The Best Things to Do on the Isle of Wight

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Welcome to my article on the best things to do on the Isle of Wight. Read on for ideas and inspiration if you are visiting this diverse British island.

First Thoughts

The Isle of Wight is a diamond-shaped island off the south coast of England. It is separated from the county of Hampshire by a stretch of water known as the Solent. Some say that when you cross the Solent, you step back in time by about 50 years to the UK of yesteryear – a gentler time with a much slower pace of life, a time when strangers said hello as they passed on the street, a time when we shopped locally, a time when we stopped to appreciate our surroundings. Whether or not this is strictly true, the Isle of Wight does feel like a different country.

The island has long attracted poets, writers, and artists. Alfred, Lord Tennyson settled there. Many of the impressionist painters, including Eugene Manet and Berthe Moriset, visited. Charles Dickens wrote much of David Copperfield on the island. When Queen Victoria made Osborne House her summer residence, the Isle of Wight became a fashionable holiday destination. With its mild climate, stunning coastal scenery, chocolate-box villages, glorious beaches, and fascinating history, it’s not difficult to understand why.

For us, the Isle of Wight holds a very special place in our hearts. Mark’s Mum and Dad retired there. They had fifteen very happy years on the island before ill health forced them back to the mainland. We spent many a weekend enjoying long walks over the downs, savouring delicious meals in the island’s pubs, and exploring the plethora of attractions on offer. Recently, we returned to the island to show our nieces what a beautiful, interesting place it is. None of us was disappointed!

Continue reading for my take on the best things to do on the Isle of Wight.

Get to Know Queen Victoria at Osborne House

Visiting Osborne House is undoubtedly one of the best things to do on the Isle of Wight. It is probably in my top 10 favourite places in the UK!

Located in East Cowes, this former royal residence was designed by Prince Albert himself in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. It is said that he was inspired by the stunning views across the Solent which reminded him of the Bay of Naples. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for the Prince and Queen Victoria as a summer home and rural retreat. They spent many happy holidays here when their children were young. Following Albert’s death in December 1861, Victoria visited Osborne more and more frequently, taking solace in the memories the house held. She died there on 22nd January 1901.

Osborne House is now managed and maintained by English Heritage.

This photo shows the front of Osborne House built in yellow sandstone with an imposing square tower — The front of Osborne House

This photo shows the back of the house with its sandstone facade and an elaborate fountain inthe foreground — The rear view of the house

Essentials

Opening Times

Daily 10am to 5pm

Prices

Adults – £15.20
Children (aged 5 – 17) – £9.10
Students and over-65s – £13.70
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) – £39.50
Family (1 adult and up to 3 children) – £24.30
Engish Heritage Members – FREE

(Note – if you are planning to visit two or more English Heritage sites, annual membership often works out cheaper than buying individual entrance tickets.)

Highlights

There is plenty at Osborne House to keep you occupied all day, both in the grounds and in the house itself. These are some of my favourite things to see and do during your visit:

The Family Rooms

For me, the family rooms at Osborne House are a delight. Yes, they are plush, but you get a real sense of this house being used as a family home. Although Victoria died over a hundred years ago, it still feels as if she, her husband, and their children could walk through the door at any moment. It is well-documented how much Queen Victoria loved this place. In a letter written to her daughter in 1858, she complained about the gloominess of Windsor Castle and said, “I long for our cheerful and unpalace-like rooms at Osborne”.

The rooms still feel lived in. There are family portraits everywhere. The nursery is a joy. You can picture the royal princes and princesses having tea seated on their tiny chairs around the highly polished wooden table. It must have brought Victoria a lot of pleasure in later life to see her grandchildren occupying the same space and playing with the same toys that her children had. Victoria and Albert’s study with its matching desks where the royal couple worked side-by-side is especially poignant, as is the bedroom where Victoria died.

This photo shows the royal study with family photos on the matching his and hers desks — Victoria and Albert’s matching desks

This photo shows a short bed with heavy drapes — The bed Queen Victoria died in

The State Rooms

Wandering through the opulent staterooms at Osborne House allows you to see where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert formally entertained guests during their reign. You will see the spectacular dining room and the drawing-room where foreign royalty were received on formal occasions. The queen also used this space to play cards, to sing, and to play the piano with members of the royal household after dinner. Next to the drawing-room is the billiard room with an impressive baize-covered table where the men could enjoy a game after dinner.

My absolute favourite of the staterooms though is the Durbar Room. This unique room was designed by Rudyard Kipling’s father, Lockwood Kipling, and master carver Bhai Ram Singh. It is detailed with intricate Indian-style plasterwork to reflect Queen Victoria’s status as Empress of India. The room is exquisite. It was the venue for ceremonial dinners for European royalty and the backdrop to Queen Victoria’s favourite theatrical entertainments when musicians would occupy the raised gallery.

The Durbar Room has made Osborne a popular venue for filming period pieces. Most recently, it featured in the 2017 film ‘Victoria and Abdul’ starring Dame Judi Dench and Ali Fazal. If you haven’t seen it, you should! It’s a great film, if somewhat surprising in parts!

This photo shows the Durbar Room with a huge dining table laid for an exquisite banquet — The Durbar Room

Swiss Cottage

I remember my first visit to Swiss Cottage as a child. I was fascinated and enchanted at this beautiful wooden two-storey chalet that Prince Albert had built for his children. In it, he had created a miniature world where everything worked. The princes and princesses learned to cook in the child-sized kitchen here using produce they had grown in their own vegetable patches in the garden outside. They enjoyed the ultimate ‘play house’ which put my little tent-like Wendy house to shame! I dreamt about it for months afterwards. I think it was the first time I felt real envy! 😊

Revisiting Swiss Cottage recently, I was still enraptured – as were my nieces!

The cottage is set well away from the main house. There is a minibus to take you there if you’re not up to the walk.

This photo shows Swiss Cottage from the outside - a Swiss-style wooden chalet with an outside stair case — Swiss Cottage

This photo shows an oval dining table laid for tea — The dining room in Swiss Cottage

The Grounds

The gardens and grounds of Osborne House are a great place to walk and to relax. There are breathtaking views around every corner. The Mediterranean climate and clever planting scheme give a riot of colour all year round. Make sure you check out the ornate terrace gardens which were fully renovated in 2017 and the Victorian walled garden with its espaliered fruit trees. Many of the huge historic trees in the wider parkland of Osborne House were planted by Prince Albert himself.

Don’t miss Queen Victoria’s beach. The royal family spent many enjoyable hours here and it is where the princes and princesses learned to swim. Prince Albert believed in the health-giving properties of sea bathing and encouraged the queen and his children to do so. He installed a bathing machine by the shore so that Victoria could enjoy the waters with her modesty intact. This is now fully restored and open to visitors.

This photo shows the beach at Osborne with Victoria's green bathing hut — Queen Victoria’s beach

Spend the Day at the Needles

Another of the interesting things to do on the Isle of Wight is to visit The Needles, a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30m out of the sea off the western extremity of the island close to Alum Bay. There is a lighthouse on the furthest stack. The image of the rocks and the lighthouse has become the iconic picture of the Isle of Wight, featuring on all manner of souvenirs from tea towels and mugs to fridge magnets and car stickers.

Alum Bay is famous for its extraordinary coloured sands which can be clearly seen in the cliff face that drops down to the beach.

It is possible to visit the beach via a wooden stairway and view the Needles for free, but, as you might expect, a huge tourist attraction has been built around this natural phenomenon.

This photo shows a wooden stairway descending a cliff to reach a beach — Alum Bay steps

The Needles Landmark Attraction

The Needles Landmark Attraction is open every day from 10am to 5pm (weather permitting) and offers a range of activities and rides at the top of the cliffs. These include fairground rides, crazy golf, glass-blowing demonstrations, food and drink tastings, sweet-making shows, slot machines, shops, restaurants, open-top bus rides, and a studio where you can fill your own glass ornament with layers of coloured sand collected from the bay. (The ‘harvesting’ of sand is strictly regulated – it is forbidden for individuals to take anything away from the beach.)

There is also a chairlift to take you down to the beach if you don’t fancy tackling the large number of steps.

All of these attractions can be paid for individually whilst you are on site. There is, however, an opportunity to buy ‘supersaver tickets’ online in advance. These can be used for all of the rides and demonstrations as well as for the chairlift. They will save you 25% on the cost of individual tickets. It is worth doing even if, like us, you only intend to go on the chairlift.

This photo shows several gondolas on the chairlift — The Alum Bay chairlift

Boat Rides

From the beach, you can take a boat ride to get a closer look at the Needles and the lighthouse. The boats operate from Easter to October every day from 10.30am. They don’t run in bad weather. You can choose between a 20-minute slow cruise on the Yarmouth Rose (£7 for adults/£4 for children) or a 15-minute fast trip on one of the High-Speed Ribs (£12.50 per person, or £45 for a family of 4 (2 Adults and 2 children under 15)).

We chose the slower option which gave us some great opportunities to take photos.

This photo shows the cruiser and the speedboat that take tourists out to view The Needles — The two options for a boat ride

This image shows the coloured cliffs at Alum Bay — Coloured cliffs

This image shows the three chalk stacks and the red and white lighthouse — A closer view of The Needles

The Needles Batteries

Whilst you are visiting the Needles, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the two gun batteries and the experimental rocket testing station on the headland. For military buffs, this is one of the best things to do on the Isle of Wight. You can walk up there or catch one of the regular open-top buses.

This photo shows a green and blue double-decker open-top bus

The batteries were built above the Needles stacks to defend the West end of the Solent against enemy ships.

The Old Battery was constructed between 1861 and 1863. Today, it houses interesting exhibitions about the second world war, including the role of women in wartime and a genuine Anderson shelter erected in the courtyard. You can descend a narrow spiral staircase to explore a tunnel leading to a searchlight emplacement with good views of the Needles lighthouse.

This photo shows cannons facing out to sea — Needles Old Battery

This image shows the chalk stacks of the Needles and the lighthouse — The Needles seen from the tunnel inside the cliffs

Subsidence problems and concerns that the vibrations from firing the guns were causing the cliffs to crumble led to the New Battery being built higher up the cliff in 1895.

Both batteries were manned during both world wars. They were decommissioned when World War II ended in 1945, but then in the 1950s, the New Battery was used for testing the Blue Streak missile, as well as the Black Knight and Black Arrow satellite launch vehicles.

Now, the sites are managed by the National Trust and are open daily from mid-March to the end of October. Admission costs £7.45 for adults, £3.70 for children, and £18.60 for a family. It is free for National Trust members.

Explore Carisbrooke Castle

Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle first built over 1000 years ago. Today, a visit to this quintessential romantic castle is one of the ‘must-do’ things to do on the Isle of Wight. It is managed and maintained by English Heritage. As you wander around, you will be reminded of periods of dark history as well as happier times when the castle was a family home. Charles I was imprisoned here in the months prior to his trial.

This photo shows the impressive stone entrance to the castle — The entrance to Carisbrooke Castle