Isle of Wight

[tworottenapples]

I'm looking to go to The Isle of Wight during the Easter Holidays. Three generations going, age range 5 - 70.

Looking for ideas of places to go / see. Obviously, I can use Google to see the main attractions such as The Needles or Osborne House, but was wondering about more personal recommendations, for example there is a good beach at x place where you can catch crabs, or there's a great pub called x at x town where they serve great food and have a kids play area. Or a café serving great food with views over x harbour.

We'll be staying near Cowes, but obviously the island isn't that large, so happy to consider any area.

Thanks to anyone who can provide suggestions.

It’s a great place for old and young alike. Our kids (& us) always loved Blackgang Chine, Godshill has some nice pubs and’The Old Smithy’ for a very indulgent cream tea (their cream cakes are huge!). I would look out for the little booklets on the ferry that give you plenty of ideas. Unfortunately a couple of our favourite places have closed down.

Amazon World has a lot of different animals and often has displays etc.

St Catherine’s Lighthouse though a bit of a walk from Nighton.

Loads of nice pubs with great food. One of our favourites was the Griffin at Godshill (has a maze).

There are plenty of great beaches, we always stayed in Godshill/Shanklin area so tended to go there. The beach near Ryde is nice too.
Some places can be pricy so a walk with a picnic can be lovely too.

Enjoy!

Thank you for these suggestions..

I'm disabled, so unfortunately won't be able to go for a nice walk. (I can walk for short distances, but only a few hundred metres, not miles).

Will look up The Griffin at Godshill, as I'm sure the children would enjoy the maze.

Will also look up The Old Smithy for a cream tea will also look up Amazon World.

I've just remembered visiting Godshill years ago when my children were young. There's a model village there, isn't there? That might be a nice trip to combine with the cream tea.

Also recall Blackgang chine from when my children were young.

Compton Bay for the dinosaur footprints. Also Colwell bay for safe swimming for 5 year olds .
Totland bay is also good when tide out for small people.the Waterside cafe there is good and good to sit outside on a fine day.. (Unless you are rich .. don't go to the Hut in Colwell bay. Vv expensive and you can get as good elsewhere)
Country pubs weike the Red Lion in Freshwater ( great Sunday lunch, you'll have to book. And the Highdown inn ( no view from either but great food)
All West Wight but its lovely over here.
Do drive the Military Road westwards from Chalet Green .

Robin Hill has reopened ( though expensiveand some things are in progress still ATM ) but is a good day out with kids. Great tree walks and climbing tunnel adventure nets - make sure you see the falcon display

Yes you must go back to the model village. It’s so lovely, easy to navigate with clear paths and just a lot of fun.

Thank you. Will check out the dinosaur footprints at Compton Bay. In the Easter holidays I doubt the weather will be good enough for a dip in the sea though.

The falcon display at Robin Hill sounds good. Will also look up the Military Road.

Unfortunately we're not mega rich, hence going to The isle of Wight, not The Maldives. 😆

Also don't park at the Needles, it's really expensive. Get the open top bus from Yarmouth instead. The bus will take you almost right up to the needles fort and the old rocket launch place where you can look at the needles from the cliff. It'll also stop at Alum bay

Thank you. I was hoping that due to my disability, parking might be free for blue badge holders, but I see it isn't. There are few advantages to not being able bodied, but free parking is usually one of them. Not at the Needles though.

No The Needles car park is run by a private company.. as is the whole 'Needles experience' tbh I wouldn't bother, it's a bit tacky (but maybe I'm a bit of a snob ...) I think that you can get an island visitors parking permit, which will be cheaper in public car parks, but sorry I don't know about blue badge parking. Best check on the IOW council website., you'll be ok at Osborne House though if you want to go through the park and down to the beach cafe as they have an ,( I think accessible) bus you can use ..

The model village was my favourite place on our visit last year 😊

Kids will love Carisbrooke castle, but obvs because only some will be accessible for you. But you shall be ok for the gardens and cafe OP . They may even have the jousting there at Easter..that's in the outside field, so fine for you most likely

I always enjoy a trip to Arreton Barns. Lovely selection of shops and we enjoyed eating there too.
Blackgang is brilliant for kids, but there is a lot of walking involved. If you do go I would plan it for the beginning of your break as I think the ticket gives you free entry for the rest of the week.

Tapnell Farm park is worth checking out for a family day out.

I live on the island, lots of lovley places to see and lots to do,

Colwell beach is nice and has public toilets and a cafe

Yarmouth has a great crabbing spot off to the side of the bridge and a lovely chip shop the blue crab.

Compton is lovley but it has alot of steps
Blackgang is fun but is very steep in places but those parts can be avoided

Robin Hill is a great day out one of our favorites, some hills, lots of play areas for the kids, lovley area very pretty last time we went and there is a tractor train that runs people around the park, you need to pay extra for the adrenaline zone

It's nice to have a look about at the needles but there's not much there and it's expensive after a while
Worth going to watch the glass blowing and sweetmaking and you could get the chairlift as a round trip so you don't get off at the bottom. The beach is very rocky although there is a nice boat trip not too far from the bottom of the chairlift.

The breezer bus's are nice and take you around the island and up to the old battery and around the local area.
If you don't want to pay to park at the needles you could get off for a look about and get back in the next one.
There are different breezers for different areas.

Tapnell is fun and the cow restaurant is OK

If you can't tell I live west wight

@FuzzyBumbleeBee

Thank you for your very comprehensive reply.

The kids love going crabbing, so will aim to fit it a trip to the bridge at Yarmouth.

Check for road closures. The road from Newport to Cowes is now closed for three months and the road from Newport to Ryde is closed. Island Roads website has a (effing useless) map of what is closed.

I live in a residential road and it will have been closed three weeks at the end of this week. And nearby ones and the High Street.

I'm not sure when Easter is this year, hopefully everything will be open again, but it's not funny right now.

Carisbrooke castle

The steam railway is worth a visit.

The botantical gardens at ventnor is wheelchair friendly and lovely place to explore.

osborne house also mostly accessible grounds- even down to the beach area, but sadly not so much in the house itself.

the monastery by the ferry port is wonderful and accessible- lots to explore there.

Steam railway also accessible and fun

we found several beaches with paved esplanades - I think sandown and shanklin, but worth double checking.

We went a couple of years ago in May half term - as well as the recommendations above we liked this pub - The White Mouse Inn near Ventnor (good playground) & the Fishermen’s Cot at the bottom of Shanklin Chine.

I liked the Isle of Wight donkey sanctuary!

Hi, I do also! Its fab here ( not ATM though,.. blowing an absolute hooley !)
And yes, there are a lot of road closures ATM.. hopefully they will be over by Easter, but the road from Cowbes to Newport is going to be one way for 3 months 🤦‍♀️

Brading Roman Villa
Newport Roman Villa
Blacksmiths Inn at Carisbrooke
Newtown Creek
The Castle Inn in Newport (they do two meals for £14)
The zoo at Sandown (something or other foundation, I can never remember the new name!) - they've taken on two rescue bears
The Dinosaur museum at Sandown
Sandown Pier
Garlic Farm

Spyglass Inn at Ventnor
Appledurcombe House
Fossil hunting at Thorness Bay

I'll add more as I think of them!

Thanks everyone for your brilliant suggestions. At this rate, I would need to stay for months to visit them all.

This is Mumsnet at it's best.