There’s more to the Isle of Wight than you might think
The Isle of Wight is often overlooked as a holiday destination in the UK, but with so much to see and do, it really is a hidden gem. Steeped in history and with a huge number of attractions and places of interest, there’s certainly no risk of running out of things to do. Indeed, if Queen Victoria thought it was alright, then who are we to argue?
From Alum Bay and The Needles to Blackgang Chine and Osborne House, the whole island is steeped in history, with a range of attractions throughout. With monuments, gardens, country estates and churches, as well as wildlife centres and themed attractions, a self catering Isle of Wight holiday affords you the perfect break from to get away from it all.
As well as the tourist attractions, the Isle of Wight allows you to indulge in the more typical British pastimes with a wide range of pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, in addition to nature reserves and places of scientific interest. Indeed, the Isle of Wight is renowned for being one of the richest locations of dinosaur fossils in the whole of Europe, particularly at Alum Bay at the western tip of the island. Adjacent to Alum Bay is The Needles, a quite breathtaking example of physical geography where you can almost see coastal erosion in action.
Whilst the coast offers some stunning vistas both across the Solent and Channel, there’s more than enough to keep you occupied inland too, with castles and other historic buildings indicative of the amount of history associated with the place. It was a favourite holiday destination of Queen Victoria, and whilst a lot has changed since then, it remains a splendid place to spend some time.
The Isle of Wight is particularly famous for its military history, and owing to its strategic location naturally suffered heavy damage in World War II. The Solent is also the final resting place of countless unfortunate ships, the most famous being the Mary Rose until she was raised in the 1980s. The Isle of Wight Military Museum at Cowes, as well as the Shipwreck Centre at St Lawrence provide fascinating glimpses into the past, and in addition to other historical attractions on the island represent an intriguing way to spend an afternoon.
Once on the Isle of Wight it’s easy to forget that it’s not just meant for tourists, and an island with roughly 150,000 permanent residents requires a strong local economy. As such, the shopping, dining and entertainment is every bit comparable to that on the mainland, with cinemas, leisure facilities and much more.
Whether it’s Scottish log cabins or Isle of Wight self catering holidays and Norfolk Broads holidays, Waterside Breaks offer a huge range of holiday cottages and other properties suitable for a summer holiday or just a weekend break.
About Us: Waterside Breaks specialises in holiday cottages and lodges by water throughout the UK
