea) is also very peaceful. If you are lucky you might find a load of coins that fell out my pockets and other people's pockets that get washed up in little pools under the pier.
East Cowes Chain Ferry- Known as the "Floating Bridge" this is not quite a bridge or a ferry. It connects East and West Cowes (known just as Cowes). It runs every day including Christmas Day and takes passengers and cars across the River Medina avoiding a long detour into Newport and back out. It takes just a few mins. I would describe it as a bridge than floats on the water and has chains attached which pull it across the water. It is really good to watch. Well I think it is anyway. It started in 1859 and the current "ferry" dates from the 70's and is due to be replaced soon. Its run by the council but could be sold off. It is currently free to pedestrians so well worth a trip. I often go and watch it for a little bit when early from the car ferry. From the East Cowes side you can also see The Hammerhead Crane. Its a huge black Crane just across the river in Cowes. It was built in 1912 and used to build warships during the war.
