We have just added some new photos to Indian Summer House (http://www.islandcottageholidays.com/isleofwight/cottages/indiansummerhouse/) showing the nearby Osborne House and the historic church of St Mildred’s Church Whippingham (St._Mildred’s_Church on Wikipedia).
Indian Summer House is in the former grounds of Osborne House and was used as a summer house by the royal children. To find out more visit the Indian Summer House page on our website.
Chillies Growing
Godshill Organics have opened their new Chilli Farm and the brightly coloured chillies are really fattening up under the warm Isle of Wight sun. This new venture is designed to teach us more about chilli, the different varieties and the different properties or tastes.
Chilli at the Chilli Farm
There is a covered exhibition of the different chillies growing in a reconstruction of their natural habitat with information about the origin and variety on display. There are also beautiful chilli plants to buy and take home so you can try you luck at growing some yourself.
In the Godshill Organic Shop there is a chance to taste some organic chilli products as buy chillies, chilly products and cookery books giving new ideas for cooking with chilli.
Chilli Farm Shop
There are homemade cakes and other products made with locally grown chilli including a delicious Orange Chocolate and Chilli Tart. For the real chilli enthusiast there are chilli sauces to try of varying degrees of heat from very mild to rather hot.
To find out more visit Godshill Organics on the Newport to Godshill Rd or visit their website www.wix.com/iowchillifarm/isleofwightchillifarm
Our selection of hidden treasures on the Isle of Wight. Special places that are off the beaten track or tucked away where you might not find them. All the places listed below are free to enter and available all year round.
This narrow crack in the ground is an impressive part of the coast from Luccombe and Bonchurch on the South of the Isle of Wight. This natural split in the rock is steep but a hand rail has been fitted to aid access. Climbing down through lets you emerge out into a wooded area which one could imagine was a different world. A prehistoric atmosphere is abound in these woodlands. Devil’s Chimney can be enjoyed easily by parking at the nearby public Car Park on the left on the main coast road between Shanklin and Ventnor or stop for refreshment at the Smugglers Haven Tea Rooms and walk down from there. Alternatively it is signposted from the coastal path. Read more about Devil’s Chimney. An image of Devils Chimney can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/dgj103/2521584124/
Newtown Bird Hide
The bird hide at Newtown is a hidden treasure within a hidden treasure. The village of Newtown is made up of attractive historic cottages and churches as well as being the home of Newtown Town Hall.
The bird hide looks out over Newtown’s wetland areas which has bird visitors all year round. The largest concentrations of birds can be seen in the winter as wintering birds set up home. There is a signpost in the centre of Newtown which points the way down a short path to the bird hide.
The Town Hall in Newtown is open to the public by the National Trust. Find out more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-oldtownhallnewtown
This quiet bay on the coastal path between Ventnor and St Lawrence is an idyllic seaside spot and has parallels with small seaside holiday locations in the 1930′s.
The beach is often scattered with a few deck chairs and children explore the waters edge and rock pools at either side of the sandy beach.
Steephill Cove has a couple of places to have some refreshment and everywhere serves crab which is hauled up the beach on a regular basis during the season.
Culver Cliffs
The cliffs on either side of Culver Down are a great place to enjoy views over Sandown and Shanklin bays and north to Whitecliff Bay, Bembridge and Bembridge Harbour. Those with keen eyes will even spot Bembridge Windmill.
Culver Down is part of the coastal path between Bembridge and Sandown but if you want to avoid the climb it is also possible to drive to the top.
Apart from the view, Culver Down also has some Second World War history to wonder at. Gun placements on Culver Down were there to protect the Island from aircraft attack.
You can read more about Culver Downs
The coastal path has many beautiful sections but Yarmouth to Shalfleet is expecially enjoyable and varied. Route takes you from moorland to woodland to farmland before you tackle a short shingle section and onto the amazingly beautiful wetland section.
The wetland part of the coastal path has little wooden bridges and walk ways so you get get right in amongst the wetlands and see the birdlife it contains.
These managed woodlands on the edge of Newport are great for a woodland walk to stretch the legs. The woodland has well made, wide tracks and they are reasonably flat. If you have trouble with walking over uneven ground or up and down steep hills then these woods provide access to nature. There is plenty of parking and the woods are just outside of Newport on the main Newport to Yarmouth road.
Needles View
Rocket engines were tested on the Isle of Wight in a secrete rocket testing centre which operated into the 1970′s. Yep it’s true. Even more extraordinary is that the facility was located within a short walk of the iconic Needles which form the far Western tip of the Isle of Wight and have been a much visited site since Victorian times.
The rocket testing towers are still in place but many walk right past them to view a stunning view of The Needles with the Needles Lighthouse at the very tip. Sail boat often make a beautiful backdrop to this impressive view.
You can reach the site on the Island Breezer bus from Yarmouth or take the Tennyson Trail from Freshwater and over to Alum Bay. The testing station is located at the very end of the headland.
Yarmouth to Shalfleet Coastal Path
The estuary between Freshwater and Yarmouth is a beautiful wetland area and this gentle walk over flat ground runs along the cycle track which is well marked with signposts. The walk starts near the garden centre in Freshwater town (near the Co-op store) but it is worth looking at Freshwater Bay before you start.
The cycle track route (which welcomes walkers) follows the water course all the way into Yarmouth. This walk can be done in either direction as you can easily leave a car at either end and buses go between both towns.
Remember you heard it here first. Borthwood Copse is probably the best place to see the Isle of Wight red squirrel anywhere on the Isle of Wight. One only has to sit still on one of the benches in the copse for a few minutes before movement in the branches bring the first indications of these rare mammals.
Borthwood Copse is located near Lake on the East side of the Island and can be reached by the footpath from Sandown Airport.
Freemantle Gate
This impressive structure which stands alone where the Worsley Trail and the Stenbury Trail cross and is a lovely quiet spot to enjoy the view. The attraction of the gate is added to by the beautiful choice of routes by which to get there. On the Stenbury Trail it can be reached from Godshill or Wroxall and on the Worsley Trail by following the trail up from Steephill (nr Ventnor) and across the Appuldurcombe Down.
If you have any hidden treasures of your own on the Isle of Wight please let us know and we will pass them along.
A perfectly flat and extremely pleasant cycle track runs between Alverstone (near Sandown) and Godshill (location for The Taverners public house and restaurant). This scenic route is almost completely free of traffic with more than 95% being on dedicated cycle track. This means you can leave the car behind and visit Godshill for an evening meal before cycling home again.
The journey takes roughly 35mins at a moderate pace. You can start in Sandown, Alverstone or Newchurch where the National Cycle Route (NCR) 23 passes through. Ride West along NCR 23 in the direction of Newport. Keep going (and crossing a few small roads) till you get to Merstone where there is a railway bridge. Go under the bridge and then turn left up a slope to a paved track which is signposted for Godshill. Follow the paved track which changes to gravel after a few hundred meters. Follow the track to the left and then on to the edge of Godshill.
The Tennyson Downs form a spine along the west side of the Isle of Wight and makes a lovely place to walk and enjoy the unspoilt open countryside of this part of the Island. A path and bridal way runs from the most westerly tip of the Isle of Wight at Alum Bay all the way to Carisbrooke, however you can join the trail from many places along the way.
Sections of the trail from Freshwater to Shorwell or Shorwell to Godshill make pleasant pub walks.
Whitecliff Bay
We stopped for a quick lunch at the Tuppenny Cafe at Whitecliff Bay yesterday. The egg sandwiches are excellent, with plenty of watercress and fresh salad, and could be enjoyed with a beautiful view of the bay and the white cliffs.
White cliff bay is not far from Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The beach is ideal for swimming and a number of swimmers were enjoying the water while we were there. If you feel like a walk after lunch you can take the Coastal path up to Culver Cliffs and enjoy the view of Sandown Bay to the South or Bembridge to the North.
Summer
To make it even easier to select a self catering holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight and Isle of Purbeck for this summer we have a new Summer Holidays Availability page.
The 6 weeks in July and August are listed across the top and available cottages for those weeks are listed down the page. You can quickly see if the cottage you prefer is available for any of these weeks.
To view more details on any one of these holiday weeks you can click on “view more” and see details of the cottages available.
To give it a try visit www.islandcottageholidays.com/isleofwight/holidays/summer/
The coastal path between Yarmouth and Shalfleet is not very long but extremely beautiful and therefore ideal way to reach the New Inn pub in Shalfleet before retuning to Yarmouth. The path begins on the edge of Yarmouth with a seafront walk and then takes you to some woodland, a little open heath, some wetlands and then to Shalfleet via some more woods.
Coastal Path
Your starting point is Yarmouth which you leave via the street between the grocery store and the sailing and fishing store. This heads north east and takes you to a seafront prominade. Walk with the sea on your left till you reach some housing which has diverted the footpath where you climb up to a car park (50°42’27″N 1°28’53″W) where you might prefer to start the walk and then follow the road for 700 meters of so till you see a sign for the coastal path.
Follow the coastal path which will take you to the sea via a small woodland area. Once you get to the sea walk with the sea on your left. This part of the walk gives you great views of the Solent and there are small beaches to stop and admire the sights in more detail.
Raised Walkways
Soon the path goes inland a little and you join a wider track with some housing. Turn right onto the track and walk 100 meters to a junction. Keep left at this junction as if heading back to the coast. After 250 meters turn right and follow signs for the coastal path. The countryside will now open up and you will see some sea to your left. You walk though a small farm and rejoin the coast and you join a shingle beach. Walk along the shingle beach for a few hundred meters and then turn right to follow the path inland.
You then come to a wetland area with a raised wooden walk way. Here you will find a variety of bird life including waders.
The path leaves the wetlands and reenters the woods. This long straight woodland track veres left and then forks. Take the left hand fork and walk till you meet the main road. At the road turn left and walk the short way into Shalfeet where you will find the New Inn Public House.
A simular walk with only small variations and a different destination is available from http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=1469988.
Island Cottage Holidays has self catering holiday cottages in both Yarmouth and Shalfleet:
Yarmouth and Shalfleet Cottages - www.islandcottageholidays.com/isleofwight/yarmouth/
Many visitors to the Isle of Wight are able to recall with some fondness a trip to the Isle of Wight as children and wish to share this experience with their own families. Over the years there are more and more organised activities for children as well as many of the same opportunities to explore and discover those historic and exciting places rich with tales of heroism or adventure.
The organised entertainments still include what might be the worlds most long running theme park of Blackgang Chine as well as Robin Hill and numerous petting farms, and animal sanctuaries or zoos. Many have activities to quickly burn up children’s excess energy and return them in an exhausted and placid state.
Some of the most popular activities with children still seem to be the historic sites which have made great efforts to accommodate children and provide them with the exciting (and often gruesome) history they enjoy. Some such sites include the National Trust administered Old Battery at Alum Bay (near the Needles) and Carisbrooke Castle near Newport. Both have activities and special events for children and Carisbrooke affords the opportunity for children to let their hair down and run around with plastic swords in historical reenactments of dubious historical accuracy.
Cycling has become a popular family activity on the Isle of Wight due to the large number of cycle tracks and bridal paths completely free of cars. A network of smooth, flat and wide tracks criss cross much of the east of the Isle of Wight and they offer low stress cycling with children. Tired children are welcome at the numerous public houses along the route.
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