Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is only minutes away from the mainland and so easy to reach - yet it is a world apart. This diamond-shaped island has a magic all of its own and is one of the UK's sunniest and warmest places. Measuring 23 miles by 13 miles, the Island lies just off England's South Coast. But no passport is needed for the short sea crossing and once you've landed on the Isle of Wight everything is within easy reach from the Lakeside Park Hotel's perfect location.
Boasting award-winning beaches, unspoilt and spectacular scenery and a rich historical heritage - there are attractions, activities and adventures to suit visitors of all ages and nationalities. Discover picturesque villages, spectacular cliffs, downland, sandy beaches, rich farmlands, creeks, marshland, river valleys, and a rich diversity of wildlife, flora and fauna.
More than half the Island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with 500 miles of award-winning public footpaths and bridleways, while almost 30 miles of its seashore is Heritage Coast.
Exploring the Isle of Wight
Within an area of just 147 square miles (3,800 hectares) over 500 miles of carefully maintained and well-signposted rights of way can be found. Leafy lanes, footpaths and bridleways wind their way from coast to coast through green valleys, meadows, forests and over downland, passing thatch and stone, sea and sand, ancient churches and manor houses.
Cycling holidays on the Isle of Wight
Follow a 62 mile route through some of the Island's best scenery, mainly using quieter lanes, signed with a white bike (clockwise) and a blue bike (anticlockwise), or perhaps tackle a more demanding route using the well signposted bridleways and byways by mountain bike.
Horse riding on the Isle of Wight
There are wonderful opportunities to explore the Island's vast network of bridleways, some of which have been in use since the Stone Age. Enjoy the panoramic views from these high tracks used by drovers, horsemen and carters, long before our present roads were built or a leisurely ride through ancient woodlands and sweet-scented meadows.
Coastal Wight
Explore cliff top walks, beaches and coastal woodland. The wonderfully varied and unspoilt coastline scenery is probably the Island's finest natural asset, from glistening chalk cliffs overlooking clear waters to the tranquil estuaries which meander inland. Whatever attracts you to the seashore, whether it is beachcombing, bird watching, rockpooling, bathing or just watching the world go by, the Island's coast will certainly provide inspiration as well as contentment. There are two stretches of "Heritage Coast" covering nearly half of the Island's 60 mile (97km) coastline. This designation is only applied to coastlines of the highest quality of unspoilt nature in England and Wales.
Public Transport
Buses reach all corners of the Island and you often get an interesting perspective of the countryside from the top deck of a bus. Trains connect passenger ferries at Ryde with Sandown and Shanklin. Stops along the way include a connection with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
Isle of Wight Festivals and Events
Nowhere in Britain hosts events quite like the Isle of Wight. With over 1000 local, national and international events the Isle of Wight is the place to be seen, to compete and to party. It's the perfect events venue, with a mild climate, a supportive and vibrant local community, a wide range of accommodation, restaurants and pubs, stunning scenery and endless tourist attractions. See a world-famous rock star, race a yacht or Walk the Wight, then take time out to explore, drink, eat and relax. It's easy to see why outdoor activities like walking, cycling and sailing are so popular on this small Island - it has over 500 miles of footpaths and around 30 miles of Heritage Coastline while more than half the Island is recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
For music lovers, there's the Isle of Wight Festival, Bestival, Jazz Festival and the Folk & Blues Festival to provide you with plenty of opportunity to enjoy live music. The Isle of Wight is also well known for the musical talent of local bands which play in bars, restaurants, gigs, events and pubs.
On the water, there's the Round The Island Race, Cowes Week and the Cowes Powerboat Festival to enjoy. Visitors can find their sea legs with free 'Try Sailing' taster sessions available during Skandia Cowes Week in August as well as free 'Have A Go' surfing sessions at the White Air Extreme Sports Festival in August. It's not only the international events people flock to - throughout the year, the Isle of Wight is alive with local carnival celebrations, confirming its reputation as England's carnival island.
Isle of Wight Festival 12-14 June 2009
As the winner of the 'UK best large music festival' award, the Isle of Wight Festival is a must for music fans and 2009 will be no exception. This year's line up features Neil Young, The Charlatans, Simple Minds, Ultravox, The Prodigy, Razorlight and many more. But, it's more than just great, live music - the laid-back vibe (which the Island is famous for), the beautiful setting and the feeling of connecting with past festival history, all conspire to create a unique festival experience. Ask any of the 50,000 people who attended and they'll tell you the same.
For more information visit www.isleofwightfestival.com
JP Morgan Round the Island Yacht Race 20 June 2009
The world's largest and most famous yachting race, the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, takes place in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Last year, nearly 1,800 boats competed over the 60-mile course around the Isle of Wight in a race that saw some of the biggest names in the sailing world competing with weekend sailors and family crews. Whether you're taking part or are just interested in this unique spectacle, you'll find the Island's coastline offers several vantage points for spectators to view the yachts close at hand, especially around the Needles and along the south coast.
For more information visit www.roundtheisland.org.uk
Cowes Week 1 - 8 August 2009
Since 1826 Cowes Week has played a key part in the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events. It now stages up to 40 daily races for over 1,000 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world.
Cowes Week is a fusion of many exciting elements, with its great mix of competitive sailing and social activities. The 8,500 competitors range from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors. In excess of 100,000 spectators come to watch the sailing, enjoy the parties and live entertainment, and to experience the unique atmosphere. It is genuinely a one-of-a-kind event - come and see for yourself!
For more information visit www.cowesweek.co.uk
Bestival 11-13 September 2009
Bestival is a multi award-winning 3-day boutique music festival, curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank. This festival is set in the leafy surrounds of Robin Hill Country Park. It's the sure-fire best way to round off the summer festival season.
2009 presents a spectacular line up with the groundbreaking electronic pioners Kraftwerk headlining Saturday night. Friday night presents Massive Attack and the amazing Klaxons, and throughout the rest of the festival you can enjoy music from Space-rockers MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve and many more but they only tell part of the tale as there will be over 400 acts performing across 14 stages over the course of the weekend with the music varying from leftfield dance, electronic and ambient through to folk, rock and pop. Not to mention the comedy tent and the multitude of chillout-and-be-pampered areas. Plus this is all done with a fancy-dressed, silliness of spirit that reinforces Bestival's reputation as a true family-friendly fun festival.
For more information visit www.bestival.net
Little Britain Challenge Cup Regatta 10-13 September 2009
The Little Britain Challenge Cup is the largest annual construction industry yachting regatta in Europe, with over 250 yachts taking part and over 3000 people racing. The event is run by and for the construction industry and teams comprise of Contractors, Property Developers, Agents, Architects, Clients, Engineers and Trade Contractors and in 2008 the event raised over £110,000 and the money raised in 2008 is being distributed among eight charities, including the Ellen MacArthur Trust, the Jubilee Sailing Trust, the Cirdan Sailing Trust and the Skandia team GBR Paralympic Sailing Team.
To make sure you're part of the celebrations visit www.littlebritain.co.uk
Isle of Wight Cycling Festival 12-20 September 2009
The Isle of Wight Council took over as the main organisers of the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival in 2000 with the support of local cycling clubs and organisations. Working alongside Isle of Wight Tourism, it has established the Isle of Wight as a leading destination for cyclists, as well as providing a programme of events that would benefit the Island's cycling community. Each day of the week-long festival will offer cyclists the opportunity to sample different cycling routes that will take in the most picturesque areas of the Island as well as local landmarks and the occasional country pub. It includes popular events such as 'Cycle the Wight', a 65 mile road route around the Island's spectacular coastline and 'The Hills Killer' a challenging orienteering ride set against the clock. As part of the festival's launch day there will be the humorous 'Sink or Swim' competition and a fantastic free Cycle Show and mountain bike stunt display.
For more information visit www.sunseaandcycling.com
The Isle of Wight's rich history
Wherever you walk on the Island, you follow in the footsteps of ancient people. Their legacy to us can be seen in the monuments and archaeological remains which pepper the landscape, a landscape which they themselves helped create.
The Romans named the Island "Vectis", meaning the place that rises up or divides. In their fine villas, the remains of which can be found at Newport and Brading, you can see the comforts and pleasures of a Roman way of life.
The fortifications of the Island provide a historic insight into the Island's strategic role. Carisbrooke Castle dates from Norman times and brings history alive to many thousands of visitors each year. Yarmouth Castle, the Needles Old Battery and Fort Victoria are of interest to the military historian as well as the casual visitor. Some manor grounds are historic landscapes in their own right, many containing walled gardens, fine plant collections and buildings of local and national significance.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert established a favourite residence at Osborne House in East Cowes. This royal stamp of approval brought many famous residents and visitors to visit and settle on the Island - Alfred Lord Tennyson (who bought Farringford House), Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Keats, Turner and Ruskin are just a few of the literary and artistic greats who were inspired by this "enchanted isle".
The Isle of Wight is one of Europe's finest sites for dinosaur remains. 120 million years ago there was no Isle of Wight, it was landlocked and part of a larger continent. In the muds and silts of ancient marshy environments, animals and plants were trapped and preserved as fossils. These can now be found in the cliffs and on the beaches around the Island's coast.
Giant casts of dinosaur footprints in stone are a famous feature at Hanover Point. Dinosaur fanatics will be fascinated by the exhibits on show at Dinosaur Isle, Sandown and the Dinosaur Farm along the Military Road.
The Island has also made great contributions to modern cultural history. The Isle of Wight Festivals have a legendary status, with those held between 1968 and 1970 being acknowledged as Europe's equivalent to Woodstock. In 1970 Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joni Mitchell, Free, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez and the Moody Blues, amongst others, played to over 600,000 people, the climax of a 5-day music extravaganza attracting an audience and artists from all over the world. A recent addition to the Island's cultural history is the Bestival, an award winning 3 day music festival set at Robin Hill - a beautiful leafy country park in the heart of the Isle of Wight. It was voted the 'Best Medium-to-Large Festival' for the 2005 and 2006 UK Festival Awards whilst also setting the world record for the Biggest Fancy Dress Parade (10,000 people dressed as Cowboys & Indians!). The Bestival continues to grow and add to the fine heritage of this cultural, historical and beautiful Island.
Famous Isle of Wight residents past and present
The Island has attracted many famous visitors in search of inspiration, including John Keats, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, Lewis Carroll, Longfellow, J.M.W. Turner, Alfred Lord Tennyson and J. B. Priestley. Over the years, the Island has been a haven for artists, poets, the rich, the famous and the infamous. Here listed are a few that have put the Island on the map.
King Charles 1 (1647-1648) was held prisoner in Carisbrooke Castle prior to his execution in London.
Queen Victoria (1846-1901) first visited the Island as a princess in 1831, this was the beginning of a 70-year association with the Island. She and Prince Albert moved to the Island in 1864 and the Prince set about re-designing and re-building Osborne House. Princess Beatrice (1857-1944) was the youngest of Victoria and Albert's nine children. She married Prince Henry of Battenburg at Whippingham Church in 1885. In 1889, Prince Henry was made Governor of the Island. On his death in 1896, Princess Beatrice took over the position, which she retained until her own death in 1944.
Julia Margaret Cameron (1859-1875) the pioneering photographer, moved to the Island in 1859. She bought two cottages, which she converted into one calling it Dimbola, after the family's coffee plantation in Ceylon. This is now a museum and cafe called Dimbola Lodge.
Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1898) moved to the Island in 1897 to promote his work on wireless telegraphy, establishing the first wireless station in the world at Alum Bay.
Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1913-1920) was a cadet at Osborne Burma Naval School from 1913 to 1919. His father, Louis of Battenburg, retired to Kent House in East Cowes where he lived until his death in 1921. Earl Mountbatten was Governor of the Island from 1965-1979.
David Niven (1919-1933), the famous actor and film star, lived at Rose Cottage, Bembridge.
Sir Christopher Cockerell (1959-1961) lived on the Island whilst he was developing the first prototype of the hovercraft at Cowes.
Dame Ellen McArthur had her first sailing holiday to the Island at the age of 8, and now lives in Cowes.
