Isle of Wight info please

full-time-mum · 8 July 2008 at 2:29PM

I've already posted this on the local board but it was suggested that this might be a better place so I apologise for repeating myself but....

We have our holiday booked so I wondered if there is anyone prepared to share some local (mse) info. We are staying near Yarmouth.

I know there are several places that we can use Tesco Days Out tokens. Are there any other ways of getting discounts/money off places to visit.

Where are the best beaches to take children and any tips on where to park (preferably free)?

Where are good places to get good value meals (pubs etc)? (We do a lot of self-catering but I do like to get the odd evening off)
Can you recommend a good fish and chippy?

I need a reasonable sized supermarket to get wheat-free basics from. There seems to be a Tesco at Ryde, Morrisions at Newport and Sandown and Sainsburys at Newport. I'm assuming they will be big enough to get at least my bread, biscuits and pasta.

Are there any farm shops or family butchers, they are often good places to get wheat-free sausages/burgers etc?

Are there any places to avoid (food or activities)?

What is the best place to get petrol? (Hopefully, we won't need too much being on an Island and, of course, the sun is going to shine everyday and we'll just be relaxing on the beach!)

sooz · 8 July 2008 at 2:39PM

I saw this IOW restaurant & cafe guide posted ages ago one here & bookmarked it http://mattandcat.co.uk/

As for petrol, I'd buy it at the supermarkets you mentioned. Elsewhere can be very expensive.

Tesco outside Ryde is huge, so I wouldn't imagine you'd have a problem buying wheat free stuff.

For parking, you can buy a weekly (and some other durations...can't remember offhand) parking permit from the tourist info places. It means you can park in any council run car park or P & D space for the duration of your visit. This means you'll be able to park near all the beaches, without having to take handfulls of change. It works out the same as parking per day on a P & D space, but you can move beaches whenever you fancy.

We mainly used the tesco days out vouchers. Amazon world was great, as was dinosaur isle.

If you go to blackgang chine, you get 2 days entry for the price of one, as you can return within the week.

Meals everywhere on the island seem to be HUGE. We'd have one main and one side between 3 of us (2 adults & a child) and still struggle to finish!

Baybee1984 · 8 July 2008 at 2:45PM

I grew up going to IOW every year, twice a year. Altho didnt stay in Yarmouth. But I advise Sandown as the best beach, loadsa places to eat there too. The supermarkets you mentioned are large supermarkets so you will be able to buy your wheat free bits.
Google Blackgang Chine, Robin Hill Country Park and Sandown Pier.. some of the best attractions for days out.

sooz · 8 July 2008 at 2:49PM

I forgot about Robin Hill.
It's lovely there and also does free return within 7 days.

BillScarab · 8 July 2008 at 3:04PM

We've been a few times recently and stayed in Freshwater which is close to Yarmouth. There is a decent sized Co-op in Freshwater whioch should be easy for you to get to.

I wouldn't be going shopping in Ryde or anywhere on the east side of the island. Although it's only small it takes a while to drive as the roads are quite busy in the summer and not particularly fast.

Amazon World is good as is Dinosaur Isle, our children also liked the dinosaur farm which is on the military road on the south coast.

For beaches it depends whaat you like. You couldn't pay me to go to Sandown beach as it is a typical seaside resort type beach which I hate. We prefer the more scenic ones out of the towns, in particular Compton Chine, it's even got fossilised dinosaur footprints.

For eating out our children loved the Wight Mouse Inn, it's got a play area, indoor soft play and the food is decent. We also liked the Highdown Inn, excellent food, children's play area and a decent pint. We've also been tot he Griffin in Godshill, food was OK and it has a maze in the beer garden to entertain the children.

If you want to go to Carisbrooke and Osbourne hosue it's probably worth joining English Heritage as they own both I think.

debjay · 8 July 2008 at 3:20PM

The Kellogs Zoo voucher is valid at Amazon World

gazzak_2 · 8 July 2008 at 3:59PM

We visit several times a year as my parents moved there, and my 3 kids soon worked out the best places to go

Anyway, here's what I can add, based on the fact that we always stay with my folks in Sandown.

Best for food daytime is a little cafe in Ryde, directly opposite Ryde station. You can't miss it. Combine this with a day out in Ryde, which has a great beach and a brand new beach play area. My kids love Ryde, (for reasons mentioned), and due to the hovercraft coming in and out all day and the old underground trains. We often stay in Sandown and travel on the old tube trains to Ryde. In Sandown itself is a place called the Jolly Sailor, opposite end from the pier, good food and nicely priced, (you can park behind there too for about £3 for the whole day). Other end of Sandown is the cafe on the pier itself.

Our favorite restaraunt for evening food is called The Caulkheads in Sandown. Great food, good prices, very very family friendly. I've never ever had a good fish and chips from any chippy on the island, avoid.

Sandown beach is excellent, the closer to the pier you get the busier it becomes. Walk away from the pier towards Bembridge and there's a great place for finding fossils, and the beach gets much much quieter. Not any shops right up there though.

Big Tesco between Ryde and Sandown, big supermarket, (can't remember which), between Sandown and Shanklin. Avoid Newport in Summer if possible. Petrol at supermarkets only unless you want to pay big prices.

Days out?
Blackgang Chine: Get there early for easy parking and to go on all the big rides before the monster queues begin.

Robin Hill: A full day out, take a packed lunch as food is expensive. Lots of hills, kids will love it.

Both Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill give free return visits, (or cheap if I remember right), if you fancy going back the same week.

Flamingo park, (now called the flamingo experience i think): All of us love this place more than any other attraction on the island. Never seems to get too busy and the kids will LOVE it.

Island Steam Railway: Good for a whole morning or afternoon, prices not too bad, and you get a long old ride on the trains. This also interchanges with the regualr Island railway. They have kids days through the summer when Thomas turns up, check the website.

Donkey Sanctuary: Free and worthwhile, it's near Godshill which is where the model village is, and cream teas served! We often spend a day doing Godshill, Donkey Sanctuary and there's a falconry / medieval ruins nearby too which I also recommend.

Unlike others I can't recommend the dinosaur museum as it's overpriced and you're through it in an hour. However, they offer guides to the fosil finding area I mentioned earlier which my sister and her boy did earlier this year and said it was great value.

Amazon World for me personally was very poor too.

There's a beach near Bembridge which is very rocky, and when the tide goes out there are hundreds of little pools to explore for crabs and other goodies. Parking is very cheap and you can easily spend a whole afternoon there listening to the kids scream when they suddenly find a big crab.

If it rains, there's a play area on Sandown pier where the younger ones can run riot in while you enjoy a coffee and see them on monitors, 5 and under is best.

Off the beaten track is Yafford Mill in Atherfield. Try and get there via the country lanes rather than the main coastal road, you'll see so much more.

Just remembered the Garlic Festival. If it's on when you're there you MUST visit.

full-time-mum · 8 July 2008 at 4:10PM

gazzak wrote: »

Just remembered the Garlic Festival. If it's on when you're there you MUST visit.

Just googled the Garlic Festival and its on 16th and 17th August so we'll miss that

BillScarab · 8 July 2008 at 4:23PM

Oh, I forgot the Donkey Sanctuary, we always visit that as it is free and the children really enjoy it.

There is a fish and chop shop in Freshwater which sells decent fish and chips called the Rainbow Fish Bar.

A lot depends on what sort of holiday you like, if you like the traditional British seaside resorts you need to visit the east side of the island as the west side where you are going is much quieter. Personally we far prefer the west side. If you're looking at going over to the east side bear in mind it can easily take an hour to get there from Yarmouth.

Oldernotwiser · 8 July 2008 at 4:27PM

Avoid the Needles Pleasure Park; we used to threaten our lad we'd take him there again if he was naughty!

full-time-mum · 9 July 2008 at 10:05AM

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Avoid the Needles Pleasure Park; we used to threaten our lad we'd take him there again if he was naughty!

It was that bad, was it?
Just asking as it is a Tesco Clubcard Days Out venue.

Isle of Wight info please

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