Things on the Isle of Wight didn’t go to plan for us. In our minds, we would spend three glorious weeks exploring the island’s culture, digging up dinosaur fossils and conquering Carisbrook Castle.
What we thought we'd be doing everyday...
No such luck. Collectively, we did maybe one of those things:
- Explore island culture? Kind of… we’re convinced there might be a cult, does that count?
- Digging up dinosaur fossils? The day we picked to finally do this, ended up being so windy that we quickly abandoned our plans to scout along the beach due to the sheer amount of sand being flung in our faces. We did, however, “excavate” fossils at Dinosaur Isle (more on this below).
- Conquering Carisbrook Castle? Ha, we didn’t even make it there, let alone do any sort of subjugating.
But we have a perfectly good excuse. See, the Isle of Wight is where we chose to set up our blog and get the ball rolling after quitting our jobs and deciding to travel full time. It seemed as good a place as any. We’d never been, and Jeremy’s parents lived there.
Lots of IOW streets are lined with trees like this
Excuses, Excuses
We were in a bit of a different boat from most people who start travel blogging. We were lucky enough to be told by our landlady that she would need her flat back several months in advance - rather than the one month the lease required. It didn’t take us long to decide to quit our jobs and travel… we just didn’t know what we wanted to do in that time.
East Cowes is popular for boating
Queue the research. We finally landed on blogging (we'd always wanted to do it), with potential for other jobs on the road. However, here’s where our path differs from most: we only had a few months to save and sell and pack and set up the blog - while still holding down full time jobs.
And unfortunately this meant that in terms of prioritisation … blogging very much fell to the wayside.
Thus we spent the first two weeks of our three week stay on the island trying to catch up on lost time by staying up until 3am desperate to make everything perfect for when we launched our site. (And no, it wasn’t perfect when we launched - nor is it now!)
The point is, we didn’t really get to enjoy the Isle of Wight as much as we would have wanted. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have some recommendations!
…. Also, seriously, some theories…
View over Shanklin Beach
It's an island
It seems obvious - the clue’s in the name. But this trivial fact is the foundation of the vibe and mentality of this region of the UK. “Island life” and “on the island” are terms we heard frequently during our three week stay.
None of the particular food you need in stock at the store? “That’s island life for you.”
Neighbour letting themselves into your house unannounced? “Island life.”
Gardener not turned up to mow your lawn for two weeks? “That’s how it is on the island.”
Once we started noticing locals use the term, we heard it more and more. We started to imagine that it was a code-phrase for a secret organisation. Or that everyone was part of an unusually pleasant cult.
In any case, the mere fact that the Isle of Wight is not on the mainland, and therefore slightly harder to get to than the rest of England, means that everyone living there has a stronger sense of community. Everyone is more laid back, relaxed, and very welcoming. It’s a subtly different feeling from the mainland UK. It was enough to almost feel like a tourist within our own country!
Ah, island humour...
Have we convinced you to visit? Good. Then I guess you'll want to know what to see and do!
Our Top 5 recommendations
(in no particular order)
1. Checking Out the Neighbourhood
“Have those buildings always been there?”
“No, they were built over night and appropriately aged.”
I scowl at Jeremy. “You know what I mean!”
“Not really, actually.”
“I never noticed how different the buildings in East Cowes are.” I point at a line of old red brick buildings. Each has a different colored trim outlining the pointed roofs. “I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t notice them before, seeing as we’ve been walking in and out of the town centre for nearly a week now.”
“Oh yeah!” Jeremy looks up, as well, and his face lights up. “Very cool.”
Suddenly we’re both pulling out the cameras to try and capture the row of buildings before us. Scampering back and forth across the road in an attempt to get the right angle.
Normally, one of our favourite things to do in a new place, is get a feel for it (or eat!). We typically spend at least a day just wandering around, finding our local shop, exploring a park, or scouting out a coffee shop and/or restaurant to frequent. But not in East Cowes. It’s true, we have been ambling in and out of the city daily, but we were so focused on launching the blog that the act was more necessity than anything. All I cared about was getting enough Pepsi to ensure I’d stay up all night. But now that we’re less stressed, I am finding myself surprisingly taken by East Cowes.
A Very Brief History
Did you know that Hovercraft technology comes from East Cowes? The first ever Hovercraft, the SR.N1 was developed and tested there on 29 May 1959 by the Saunders-Roe manufacturing company. Nowadays, the industry has largely collapsed, although a floating bridge still connects Cowes & East Cowes.
Isle of Wight Mural (stupid lamp post!)
Once a booming city, brought alive by the Hovercraft industry, the town today can seem trapped in its heyday. Many roads in the city centre are lined with old factory buildings - some repurposed, some not - and a mural outside of Waitrose memorialises all of the town’s successes. Sadly, because the finishing touches of the Hovercrafts were added in nearby Cowes, much of the money from the industry wound up in Cowes, setting East Cowes back.
However, it isn’t without its charm. For one, just meandering through East Cowes’ residential area was one of the most enjoyable, relaxing afternoons I had. It came from a very simple thrill, but the weather was ideal (slightly overcast with a chill) and there was something incredibly unique about the design of the buildings. Throughout the rest of our trip, I did see a few other buildings on the island with similar design, but it was never as prevalent as it was in East Cowes. But maybe I just missed those neighbourhoods!
Artwork by Not Dead Yet
Like much of the Isle of Wight, you can find creative street art if you go looking for it. The island’s most prolific street artist is Not Dead Yet. There’s also a local Italian restaurant, Prego, whose Tartufulo pizza is the second best pizza I’ve ever had. Not exaggerating.
But, and here’s how you know East Cowes is something special, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were so smitten that they chose it as the location for their holiday home, Osborne House.
2. Donkey Sanctuary
Bella was a sweetie
Aside from goats - which are evil creatures - I love all animals. (Quick side note: please don’t message me to tell me how much you love goats, you’re wrong. Until you’ve been literally stalked to the edge of a cliff by a family of goats, I don’t want to hear it!) As soon as I found out there was a donkey sanctuary on the island, it became my sole focus. Of course, once we left, I found out there’s also an alpaca and llama farm and I’m pretty devastated.
Anyway, donkeys.
Naomi did not care for us!
On a bright Sunday afternoon, completely by chance, we arrived during a fundraising day to quite a ruckus. There were local shops welcoming us from the parking lot, smiling shopkeepers selling arts and crafts. Sadly, most weren’t donkey related. A real lost opportunity.
A little further in, a large group were having hay bail races. We chuckled with everyone else as full grown men struggled under the weight to reach the finish line first. The two at the front, clearly good friends, soon resorted to childish tactics. They jokingly clung to each other’s shirts, ultimately tripping and flying to the ground underneath their lots of hay.
The commentator announced in jest, “We all knew Steve would drop the hay.” The tiny crowd, seemingly made up of predominantly friends and family, roared with laughter and called them idiots.
Popcorn was quite nervous
There were a few other activities available in the open area, but we headed towards a large board displaying the name of each donkey. The donkeys themselves were in various enclosures, from open fields to stables. The sanctuary separated them by gender, and depending on whether they needed special care. The donkeys more comfortable with people were situated closer to the action, while those less so were kept further back.
The Takeaway
We had a lovely visit with some of the donkeys. Particularly one named Scott, who followed us along his enclosure fence nuzzling our hands. After a bit, we sat down to watch him, and he mirrored us, his ears eventually fell flat out to the side, signaling he was relaxed. We talked to Scott for a bit, before he grew restless and wandered off.
Say hello to Scott!
Many of the donkeys come from locals who buy them without understanding how much attention they need. Some simply can’t take care of them anymore. Once they arrive at the sanctuary they are taken care of and nursed back to health if required. Signs throughout the sanctuary ask that visitors do not feed the donkeys as they are well fed by staff and not all can digest grass.
Ultimately, I liked the sanctuary. I thought it was good in practice, and that the fundraising day was a great way to encourage kids to get excited about the donkeys. There were various opportunities to register to adopt one of the donkeys (financially, not physically). However, perhaps I would have preferred a less busy day, as it seemed at times like even the most social donkeys didn’t enjoy all the attention. Although the staff clearly cared about the animals (there were also a few horses), and they did monitor them carefully.
Additionally, I would have liked more information about the animals. I love learning, but aside from the fact that we shouldn’t feed the donkeys and their names, there was very little information about them. Still, worth a visit. Just try to find a quiet day if you don’t like a big fuss and read up before you go!
3. A Pointy Church (St. Mildreds, Whippingham)
While driving around one day, we spotted a large, pointy building on the horizon.
“What’s that?” Jeremy asked his dad, gesturing at the building.
“That’s St. Mildred’s Church. We’ll be heading there on Sunday.”
On the Sunday the church happened to be hosting a cream tea afternoon next door. For those of you not in the know (i.e. not British), a cream tea is a cup or pot of English tea with scone (typically of the fruit variety) and clotted cream. Not my thing, but I recognise I’m in the minority.
What I was excited about was the church across the way. St Mildred’s is quite a unique church with its German gothic architecture. The church tower is recognisable for miles. It opened in 1854, under Victoria & Albert’s rule, and was partly designed by Albert for Victoria.
The church was also important during Victoria & Albert’s life as it was the memorial site of numerous members of the royal family. It is also the final resting place of several members of the Battenberg/Mountbatten family, whom were related to Victoria through marriage.
On the outside of the church several important islanders have been buried, including Uffa Fox, a sailing enthusiast and boat designer.
Jeremy and I marveled at the impressive and out-of-place architecture, and walked around the cemetery admiring the oddly-shaped headstones. One person's tombstone was made from the propellor of the plane they used to fly!
However, as cool as the church is (and it is!), the scene stealer of Whippingham is the giant statue of Lord Nelson’s bust that resides in the garden of one of the church’s neighbours.
Don't question this, just go with it
4. Dinosaurs!
(Contributed by Jeremy)
Frighteningly lifelike ... or a mascot
Fun fact about the Isle of Wight: it’s the dinosaur capitol of the UK! There are a huge amount of fossils here, with more being revealed as the cliffs erode over time. Dinosaur bones and footprints can be seen on many of the island’s beaches.
The predator stalks its prey
In 2001, the Dinosaur Isle museum was opened in Sandown to showcase the wealth of dinosaur-related history. We went there on a day trip to the south-eastern coast, and once I’d gotten over the fact that it wasn’t actual Jurassic Park, we had a great time!
Dark lighting and ambient sounds immediately put you in the right mood. A booming voice announced we were about to embark on a journey back through millions of years. I was hooked immediately.
I should say at this point that I tend to regress to a childlike mindset when I’m in a museum. Knowledge and facts are all very well, but atmosphere and setting are the keys to my experience. Throw in some interactive exhibits and I’m totally sold. Fortunately, along with a comprehensive history of the geology of the island, there are lots of hands-on pieces.
There are jigsaw puzzles to rebuild skeletons, microscopic slides and bones covered in sand that you can excavate yourself. In the main hall is an archaeological laboratory where you can talk to conservationists directly as they work.
Paleontology 101
I was getting super into the paleontology groove when I found my favourite thing in the museum. Just around the corner from the entrance to the main hall is a fully articulated robot dinosaur! That you can control!
Beep - boop - ROOOOAAAAR
It moves, it roars, the only thing you can’t do is ride it (which is a shame, but understandable).
Heading to Shanklin
Our day trip was already exceeding my expectations as we left to travel further along the coast. Less than an hour’s walk along the beach from Sundown is the town of Shanklin. Along with Dinosaur Isle, our plan was to see the Shanklin Chine - an area of natural beauty. We would also be walking along the beach, giving us the chance to scour for fossils. But unfortunately, nature decided we should take a different route.
The wind had picked up while we travelled millions of years back through time. The clouds seemed to be racing each other across the sky. As we made our way down to the waterfront, grains of sand were being flicked up into our faces. We thought we could make it despite this onslaught. Then at one point I turned to say something and got a literal sand-wich right down my throat. After much coughing and spluttering, we agreed we should abandon the quest for fossils and head further in-land.
We arrived in Shanklin in mid-afternoon, windswept and dusted with sand. As we descended the path down to the seafront, we realised we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. In all the excitement of learning about dinosaurs and being beaten back by weather, we’d missed lunch.
We half-ran into the nearest eatery, the South East Beach Cafe, ready for whatever food they would serve us. Being 50% vegetarian as a couple, sometimes there isn’t the greatest variety available for both of us in restaurants. But fortunately there were enough options on the menu to make it more than a no-brainer. And on top of that, it looked and tasted delicious!
5. Fancy a round of golf?
(Contributed by Jeremy)
While we ate, we had an unobstructed view of the sea from our table. A cool sea breeze blew through the open patio doors. Though we were in the UK, it almost felt like we were on the Croatian coast. But the illusion was broken slightly by the sight of a very British/American activity visible across the street. The child within me was drawn to it almost magnetically.
“... you want to play crazy golf?”
“Pirate crazy golf, my love.”
“You want to play pirate crazy golf?”
“…YES.”
“Excellent. Me too!”
Yo ho hole in one?
With our next move decided, we paid and ran like school children to the crazy golf (miniature golf for the Americans!) across the street. We made it with 5 minutes to spare before the last game.
As an added bonus, we were the only ones on the course. Which meant we could thoroughly enjoy the large and inventive pirate statues situated throughout the course.
Dagney started the game off brilliantly - by exceeding the amount of turns allowed to get the ball in the hole. But as the game progressed, the tides turned and I started to hit the ball wildly off course, while her aim got more accurate. My score racked up, and by the end we were neck and neck. I won, but barely.
Knowing When To Call It
Once we finished, we walked along the esplanade and devoured some ice cream. Dagney loved that every place in the Isle of Wight seemed to serve homemade mint chocolate chip (her favourite!), which is popular in the UK, but not always as readily available as other flavours.
As we neared the Shanklin Chine at the end of the esplanade, we approached slowly. This was the main reason we came to Shanklin.
“I’ll be honest,” Dagney said, “I’m a bit tired and crazy golf and ice cream really was the perfect end to the day.”
“Is it our responsibility to go, for the blog?” I asked pragmatically.
“Nah! It costs money, and we’re budget-ish travellers anyway!”
Runner Ups
It’s the little things that make Jeremy and I happy (crazy golf & ice cream for the win, any day)! However, if you’re looking for some more traditional fun, or perhaps the weather doesn’t allow for crazy golf, or if you’re just a history geek (we certainly are), here are our three runner ups:
1. Osborne House
Mentioned above, this was the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After Albert died, this became Victoria’s main residence, along with her nine children. Until each was old enough to marry. I’m normally not a royalist, but I did find Osborne House interesting. Some of the rooms were so ornately and outrageously decorated you couldn’t not enjoy them.
The ornate ceiling of the Durbar Room
Highlight for Dagney: Learning that because of Victoria, nearly every royal family in Europe today is connected to the English royal family, whether by blood or marriage. This includes several exiled royal families, and the previous Russian royal family. Yes, Queen Victoria was related Tsar Nicholas II!
Highlight for Jeremy: Seeing the actual bed Queen Victoria died in.
2. The Needles Battery & Open Top Bus Tour
During our second weekend, Jeremy’s parents convinced us to leave the house for the day. They treated us to a tour on the island’s open top bus (a hop-on-hop-off service). The recorded audio guide on the bus announced that this particular bus ride is considered one of the top 10 most scenic bus rides in Britain. Now, I haven’t been on every bus ride in England, but it was an incredibly pretty ride. Plus, the weather was perfect, so the views of the Needles were breathtaking.
Highlight for Dagney: Don’t miss the underground tunnel that leads to a searchlight emplacement with excellent views from the battery.
Highlight for Jeremy: The names of the little toy soldiers dotted around the museum section (such as Barri Cade and Art Illery)
3. Yarmouth
We were pleasantly surprised by how lovely this little seaside town is. You can of course take a walk along the historic Yarmouth pier. But, driving into Yarmouth is worth the view alone (we couldn't stop for photos, really, though, so sadly no pictures for you). We also just enjoyed walking around the town itself to look at some of the crazy buildings and exterior decoration, and enjoy the little shops.
Those who donated to the pier are named on the boards
Highlight for Dagney: Walking along the pier and eating ice cream
Highlight for Jeremy: Seagull watching. Jeremy likes to believe that seagulls are all part of a global secret organisation that monitors the human population. Therefore, we always enjoy seagull watching. ("They always look so serious").
Always watching...
Have you been to the Isle of Wight? Did you enjoy it? Ever Experienced an isolated island mentality? Been travelling and held back by work? Let us know in the comments!
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