We’re going to Shanklin for 2 weeks in the summer. Me, Mrs The Spider and our kids 9 & 7*. Any tips on the best beach for body boarding and other stuff to see and do, and anything to avoid?

We’ve done a bit of research, but would be happy for some first-hand experience.

*Unusual names for kids, but they have got used to it.

[Edit]No need for 1950s jokes. We know.[/Edit]

The main thing you will see is what it was like to live in the 1950’s

Rocket lunch site.

The coast.

From the mainland

Robin Hill is quite good for kids that age. If I remember correctly you can return free for 7 days(?). Nice place to have a picnic on a sunny day and a reasonable amount for the kids to do plus some nice walks.

If you are in the National Trust visit the Bembridge Windmill (worth a visit if not members and it is not that expensive, quite interesting) and the Old Battery at the Needles.

I always enjoy going to the Garlic farm for a coffee and a few pots of pickles.

There is a Roman Villa somewhere (Brading???).

Avoid the tacky tourist places, there is plenty to do without visiting any of them.

1/2 my extended family live there and my mum grew up there. We still avoid the place as much as possible…

That said the Rocket lunch site is quite nice and definitely better than the needles “attractions” next to it! (although the chair lift is ok as a time filler!)

Also a strange but fun walk is along the “undercliff” by Niton, the road and whole area is slipping into the sea so some interesting stuff to see. We normally start Niton end and walk towards Ventnor.

Black gang chine would be good for your kids plus the beaches below it are quite nice (whale chine is also good for fossils)

Compton is where we always went surfing or body boarding, but access was a bit tricky last time I was there due to a few land slides, although guess they’ll have fixed that by now

Avoid the Isle of Wight Pearl place like the plague, never have I seen so much overpriced tat!

no good for you as you’ve got accommodation, but we’ve stayed in Carisbrooke Castle for a few holidays.

You’re the only ones in there; they lock the gates and leave you. You can walk the rampants all night. The kids loved it – and talk about the holidays even now. It really is ace; extremely atmospheric.

Just don’t fall off.

Thanks. We’ve got English Heritage and National Trust memberships so we’ll do all of them.

I like the idea of an old fashioned sea side holiday. The kids are still of an age when they could spend all day making sand castles or paddling in the sea. The whole “back in the 1950s” aspect of it appeals to us. Seaside towns, ice creams, crazy golf etc.

What I want to avoid are things that are, to quote Judith Chalmers, “shit”. The model village at Polperro being a prime example.

i remember parking in the Ventor Botanic Gardens and popping down to Steephill Cove. Lovely Crab pasties and just a bit of chilling.

Seaview is lovely, garlic farm nice for lunch. I really like the iow, i know most ex residents call it the pile of shite. Just avoid the tourist areas.

I’ve lived on the Island for 21 years now and at this time of year until autumn its wonderful.
If you’re bringing the bike I’ll happily show you around for an afternoon or whatever.
The beach at Ryde is massive and shallow.
If you like coastal walks park at Newtown and have a wander around the village and down to the sea. Theres a decent bird hide and the wildflowers in the meadows are wonderful.
Some nice walks up St Boniface down (behind Ventnor).
The clifftop path / coastal path from Chale to Freshwater (or sections of) again is very nice.
America woods at the back of Shanklin has some good walks in it.
Borthwood Copse (Queens Bower nr Apse Heath) can be good for seeing Red Squirrels. Theres a hide near Alverstone which is great for watching Red Squirrels, but its currently shut, needing some structural repairs.

2 weeks 😯

Coastal walking is an obvious highlight, imo the South facing side is the better and also the Western End. Park overlooking the Needles and down to the Alum Bay beach (can do the coloured sands thing). I recall there is a hawk / birds of prey place too. I visit frequently for sailing, Seaview and Yarmouth worth spending some time in, but rarely go inland at all. The Folly Inn on the Medina River is well known with yachties as you can moor oppostite and then have lunch

Osborne House is in a nice place, great gardens and lovely aspect.

When’s you holiday ?

Comes Week is an Obvz for all the boaty types and a stroll along the Green from the RYS is nice enough, down to Gunard sailing club and buy an ice cream and return back to Cowes. East /West Cowes ferry is a 5minute giggle, but you can get a launch up the Medina for a nights trip. Bembridge is cute, Ventnor old school and hilly, St Catharines lighthouse is quite cute too and Emery Down a decent walk..

And chips.

2 weeks? you are **** mad. i`m bored after 2 days.

beach at bembridge is OK for a walk.

The beach West of Ventnot for surfing but the swell only really happens 1 or twice every couple of weeks by all accounts.

buy a yacht and sail home.

We’re going to Shanklin for 2 weeks in the summer.

Assume you have a car? The train is – erm – limited. Fun, but limited.

Me, Mrs The Spider and our kids 9 & 7*. Any tips on the best beach for body boarding and other stuff to see and do, and anything to avoid?

Obvious things are Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle, so I won’t mention them.

Off the top of my head…

Compton for bodyboarding is the obvious place: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/compton-bay-and-downs If there’s any swell on the south coast this stretch of coast tends to pick it up.

I can’t comment on Blackgang, but I believe if you go once then getting into it or Robin Hill Park again is a lot cheaper. Robin Hill is good – loads of fun outdoor stuff and room for kids to run around.

Tapnell Farm Park is good for kids, with indoor stuff too.

The Needles is obvious, but the New Battery is free to enter (Old Battery is National Trust, so also not a problem for you OP) and documents the isle’s part in the UK space programme.

The zoo and Dinosaur Isle are next to each other in Sandown and are limited, but good. The zoo is big cat focussed and very into conservation; the dino museum is undercover and genuinely interesting.

There’s nice beaches all round the island. Ryde is big with facilities; Whitecliffe is a hike down from Culver Downs but a lot less crowded (it’s public, but entry is only otherwise via a campsite); Yaverland and Sandown are sandy; Shanklin gets busy but occasionally gets surf and has a few nice cafes on the way to Sandown/Lake; Ventnor also gets busy but has cafes etc.

Good walking straight from Shanklin. Head west and south.

The Island Breezer busses are good; hop-on hop-off and go right round the island. Good way to see the island coast and not worry about parking.

There’s a few good mags available with recommendations too – both ferry companies have one and they’re actually pretty good.

Oh yeah – we don’t go to The Folly. Staff are lovely, food is God-awful Brakes Bros. And it’s Greene King, which gives me the shits. Matt and Cat are good for food recommendations around the island: https://mattandcat.co.uk

There is a Roman Villa somewhere (Brading???).

Two – Brading and Newport. Brading one especially is good.

Black-gang chine for the Kids. It’s a bit pricey but the kids will love it. and you get free entry anytime for up to a week
Steep-hill cove is lush simply for the fresh crab.
Bembridge is nice. Beaches such as the Dover are great.
Cowes is good for watching the boats etc.
Needles is nice.
Compton bay for surfing.
Colwell bay if you’re missing the mainland.

Also a strange but fun walk is along the “undercliff” by Niton, the road and whole area is slipping into the sea so some interesting stuff to see. We normally start Niton end and walk towards Ventnor.

It’s an interesting ride too.

So I’ve heard.

*cough*

Cycle most of the coastline using a route such as https://www.strava.com/routes/759765?hl=en-GB (not my route, found through google, first link)?

We went there ~10 years ago, think we stayed in Shanklin for a week, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what we did… All I can recall is that it was like going back in time, very chilled out non-rat-race holiday.

Pray the weather’s good – then you can spend all your days clifftop and countryside walking, eating pub lunches and playing on the beach – which will be great for kids that age.

Avoid the main touristy sites – they’re very Middle England IMO – except for the historic things like Brading Roman Villa, Carisbrooke, Osborne etc.

If the kids have too much energy, walk them up St Boniface Down above Ventnor – that’ll keep them quiet 🙂

I like the IoW for the relaxed pace of life, but with kids, that’s probably not an option!

Some great walks, great pubs by the sea (Spyglass in Ventnor IIRC?), Needles as other have said. Cowes is a bit more “lively”!

Also a strange but fun walk is along the “undercliff” by Niton, the road and whole area is slipping into the sea so some interesting stuff to see. We normally start Niton end and walk towards Ventnor.

It’s an interesting ride too.

So I’ve heard.

*cough*[/quote]

I wasn’t going to mention that as have been told off a few times for riding round there 🙄

If you shop in Tesco then club card vouchers stretch a long way on the isle of wight. Last year we did the railway and Needles for free.

Robin Hill is good – take plenty of change for runs on the bobsleigh. We weren’t impressed with Black Gang Chyne but my lad is probably a bit too young to appreciate all of it – maybe yours would enjoy it more, but it is an odd place.

We’re doing the ferry on Tesco too, and a trip to Pizza Express and Prezzo.

Thought Robin Hill was a bit naughty charging £70+ to get in and then making you pay for the bobsleighs. Robin Bastards more like.

I wasn’t going to mention that as have been told off a few times for riding round there

Like in most interesting riding around England and Wales, discretion (and timing) is the better part of valour.

Thought Robin Hill was a bit naughty charging £70+ to get in and then making you pay for the bobsleighs.

It’s better value if you go a few times during your stay, which is what I imagine they’re angling for. We had an annual ticket a few years ago and only went a few times, but it still worked out better than paying for each visit. Blackgang and Robin Hill are part of the same company though, so it’s worth checking the cross-site deals.

Pimpmaster Jazz – Member

I wasn’t going to mention that as have been told off a few times for riding round there

Like in most interesting riding around England and Wales, discretion (and timing) is the better part of valour.
The Luccombe loon is a landmark and part of the experience. Actually its bloody funny.
Sometimes I like to have a “discussion” with him its hilarious.

Loon – “Im calling the police now and they’re going to confiscate your bike, take it to the mainland and sell it”.
Me – “Im pretty sure they cant do that. Can you tell them Im heading to Ventnor and I’ll meet them down the seafront in about 15 minutes. It’ll be an easier drive for them”
Loon – “hnnnggghhhh! Foam rant spittle”.
Me – “Byeeee. Mwah”

The coastal path West of Ventnor botanic gardens is just wonderful, just a little grassy ribbon on the clifftops. On a sunny day its just beautiful.

We holiday there 2 or 3 times a year – can’t get enough of the place. As someone said, its like going back in time almost which is part of the charm. My list of must-dos would be something like:
– St Helens beach / walk across the Duver and the causeway into St Helens village
– bakery on the corner in Bembridge for lunch
– Sandown pier for kiss-me-quick 2p slots and crazy golf
– walk down Shanklin Chine on an evening when its lit up and a wander around the olde worlde shops at the top for a bar of coconut ice to chomp on was you walk down the Chine
– Ventnor for a wander. Some cool shops and nice ice creams on the front
– Botanical Gardens. Really smart cafe next to the pond, lovely gardens and then walk out by the playground and along the coastal path before dropping down to Steephill Cove for cream teas. This is a must do!
– Godshill for more cream teas and dodging the blue rinse brigade. Mini village is pretty cool and the walk up to the church is great.
– Garlic Farm is worth a pop in if you’re passing
– the normal trains – get on at Shankin and all the way to Ryde Pier for a coffee at the end of the pier in the sunshine. Walk back along the pier into Ryde for a wander and jump on the train back.
– Ryde beach – epic
– Steam trains if thats your thing.
– Robin Hill is kinda ok. The attraction bits seem to be well spread out but its pretty good. Much better than Blackgang Chine which was expensive and crap.
– any one of the beaches on the south coast. Drive along the military road and just pull up in any number of the laybys and walk down. Compton Bay very good for surfing/body boarding.
– Freshwater Beach for a swim
– The Piano Cafe in Freshwater. Another must-do.
– sack off the Needles stuff. Its always rammed. Instead, at the Highdown Inn, turn up the hill to a NT car park and walk up to the Tennyson Monument and from there (with its awesome views) walk along the cliffs to the Needles Battery and back. Scoff at the idiots queuing below to get into the Needles car park. Theres also a farm about halfway along you can walk down to for more cream teas.
– beach at Colwell Bay
– park at Gurnard (free) and walk along the sea front into Cowes for boaty people spotting and some nice shops. Alternatively, park on the sea front at East Cowes and get the chain ferry over.
– Yarmouth is really nice for a wander. Top notch fish & chips at a restaurant on a back street. Can’t remember the name of it but really good!
– Fort Victoria. Model railway and a decent little cafe.

Think thats about all I can think of off the top of my head. Its great.

Forgot – Vineyard near Brading. Decent food too

Cheers DWB, I’ll look into all of that.

Blackgang Chine.

Our two liked Butterfly World, reasonably priced and you get to hand feed the carp (they suck the food out of your hand rather than you just throwing some food into their pond).

Fort Victoria is also well worth a visit. http://www.fortvictoria.co.uk/ Signposted walks through the woods, fossills on the beach and we saw two red squirrels raiding the bird feeders in the garden of the model railway club

Cheers DWB, I’ll look into all of that.

Its ace. We were there in February for 3 nights, we’re down there again in a week as we’re at a wedding in Surrey next weekend so whilst we’re down there, we thought it rude not to hop over and spend a few nights in the van. And then we’re off back in October to a cottage we go to every year.

Its almost as good out of season. Still stuff open but loads less people about.

Some ace biking there too but I’ve yet to really explore that.

Can you tell them Im heading to Ventnor and I’ll meet them down the seafront in about 15 minutes. It’ll be an easier drive for them

*spits tea*

The coastal path West of Ventnor botanic gardens is just wonderful, just a little grassy ribbon on the clifftops. On a sunny day its just beautiful.

Rode that the other day, then dropped down to St. Catherine’s. Really, really enjoyed it.

the normal trains – get on at Shankin and all the way to Ryde Pier for a coffee at the end of the pier in the sunshine. Walk back along the pier into Ryde for a wander and jump on the train back.

Good call. The Chocolate Apothecary should be on your list if you do this; opposite the Esplanade station and hoverport. Homemade chocolates, hot chocolate to die for (apparently) and a good, strong coffee (more my bag).

Blaze next door does good pizza too, by all accounts, and Michaelangelos over the road is a pretty good Italian.

– sack off the Needles stuff. Its always rammed. Instead, at the Highdown Inn, turn up the hill to a NT car park and walk up to the Tennyson Monument and from there (with its awesome views) walk along the cliffs to the Needles Battery and back. Scoff at the idiots queuing below to get into the Needles car park. Theres also a farm about halfway along you can walk down to for more cream teas.

Very good call.

– Yarmouth is really nice for a wander. Top notch fish & chips at a restaurant on a back street. Can’t remember the name of it but really good!

On The Rocks is good there too; worth booking: http://ontherocksyarmouth.com

For fish and chips there’s loads of good places; our favourite is Stotesburys in Newport: http://www.stotesburysfishchips.co.uk

Someone on the island was saying the Luccombe Loon isn’t there any more. Pity as he was 10/10 for sheer entertainment value.

– sack off the Needles stuff. Its always rammed. Instead, at the Highdown Inn, turn up the hill to a NT car park and walk up to the Tennyson Monument and from there (with its awesome views) walk along the cliffs to the Needles Battery and back. Scoff at the idiots queuing below to get into the Needles car park. Theres also a farm about halfway along you can walk down to for more cream teas.

Yep, another vote for this. But I parked up near Freshwater Bay and walked to the Needles from there – maybe quite a hike for little legs but the views are stunning.

I’m astounded to hear that the bobsleigh run at Robin Hill is still open!

I have photos of me on my first run down this, aged about 10. You can tell it’s my first run, because on the second run we decided to see what would happen if you didn’t use the brakes.. flipped the cart on a corner, got a mahoosive friction burn down the side of my face and the mother of all static shocks when we returned to the track.

Different culture then.. despite many a cart having passed as we picked ourselves up and put the cart back on track, runs were not stopped, and upon reporting our ‘off’ at the bottom of the ride (because nooone had come to help us get the heavy cart back on track) we were gruffly informed we shouldn’t have been going so fast and sent on our way. Can’t see that would happen now for a pair of burnt / bruised / bloodied kids!

Someone on the island was saying the Luccombe Loon isn’t there any more. Pity as he was 10/10 for sheer entertainment value.

🙁

https://www.strava.com/segments/10235311

You can see the Isle of Wight on your way to France…

Pimpmaster Jazz – Member

Someone on the island was saying the Luccombe Loon isn’t there any more. Pity as he was 10/10 for sheer entertainment value.

https://www.strava.com/segments/10235311
I made this. ^^

Compton bay at low tide – dinosaur footprints in the rock. Real ones and big. Loads of them. (Also 3 toed footprint casts on the beach about the size of a dustbin lid). You have to wade out about 100yards knee high across a rocky plateau in the sea. If you’re lucky to get there when there’s an NT tour going on, just look for a group of around 20 people gazing down, around 100 yards into the sea, knee high water. Sends a shiver down the spine. The kids will love it.