Places to visit 1
Maritime Heritage
Museums at Bembridge, Blackgang, Cowes, Yarmouth and Shanklin.
At Ventnor, visit the Longshoreman's Museum and the Museum of Smuggling History.
Needles Old Battery
Alum Bay (National Trust).
A dramatic Victorian coastal fort with spectacular views of the Needles.
Tel: (01983) 754722.
The Heritage Coasts include:
The Needles Headland, Compton Bay, Newtown Estuary (National Nature Reserve),
St Catherine's Point and St Helens Duver.
These areas are in the care of the National Trust.
Contact the National Trust for an illustrated leaflet on
Tel: (01983) 526445
Contact Tourist Information Centres for up-to-date opening times and admission prices.
Walking
The Coastal Path can be walked at an easy pace in four days and the Isle of Wight Council
has published four leaflets on the Coastal Path in approx 15 mile sections:
South East:
Bembridge to Niton
South West:
Niton to Alum Bay
North West:
Alum Bay to Cowes
North East:
East Cowes to Bembridge
Contact Tourist Information Centres for leaflet prices and accommodation
details or camp sites en route.
There are numerous coastal car parks with opportunities for walking and sightseeing.
Local Strolls
For casual walkers, the Isle of Wight Council has published a series of popular strolls.
7 of the 8 leaflets in the series describe easy strolls in scenic coastal areas and include
accessible routes for people with disabilities or those walking with a pushchair.
Places to visit
Fort Victoria Country Park, Yarmouth. 50 acres of coastal woodland around a Victorian fort, accessible all year. In summer, visit the Maritime Heritage Museum, Marine Aquarium and Planetarium (also open limited hours in winter). Picnic site, cafe and toilets incl. disabled facilities.
Tel: (01983) 823893
Spitbank Fort
Part of the coastal defences built in the 1860s. Over 50 rooms and a maze of passages, granite walls 15ft thick at basement level and 35ft of solid stone foundations. Access by short boat trip. Inclusive cruise and tour with Solent and Wightline Cruises from Easter to October, weather permitting.
Cruises
Between April and October, a variety of cruises operate from Alum Bay, Cowes, Ryde, Sandown and Yarmouth which may be booked at Tourist Information Centres.
Further reading
Alum Bay and the Needles
J.C. Medland
Shipwrecks of the Isle of Wight
J.C. Medland
Shipwreck! Broken on the Wight
K. Phillips
The Lifeboats of Brighstone Bay
J. Willis & E. Roberts
Smugglers of the Isle of Wight
R.J.Hutchings
Back of the Wight
F. Mew
Sandown Bay - Isle of Wight Council
Study pack for teachers and students
Freshwater Redoubt
The Needles Defences
Puckpool Battery
Spitbank and the Spitbank Fort
A. Cantwell & Associates
The Story beneath the Solent
Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Beach Guide
Leaflet of beach facilities
Breeding Birds on the Isle of Wight -
J. Cheverton