Where to Live?
Photography by Steve Thearle
So, you’ve identified the Isle of Wight as the place to be, but where on the Island should you choose your new home? We give you a whistle-stop tour of some of the best towns and villages to live in, shop and eat, and showcase the best of what the Island has to offer
Let’s begin in Cowes, the home of sailing and international yacht racing since the founding of the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1815. The world’s oldest regatta, Cowes Week is held in the first week of August and attracts yachts and crews from around the world, so if sailing is your sport then Cowes is the place for you. As well as a myriad of chandlers, Cowes also boasts sailing clothes shops Henri Lloyd, Quba and Slam, homes and accessories shops including award winners Live Like This, the uber chic
Fireworks at Cowes Week Cowes Harbour
PHG and Kendall’s Gallery as well as an M&S food store. There are some great traditional pubs too, with the Anchor and Pier View being amongst the favourites, and for a night out there’s The Coast Bar and North House’s Oyster Room and Mojacs for fine dining. Certainly the perfect town for sailors and those with a love of the sea, with high speed ferry services to Southampton.
Along the coast you come to Ryde which is known as ‘the gateway to the Island’ as it has excellent travel
Beach at Appley, Ryde
links to Portsmouth and Southsea via ferry, hovercraft and catamaran. The beautiful Appley Beach with its sweeping expanse of sand is popular with families and kitesurfers and backing on to Appley Park it is the archetypal British seaside town. There’s loads to do for children down on the esplanade and the town itself has some excellent small independent
spencewillard.co.uk
shops and galleries selling clothing and decorative home accessories to bring a taste of the coast to your new abode. Down Union Street there are numerous bars and restaurants and of course Ryde School. Further east from Ryde is the village of Bembridge, much beloved of Islanders and visitors alike. A village with all the amenities of a small town, Bembridge is one of the jewels in the Island’s crown. Popular with sailors and holidaying families alike, there are three beaches with stunning views and very different coastlines to explore and the striking Bembridge Lifeboat station standing offshore. There’s a substantial harbour for sailors and the chalk down at Culver which boasts a wealth of wildlife and natural features as well as the National Trust’s Bembridge Windmill for those who like a little piece of history. In the village itself, there’s an excellent deli, butchers, fish shop and a small supermarket as well as upmarket homes shops. Slightly further out of the village is the excellent Stern Room restaurant at The Spinnaker and the Crab and Lobster pub with far reaching sea views.
To the south of the Island is Ventnor, popular with visitors since Victorian times and with the beautiful botanical gardens and Steephill Cove just out of town, it’s a balm for the soul. For a relatively small town, it has a wealth of great eateries including The Bistro, Cantina, Tramezzini and of course The Royal Hotel ‘a destination for
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