The local village of St Helens is a hive of activity with local cricket and football matches taking place on the green, as well as Sunday car boot sales and an August bank holiday fun fair. There is also a local grocery store for your daily supplies. There are several nearby restaurants to choose from, including Baywatch On The Beach cafe where you can enjoy a tasty snack or a fine meal while watching the world go by.
Bembridge is the next village along where you can stroll along the busy harbourside and admire the quirky houseboats, one of which has been converted into a cafe specialising in locally-caught crab. It has a fishmongers, farm shop and bakery, plus several restaurants and boutique shops.
If you love sailing you can visit Bembridge Sailing Club, just a 5 minute drive around the harbour from Vernon House. Founded in 1886, it has a rich history and is one of the oldest sailing clubs in the UK.
On St Helens Duver you’ll find Tacktisle which offers mountain biking, kayaking, sailing, walking, cycling, bridge, painting, yoga or pilates, riding by the sea, well-being, cooking, music, birdwatching, and photography!
There are many festivals on the island, including the Isle of Wight Literary Festival, The Isle of Wight Festival, Cowes Week and Ventnor Fringe to mention just a few.
"It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot" said Queen Victoria of Osborne House, her palatial holiday home on the Isle of Wight. Visit Victoria and Albert's private apartments, their bathing beach and children's play-cottage for an intimate glimpse of royal family life. Then stroll through the garden terraces where the stunning views across the Solent reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples.
Basking in the microclimate of The Undercliff, Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight is one of the great gardens of Britain. The subtropical and exotic plant collection is unrivalled. Plants that should be found in protective glasshouses thrive and naturalise out of doors thanks to the islands mild climate and sheltered setting.
Osborne Golf Club was a golfing legacy left by Queen Victoria. The course is situated in the estate of Osborne House. In 1892 the golf course consisted of two holes for the Royal Household only but in 1904 a nine hole course was built making a course of outstanding beauty with fairways which sweep towards the Osborne Bay.
One of the “hidden gems” of the island. The striking rock formation near Bonchurch is known as the “Devil’s Chimney”. It is made up of a tall, narrow fissure in the rock through which a footpath runs before descending into the Bonchurch landslip beneath. It is a must for walkers, who can follow the path onwards to meet the Isle of Wight Coastal path.
The Islands most famous landmark attraction with a spectacular chairlift ride to the beach and the sand cliffs. Alum Bay Glass is educational as well as fun. Visitors can watch the fascinating art of glass blowing and see craftsmen make a variety of crafted glassware. At the IW Sweet manufactory watch skilled sweet makers create sweets that you will not find anywhere else, a sample of the sweets is compulsory!
One of the few medieval churches in England dedicated to this Saxon monk who died in 755. The church is a tiny building with a nave and chancel of Norman origin. The chancel is essentially 13th century but some windows are late Medieval or Tudor.
This beautiful Model Village nestles in the grounds of the Old Vicarage. Set in nearly two acres of gorgeous landscaped gardens this is a real retro find - a quintessentially English visitor attraction.
Wight Karting offers the Isle of Wight’s only all-weather outdoor 500m floodlit track providing unrivalled fun, excitement and safety for people of all ages; 8 to 88!
The UK's oldest amusement park. Set on the cliff tops, with stunning sea-views, and filled with an eclectic mix of attractions, magical theme worlds and exciting rides, you’ll find something for all the family at Blackgang Chine.