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Isle of Wight
Towns and Villages
Most Isle of Wight towns and villages are shown on the the map shown below, followed by a brief introduction to the capital, Newport, and the most popular coastal towns.
Isle of Wight towns and villages
The capital of the Isle of Wight, NEWPORT, lies in the centre of the island at the foot of the Medina estuary. It's quite a busy place with an attractive, central square around the church, and all the usual chain stores nearby - Next, New Look, BHS, Peacocks, H&M, Boots, Woolworth, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Clarks, Shoe Zone, Burtons, Waterstones, Matalan, Staples, Kentucky Fried Chicken, MacDonalds etc etc. There is also a cinema and a super, big, new Marks and Spencer. For groceries, you will find a large Morrisons in the centre of town and a Sainsbury on the northern outskirts.
Newport town centre is 'on the level', so walking is easy. Parking is quite good too, and it is free for two hours at M&S and in Morrisons if you spend more than £5.00 in the store. All roads seem to lead to Newport and, if you want to do any serious shopping, that's where you'll have to go.
The largest of the Isle of Wight towns is not Newport, but RYDE in the north. Unlike Newport, Ryde is most certainly not 'on the level'! The principal roads slope downhill to the Esplanade and the pier.
Union Street, Ryde - looking downhill towards Esplanade
The shops are mostly small and privately owned - so you will not find many chain stores here, but there are a several very interesting establishments and some good eating places
(e.g. Liberty's in Union Street).
Ryde's popularity lies not so much in the town itself, but in its gorgeous sandy beach and the excellent facilities that you'll find all along the Esplanade. For more information about the beach and the Esplanade facilities
CLICK HERE to visit our Best Beaches pages.
South of Ryde lies BRADING which is best known for its roman villa. The village straddles the busy A3055, so it can get very congested at peak times, and parking is quite difficult. However, it's an interesting place to explore on foot and there are several family attractions and family friendly pubs in the High Street.
East of Brading lies the small village of BEMBRIDGE which is best known for its large harbour. The village itself lies south of the harbour, slightly inland. It is a pretty spot with several period buildings and a few interesting, privately owned shops.
The popular Isle of Wight town of SANDOWN lies on the eastern coast of the island, south of Bembridge. It is notorious for its gorgeous sandy beach and its pier which still, to this day, offers holiday entertainment 365 days a year, come rain or shine. It's a God-send when the heavens open!
Isle of Wight towns - Sandown pier
The shops at Sandown are perfectly adequate for your everyday needs, and the main street runs parallel to the beach, so everything is 'on the flat' and easily accessible. You can literally stroll off the beach and find yourself in the main High Street. Very handy!
Sandown High Street - parallel to, and just off, the beach
Sandown is undoubtedly an ideal resort for families with young children because the sandy beach offers safe bathing, and nearby you will find everything you would expect of an English seaside resort.
For more information you can visit our Best Beaches section HERE
SHANKLIN lies to the south of Sandown and is known as the island's 'premier resort'. Like Sandown, Shankin enjoys all the benefits of a wonderful, sandy beach, but in addition to this it has attracted more investment than most other places in the form of good quality hotels and apartment blocks.
The 'town' of Shanklin lies above the beach, at the top of the cliff - so you can't exactly pop to the shops if you're on the beach! You can, however, find refreshments and amusements aplenty.
The shops in Shanklin High Street and Regent Street are actually quite good - not comparable to those of Newport, of course, but they're interesting and more than adequate. And nearby you'll find a Somerfield supermarket or, at Lake, a good Morrisons.
SHANKLIN OLD VILLAGE, however, is totally different - a tourist delight. Here you will find beautiful thatched cottages, pubs and restaurants - and a large car park so you can relax and explore to your heart's content. Shanklin old village is situated above the beach on the main road to Ventnor (A3055).
Isle of Wight towns - Shanklin Old Village
The quaint town of VENTNOR grew up in Victorian days when an eminent physician of that time recognised the health-giving properties of the wonderfully clean air and mild climate along 'the Undercliff' (the area of undulating land, below the cliffs, all along the coast between Ventnor and Niton, which resulted from a giant landslip many thousands of years ago).
A huge hospital for patients with respiratory diseases was built at Ventnor, and the town grew rapidly, with tier upon tier of Victorian houses being built, all looking out to sea above Ventnor Bay.
Isle of Wight towns - Ventnor: tier upon tier of Victorian houses looking out to sea
You'll not find the hospital today as it has long since been demolished, but you can visit
Ventnor Botanic Garden
which now occupies the 22 acre site, with exotic plants from all over the world thriving in the mild climate.
Some of the shops in Ventnor have seen better days, but most shopkeepers do their best to provide for the needs of visitors, and each year there are new stores opening with fresh ideas. Soon, apparently, a Tesco mini store will open here, but there's no sign of that just yet (April 2008). Meanwhile, you will find a Nat West Bank, a good sized Post Office, a medium sized Somerfield, a good Boots and Lloyds pharmacy, 'Seasons' for all your stationery needs, and Hursts - a very good ironmongers (the island's answer to Robert Dyas) amongst others.
Isle of Wight towns: Ventnor High Street - taken from Church Street
As a good, old fashioned, seaside resort, however, Ventnor is absolutely charming. Indeed, it's virtually unchanged since Victorian days, save (in my opinion) for one or two 'blots on the landscape'. Hambrough Road is an excellent example of the town's Victorian origin.
Isle of Wight towns: Hambrough Road, Ventnor
A short drive from Ventnor along The Undercliff will bring you to NITON, the most southerly village on the island. In my book, Niton is famous for two things: St. Catherine's Lighthouse and The Buddle Inn! It's an interesting old village, steeped in smuggling, shipwrecks and ghost stories! There is still a Post Office here, a general store, and a few other shops - just enough for everyday needs.
The south side of the Isle of Wight is strangely devoid of towns and villages - due mainly, I suspect, to the constant threat of erosion. The 'Military Road' (A3055) runs all along the coast from Niton in the south to Freshwater in the west. In between, inland, lie acres of glorious rolling countryside and the pretty little villages of Brook, Hulverstone, Mottistone, Brighstone, Shorwell and Chale, each of which has at least one good pub (see our 'Good Pubs' section).
On the west coast of the island lies the ancient and picturesque town of YARMOUTH. As this little town is one of our favourites, we've devoted a new page to tell you all about it ......
CLICK HERE to visit YARMOUTH
Above Yarmouth, on the most northerly tip of the island lies COWES, renowned internationally for Cowes Week and other yachting events. Cowes is divided in two by the River Medina which flows into The Solent at this point. There is no fixed bridge across the river, but foot passengers and vehicles can cross from one side to the other by means of the 'floating bridge' (a chain ferry).
Isle of Wight towns - the floating bridge at Cowes
West Cowes is, in my opinion, the more attractive part of Cowes. We like exploring the pedestrianised shopping precinct which has lots of interesting clothes shops (including an Artigiano retail outlet!) and we like walking beside the harbour and along the Esplanade. You can, in fact, walk right round to Gurnard Bay from here.
East Cowes is rather overpowered by the Red Funnel ferry terminal. It's also fairly industrialised with lots of warehouses nearby. The Esplanade is very pleasant, however, complete with children's play area and paddling pool. It's only a short walk from the ferry terminal, and it's a great place to watch the boats coming in and going out!
Isle of Wight towns - the Red Funnel ferry leaves Cowes for Southampton
We hope you have found this section about Isle of Wight towns and villages helpful. If you'd like to know about somewhere we've not mentioned, please use the 'Contact Us' section and we'll get right back to you!
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