Isle of Wight with tween

[Isleofwighttrip]

Any tips for where to stay & visit on the Isle of Wight with a tween who’s really into history & outdoorsy stuff (Go Ape, Geocaching etc.)? It’ll just be the two of us & we’re planning on going early July.

Carisbrook Castle and Osborne house

History - Carisbrooke Castle and Osborne House as the obvious ones. You could also take the hovercraft from Ryde to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Outdoor - lots of walking on the downs. The DC used to enjoy Robin Hill, but it has recently changed hands so can't comment on it currently. I've never tried it, but there is a tree climbing company in Ryde. There's also horse riding along the beach at Bembridge. There are organised fossil hunts on the beaches around Compton. And a bouncy net place at Sandown.

Edited for spelling.

If your DC is into ww2, then there is stuff about PLUTO in Shanklin Chine (which is also a pretty stroll, especially in the evening).

And there's the old battery and new battery at the Needles (National Trust).

There is also Tapnell Farm Aqua Park (inflatables in a lake). Depending on your tween's age, you may need to do it too.

Isle of Wight steam railway

The Needles Battery

Great ideas here, thank so much. If anyone has any recommendations for where to stay (needs to be fairly cheap so I’m thinking caravan park or similar) that would be brilliant.

How are you travelling? If you go Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (Sorry cant resist Red Funnel from Southampton) there is the Titanic Museum & Aircraft Museum in Southampton and you pass the Seaplane Sheds at Calshot.

If you go via Portsmouth there is the Navy & D-Day museums and you go through the harbour entrance at Portsmouth and the Spitbank forts. There is also the Dolphin (1* Food Hygiene alas, never been myself) where Commander Crabbe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Crabb

went drinking before disappearing diving on the Ordzhonikidze

Or I suppose one day it would be to cross back to Portsmouth either on the Hovercraft or the fast ferry

If you drive https://darwinescapes.co.uk/holiday/destinations/isle-of-wight/woodside-bay-lodge-retreat/ is lovely. Near ryde. It also has nice small woodland walks and access to a beach. Great views at sunset.

Also check out Firestone copse for walks and Quarr Abbey to feed the pigs.

There's a great Roman villa at Brading

We stayed in a caravan park at Nodes point which was cheapish and very near the beach
Edit to add, some of the caravan parks will get you a deal on the ferry which at peak holiday times is very expensive

Last time we stayed it was at Whitecliff Bay holiday park. Don't book ferries till
you have booked your accommodation as a lot of providers will book the ferry for you and get a cheaper price than you would get.

Lots of great suggestions here, mine did the tree climbing at Ryde when they were early teens and enjoyed it. Brading Roman Villa is really good. We also like Carisbrooke Castle, Osborne House, Quarr Abbey you might see red squirrels. The Needles Battery is interesting. Culver Cliff for amazing views. Oh and we did a dinosaur walk once booked via the IOW Pearl Centre. We go to the IOW a lot.

no matter where you stay ask about ferry discounts
Most b&bs holiday parks ect have discounts
Family have a b&b in the West wight and they always say they have to tell people about them as guests often book the ferry before accommodation and then loose out in the discount

@Isleofwighttrip

If the tween is a real history buff it would be a shame not to have a day in Portsmouth Dockyards, if only for the Mary Rose.
I think it took us 3 visits to get round the docks so it's easily a full day. There is also a trip up the Spinnaker Tower.
To save the cost of an additional ferry fare, I used to only book 6 nights on the Island and stayed a night in one of the Premier Inns in Portsmouth

There's a couple of caravan parks near Shanklin which is a lovely town to visit. Shanklin Chine is beautiful, the beach is gorgeous there and some family friendly pubs on the seafront along with amusements and a crazy golf. I love the Isle of Wight it's like stepping back in time, you'll have a great holiday.

Ive stayed in the same flat in Shanklin for 5 years - I love it there.
You can spend a beachy day there, I think you can hire paddle boards on the esplanade. Lots of beach cafes and coffee shops and deck chair hire.
Further down towards Sandown pier there are surf lessons.
Shanklin Chine is lovely in the evening as its lit up. Look out for the evenings where Charles is singing.
Sandown has a pier, further down the beach is the Wildlife Sanctury, Dinasour World and a trampoline place.

Parkdean have various caravan sites around the Island. Thorness always tended to be a bit cheaper, but we preferred Lower Hyde for accessibility to Shanklin.

There are chalets at Yaverland (near Sandown).

However, these days we camp.

Other places to visit (unrelated to your spec) are Godshill and the Donkey Sanctuary. Sandown beach is good. So is Ryde beach (but if it's low tide it's a bit of a trek to the sea).

Walking up over Tennyson from Freshwater to the top then down to Alum Bay

The path starts just next to the toilet block (it used to be the the toilet block) in Freshwater.

If you ask someone where is the footpath for Tennyson they will show you

It is a very easy walk

You can then get the bus back to collect the car

Or leave the car at the accommodation and catch the bus from Shanklin to Freshwater along the Military Road with fabulous views if you sit upstairs at the front on the left

Lovely views as you leave Shanklin down to the valley on the left

We've stayed twice at Cheverton Copse caravan park next to the Airport. It's quiet, well kept and family run, they are lovely people. It has caravans to suit all budgets. If we go back we'll stay again.

Hi @Ted27 , I’m being slow, I don’t understand the below, how does booking six nights instead of seven nights save the cost of an “additional ferry fare” ? I haven’t been to the IOW for three decades so am out of touch . Thanks in advance .

“To save the cost of an additional ferry fare, I used to only book 6 nights on the Island and stayed a night in one of the Premier Inns in Portsmouth”

Appuldurcombe is a nice little caravan site. We really liked the dinosaur museum at Sanddown - it has loads of detail for a small museum.

@CarolCave

Its quite simple.
If you want a day out to Portsmouth during your holiday you have to get the ferry back
Instead of spending the first night of our holiday on the IoW, we stayed in Portsmouth at a Premier Inn, spent the next day in Portsmouth and got the ferry over around tea time.
So I still paid for 7 nights accommodation, one in Portsmouth and 6 on the island, and just had one return ferry journey.