PLACES TO VISIT ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Osborne House

“It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot” – such were the words of Queen Victoria after her first visit to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. No trip to the island would be complete without a visit to this royal seaside palace where Queen Victoria lived with her beloved Prince Albert and their nine children.

Osborne House

Take an intimate glimpse into Queen Victoria’s family life as you tour the nursery and private rooms of Victoria and Albert. Marvel at the magnificence of the Royal Apartments including the sumptuous drawing and dining rooms and the richly decorated Indian-inspired Durbar Room. Admire the stunning view from the terraces across the Solent – said to remind Prince Albert of the bay of Naples and stroll through Osborne’s extensive grounds.

Explore Queen Victoria’s private beach, now open to the public for the first time. “We have quite a charming beach to ourselves,” Victoria wrote in 1845 and it was here that the Queen regularly bathed and where her children learned to swim.

The beach is a pleasant 20 minute stroll from the house down the Valley Path – stout footwear is recommended in the winter. Enjoy views across the Solent from Queen Victoria’s alcove, and spot seabirds from the shore.

Carisbrooke Castle

One of the main tourist attractions in the Isle of Wight, Carisbrooke Castle is best known as the place where King Charles I was imprisoned. You can still play bowls on the very green Charles used. For a castle that has lived through more than 800 years of service, including resisting a siege by the French and seeing off the Spanish Armada, it’s also wonderfully well preserved.

Castle

There are all the ingredients here for a great value family day out in the Isle of Wight. Children will love dressing up as Norman soldiers or Civil War troopers, and meeting the castle’s famous donkeys, while for the grown-ups, the new Edwardian style Princess Beatrice Garden is a joy to explore.

Donkeys

Not to be missed…

The New Princess Beatrice Garden, designed by TV presenter and award winning garden designer, Chris Beardshaw.
The tranquil castle chapel and museum with its fascinating Charles I memorabilia.
Feeding and grooming demonstrations at the donkey centre.

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Your visit to The Award-Winning Isle of Wight Steam Railway will engage, inspire and excite you. The sight of powerful majestic steam engines, the charm of quiet rural stations, and the friendliness of traditionally uniformed staff, will leave you with some enduring memories of a special day out.

isle of wight steam railway

Ventnor Botanic Garden

“Nestling in the microclimate of The Undercliff, Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight has a subtropical and exotic plant collection unrivalled elsewhere in the UK. Plants which would normally be found in protected glasshouses thrive and naturalise in geographical plantings based on the Mediterannean zones of the world.

As you will see at Ventnor Botanic Garden there is much to see at Ventnor and we hope you enjoy this unique and wonderful garden.”

Chris Kidd, Curator.

Ventnor Botanic Garden

Mottistone Gardens

Set in a sheltered valley this magical garden is full of surprises, with shrub-filled banks, hidden pathways and colourful herbaceous borders. Surrounding an attractive Elizabethan manor house this 20th-century garden is experimenting with a Mediterranean-style planting scheme to take advantage of its southerly location. Other surprises include a young olive grove, a small organic kitchen garden and a traditional tea garden set alongside The Shack, a unique cabin retreat designed as their summer drawing office by architects John Seely (2nd Lord Mottistone) and Paul Paget.

Mottistone Gardens