Union Street Ryde Isle of Wight c1906
more than one occasion. It is also documented that Queen Victoria held court in rooms on the first floor there before the completion of Osborne House. Throughout Victoria’s reign, members of our Royal Family and their European counterparts could frequently be seen in and around the town at various shops and hotels enjoying tea and meeting with their fellow members of society. Ryde really was THE place to be seen.
Numerous factors led to Ryde’s gradual decline from fashionable society but the departure of royalty from the Island was one of the most significant. Following Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, Osborne House was given to the state by her family, none of whom cared enough for Osborne to want to live there. As the Royal visitors departed so did much of society who by now had started to explore Europe and further afield as well. As road and rail transport links improved throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, the seaside opened up to whole new groups of society and gradually the exclusive air the town once knew started to fade away.
Fast forward to the present time and Ryde is a bustling town much like any other but with the enviable legacy of a large selection of grand and beautiful houses around the town extending out in all directions. Having been through the doldrums in recent decades, the town today is once again gaining reputation for being a destination of choice for a number of reasons.
One of the main draws of the town are the beautifully pale, sandy beaches which seemingly stretch for miles, towards Seaview in the East and out to the water’s edge to the North at low tide. The flat sands provide ideal conditions for a family friendly seaside and attract thousands of locals and holidaymakers alike week in week out throughout the summer. In fact not a day goes by all year round when you don’t see people walking with dogs, running, walking or cycling on the promenade between Ryde and Appley – whatever the weather!
The town has also become a destination for those seeking boutique shops and great quality restaurants. The fact that Ryde doesn’t have a huge number of high street chains works greatly to its advantage as
a variety of superb quality, independent shops and eateries stand in their place. There are gifting boutiques such as Crocus and Dilettante; fashion stores such as Mia and Zabre; stores offering a little of everything from home-wares to fashion and gifts such as Bou Chic and The Italian Touch; plus many others just waiting to be explored.
For foodies, the town boasts an array of excellent dining establishments, the majority of which are situated in and around Union Street. Olivo at the top of the street serves a tempting range of Mediterranean inspired dishes. Blacksheep Bar serves a delicious range of tapas as well as their superb range of wines, beers and spirits. Michelangelo’s at the bottom of Union St offers authentic, rustic Italian fare. For steak lovers Alamo is ideal and tucked away off the main thoroughfare on Castle Street. The list goes on including Joe’s Café Bar’s range of gourmet burgers, Yan Woo’s Malaysian and Chinese dishes, plus fantastic Indian dishes from both Ryde Tandoori and Spice Island.
Heading along the seafront towards Seaview, the seaside restaurants have raised their game in recent years offering original and high quality menus which include a great range of fresh seafood. Three Buoys at Appley is fast gaining a reputation for great food and service. The Dell by Puckpool offers excellent food throughout the day and with a new log burner in place will be open during the winter from Thursday to Sunday each week. The Boat House, at the far end of Puckpool Park offers delicious dishes featuring locally grown and sourced ingredients wherever possible.
So if you haven’t been to Ryde for a while, it’s well worth a visit. You can’t miss the evidence of Ryde’s fashionable past but you’ll be surrounded by a town that once again is gaining favour and growing in popularity.
Acknowledgements The Historic Ryde Society
www.historicrydesociety.co.uk Ryde Social Heritage Group
www.rshg.org.uk Roy Brinton: ‘Ryde’s Heritage: Our Town, Your Histories’ from Ryde Social Heritage Group.
November / December 2013 51
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