has anyone rented a house/cottage on the isle of wight?

[lummox]

we will be four adults and two tinies.

also any tips for toddler friendly activities?

Depends whereabouts you are. The beach at Ventnor is great - nice sand, ice-cream, deck chairs. Very traditional in a non-tacky way (but not as painfully middle-class as somewhere like Southwold - I speak as someone who is middle-class!) Yarmouth is lovely to go & look at boats. There's a beautiful - but shallow - beach just round the coast from there, begins with a T, can't remember the name. There's also a good tiger zoo somewhere in the middle of the island. (sorry, I'm not being very specific; crap memory). You can pick up a booklet on the ferry which gives you lots of ideas. It's a lovely, old-fashioned place. Only makes sense if you are either retired or a parent of small children! I've only ever been out of season though (June, September) & don't know the north-east part at all well - we stay at BIL's house in Yarmouth.

last year we rented a cottage on a farm near ventnor, can't remember the name of the farmt hough, stupidly! (am having memory problems at present, but that's a whole other thread!) However, the whole week was a magical family holiday, and we are going back this year though we have chosen to go nearer freshwater where there are some fantastic sandy beaches.

Near Ventnor, there's a fantastic sandy beach with rockpools called steephill cove, it is just that whole childhood dream of days playing in the sand and foraging in the rockpools, having ice cream in the cafe....

But our haunt was Compton Bay nearer Freshwater, a national trust run sandy beach - there's a car park but no development at all, no cafe's....steps down to a huge, sandy beach with a shallow 'paddling' sea. Oh, it was lovely! Gets very busy though as I suppose all the beaches do.

We went to the zoo at Sandown. There's also a little wax museum there. We went to Robin Hill and also found a bus museum at Newport, ideal for little boys, our DS was obsessed!

I'd say go for it. It's the perfect childhood holiday.

Thanks for the info. Sparklemagic - if you remember the name of the place you stayed I'd be interested to know.

You both make it sound fantastic. Can't think why we haven't been before.

We stayed in a hotel in St lawrence last year - it is run specifically for families with small children, they serve childrens tea at 5pm and all teh rooms have a separate room for the children to sleep in.

It's in a lovely location and has an indoor pool and play room, outside play area and a short path leads down to a small private beach.

However, it is a little bit run down and the food wasn't wonderful (but perfectly OK).

We loved the IOW for an old fashioned family holiday and didn;t get to do everything we wanted to so planning to go back soon & stay in self catering next time.

We went in October and it was still warm and the beaches around Ventnor are super - really clean and great for toddlers.

Can recommend the Farm Park near Carisbrooke, the steam railway, & the zoo is small but good fun for a half day visit. The only place we went that I didn;t like was Cowes.

Have a good time!

I've just googled FK and found a place called the Old Park Hotel - was that the one? Looks lovely.

We stayed on a farm for a weekend a couple of years ago - cottage was really nice... let me see if I can track it down.... although can't remember what it was called...

this was it -

\link{http://www.weststandenfarm.co.uk/\weststandenfarm}

at the time we only had 1 child with us (think she was almost 2 at the time) but they could go and stroke the animals etc.

That looks lovely. Was there anywhere to go out to eat within walking distance in the evening? We're going with dh's brother's family so looking forward to the possibility of some very welcome babysitting.

I think scampadoodle means Totland Bay, near Freshwater.
We like West Wight particularly (Freshwater, Compton Bay, Afton Down, walks up to Yarmouth) but the cottage we stayed in is no longer on the market :( it was a bit basic anyway. Depending on your budget the National Trust has lovely looking cottages at St Helens, the coastguard station at the Needles, Cowes, and near Brighstone.
Agree that Ventor is the nicest of the non West Wight resorts, it is steep for buggies though! Sunny microclimate and gorgeous botanical gardens at St Lawrence though.
Stuff you are all likely to enjoy - Robin Hill, Blackgang Chine, the Wight Mouse at Chale, the steam railway at Havenstreet, Bembridge Windmill, Carisbrooke Castle and the Coastguard Station.
There is a pub in Freshwater village (the Red Lion I think) which serves excellent food and has a garden.
HTH

lummox, it was nettlecombe farm. There are numerous self catering places there, and it's a working farm - very good for kids with lovely grassed play area with toys, and a 'petting' area where you can see and touch little animals, and see chickens. It was good quality and in lovely countryside, about a five minute drive into Ventnor.

hth.

Yes Lummox it was the Old Park Hotel.

I must stress it was not the height of luxury, rather tired and crumpled round the edges but the staff were lovely and all in all it was a great break.

I have been looking at this site..e.g.
\link{http://www.cottageguide.co.uk/icecreamcottage/\this looks nice}

hmm don't think there was lummox. We were only there two nights and stayed in as were with another couple with small child.....