PS Waverley:
an adventure not to be missed!
The legendary paddle steamer, Waverley, visits the Isle of Wight every September. So, if you time it right, you can hop on board and paddle right round the island - without getting your feet wet!
This beautiful vessel is the last remaining, fully operational, sea-going paddle steamer in the world. As such she is very much in demand and very much photographed!
With her varnished timbers and polished brasses gleaming in the sunlight she looks absolutely stunning - thanks to the amazing restoration work carried out between 2000 and 2003 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS).
We boarded Waverley in September 2007. It was a glorious, sunny day, and we were looking forward to circumnavigating the island in style! We queued with several hundred others on Yarmouth pier, waiting anxiously for the steamer's arrival. Once on board, we made our way upstairs to the raised promenade deck and sat down, facing port-side. (Waverley sails counter-clockwise round the island.)
The following images, in order, depict just some of the sights we enjoyed that day.
The coloured sands of Alum Bay
The Needles and lighthouse
High Down Rocket Test Site
Geology: chalky cliffs changing to sandstone near Compton Bay
Compton Bay
- one of the best beaches for surfing and fossil hunting.
The Undercliff - the result of an ancient landslide - visible between Niton and Ventnor
St Catherine's Lighthouse - the most southerly point on the island
Old Park Hotel nestling amidst the wooded Undercliff
Steephill Cove - a highly popular beach near Ventnor
Ventnor
- England's Madeira, complete with its own micro-climate.
Shanklin - showing the passenger lift from the Esplanade to the town above
Sandown
- the most popular resort for families with young children
Culver Down
- the chalky headland owned and protected by The National Trust
Whitecliff Bay - enjoyed by those staying at
Sandhills Holiday Park.
As we rounded the headland at Bembridge, the sun in the south made it very difficult to take pictures of the north coast of the island - as you can see from the following pathetic efforts!
Ryde
Norris Castle silhouetted against the skyline
An abundance of yachts in The Solent told us we must be near Cowes. Sadly our pictures of Cowes did not turn out well enough to use because of the sun. However, once we had changed direction, heading back towards Yarmouth, Gurnard beach was more clearly visible.
Finally, we returned to Yarmouth pier where we disembarked. It had been a hugely enjoyable and memorable trip marred only by the number of people on board. (When I win the lottery I shall hire the Waverley for a private party!)
For more details or to make a booking for this round the island trip, please visit the official
Waverley paddle steamer website.
Alternatively, for more things to do and places to visit, please
visit our main Isle of Wight attractions page.
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