Isle of Wight Towns, UK - Shanklin Old Village

Often Called "Little England", the Island is Full of Special Charms

Jun 5, 2009

It is difficult to name one village as more charming than another on the isle, but postcard perfect Shanklin Old Village is regularly voted Prettiest Village on the Wight

Shanklin town in the Isle of Wight, S.E. England, offers the visitor a wide variety of things to do and see. The part of town called "the Old Village" - the original Shanklin - has the Chine, a dramatic fissure in the rock formed by water cutting through soft sandstone which runs from the village to the beach. A 45 ft. waterfall cascades through boulders and ferns to the sea, creating an eerily green atmosphere of natural beauty and a rich haven for rare plants and wildlife.

Tales of smuggling, shipwrecks and PLUTO (Pipe line under the ocean, the ingenious device laid to pump fuel from the UK to France for the Normandy invasion) add to the air of mystery that envelops the walker in the soft green light of the ravine.

The Old Village, Shanklin

The much photographed thatched Crab Inn, quaint restaurants, and trendy gift shops housed in more thatched cottages, means that the village is always busy. Some prefer to spend their days on the beach, accessed by lift or bus from the town, sheltered and protected by tall cliffs that turn it into a suntrap. Safe bathing from a sandy beach, water sports, and a good selection of pubs and restaurants make this an ideal place for the family. Returning to the old village at night, the colourful lights add another sort of magical charm to the village.

17th century Coaching Inn now Holliers Hotel

Conveniently placed for the village and the beach is the Holliers Hotel, originally a 17th century coaching Inn and the first hotel in Shanklin. One time guest, the poet Longfellow praised it in 1868 when he stayed there, saying he found it “…. a lovely thatched-roof hotel all covered with Ivy, and extremely desirable .. Our windows look down on the quaintest little village you every saw …. one of the loveliest places in the Kingdom.”

Nowadays fewer poets sign the guest book but anyone attending the various pop festivals on the island during the summer will be sure to see some of the headliners from the concerts – The Holliers is a favourite hang-out of the pop fraternity.

With indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a piano bar, and in house team that sources food locally for the regular buffets, barbecues, and carveries that are enjoyed by its clients, the Holliers Hotel is ideally placed for visitors seeking to enjoy all that Shanklin has to offer. To facilitate clients, the hotel arranges ferry bookings at preferential rates, and, as the proprietors hold one of the few licences on the island which allow weddings to be performed there, can take care of all arrangements for the big day.

Carnivals, Regattas, and Water Sports in Shanklin Town

August is carnival time in Shanklin with parades in the town followed by sports and fireworks. It is also regatta time in Shanklin, following hard on the heels of the more famous Cowes Week Regatta.

Strolling through Shanklin’s public parks and gardens which are ablaze with flowers most of the year is a pleasant way to spend time. The more energetic may care to walk along the spectacular coastal path to Sandown where the island’s only fully operating pier is still open, or along to Bonchurch where writers flocked during Victoria's reign.

The excellent transport system makes it easy to visit other towns during their carnival and regatta weeks, towns like Sandown, Ryde, Newport, Cowes and Freshwater, and the villages of Bembridge and Seaview.

The copyright of the article Isle of Wight Towns, UK - Shanklin Old Village in England Travel is owned by Mari Nicholson. Permission to republish Isle of Wight Towns, UK - Shanklin Old Village in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.