Forget About Time and Visit Shanklin Old Chine! (Shanklin (Isle of Wight))

Member Name: newby2

Product:	Shanklin (Isle of Wight)
Date:	10/04/09 (197 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: perfect

Disadvantages: not summer all year!

Shanklin, Isle of Wight.....



Shanklin is a small town located on the south east side of the Isle of Wight. It has plenty to do for both holiday makers and residents alike and just as most towns on the Isle of Wight are, it is a picturesque place that truly is like taking a step back in time some 25 years.

Shanklin is accessible easily by road, train, bike or even foot. Most places on the island are only a short distance from each other which is why walking is so easy to do and often when the summer times comes, bringing with it excess traffic (and more often than not road works as the council seem to think they are ideally done in the warmer months) it is far quicker to get anywhere on foot.

Shanklin has a vast sandy beach that stretches for a good mile or so around to Lake (heading to the east side of the island) and in the other direction to Ventnor although due to cliffs it is not possible to walk along the shoreline all the way round to Ventnor. The beaches are stone and pebble free and always seem to be clean and tidy. The sun in the summer stays on the beach more or less right up to the end of the day so plenty of time can be spent playing in the sea or the sand. Whilst on the beach you will never be short of deck chairs, sun loungers or parasols as there are plenty of places where one can hire a chair for the day or indeed the afternoon.

Along the esplanade in Shanklin there is the usual holiday attractions such as pitch and putt golfing or crazy golf which are both positioned in a lovely area with sea views and are of an affordable price that the whole family can play and enjoy. There is a large amusement arcade situated along the esplanade slightly from the pitch and putt and this is ideal if the weather turns nasty and somewhere is needed to keep children amused.

There is always somewhere not far from where you are that will be selling ice creams and refreshments at a fair rate and in the summer months these little cafés and stalls are much needed to keep one cool and well lubricated!

Along the esplanade there is also a cliff lift that will take you up the steep incline of the cliff if perhaps it is more of a struggle to walk. It is a little walk from the beach into the town centre compared with towns such as Sandown where the beach and town are so close together. This is where the cliff lift comes in very handy for a lot of people as it cuts out the rather tiresome trek of 15 minutes uphill to get to the cliff path. The cliff lift only operates during the summer time and the prices are, I believe, not too bad.

If neither the cliff lift or the walk up the hill sounds very appealing there is always the option of riding the "Dotto Train" from the Esplanade up to the town centre. The Dotto train is a small toy like train that seats a fair few number of people and this runs every 20 to 30 minutes taking people to and from the old village to the beach and vice versa. The train does not run during the winter period but in the summer it can get pretty busy because it is a cheap ride which gets you to where you want to go and cools you down in the process.

There are plenty of public conveniences along the seafront which is needed if you plan to spend an entire day on the beach and these although pretty run down are indeed handy when you need them!

Along the Esplanade there are plenty of places to have a meal or a drink or two (or three or four). The summer time heat really does warrant drinking a few nice cool vodka, lime and lemonades and these drinks are made even more enjoyable when you are able to look out over the beaches and watch people having a good time. The whole vibe is really quite Mediterranean in the summer and one I long for all year round! The restaurants along the seafront are mostly of a nautical theme and will all be serving freshly caught fish, crab and lobster. Of course lobster is a fairly high priced meal although it is always something that I will treat myself to once every season and I always thoroughly enjoy it! The summer time sees plenty of bands and live music playing in the evening and the pubs themselves advertise who is playing quite well and this is also another treat which makes for a rather magical evening. I have spent many summer evenings sitting outside in the still warm air sipping my drink and watching someone sing and play the guitar, perfect!

Moving away from the shore line and up into the main town of Shanklin means that there are more shops and small cafés to enjoy. Shanklin is a slightly larger town that that of its neighbouring town Sandown and has a good selection of everyday shops that are perfect for the Islanders. Of course there are still plenty of gift shops for tourists but perhaps not as many as you would see in Sandown. Again there are plenty of restaurants including Chinese, Indian, fish and chips and so on meaning that people have plenty to choose from when thinking about an evening meal out.

Shanklin town has two parts to it, the high street and the old village which is further along the main road heading in the Ventnor direction. The old village is perhaps famous for its picture postcard looks and there is a very common postcard sent from the island that shows the thatched cottages in the old village and the pub "The Crab". A lot of the buildings in the old village have thatched roofs and this is really what gives it the oldie world type feeling. It really does look beautiful and quaint.

The old village also gives access to the "Old Chine" which is basically an old gorge with wonderful sights such as waterfalls and nature trails. Walking through the old Chine from the Old Village will take you all the way back down to the esplanade again although to enter the chine itself you will have to pay a fee, prices of which I am not sure as these tend to change each year.

There are plenty of other gardens to look at and walks to do in Shanklin and if indeed you are staying in one of the many hotels or guest houses that Shanklin has to offer it is very easy to get out of Shanklin either by bus or train and pop into another town. The train station at Shanklin is the last stop, so you can only go in one direction (the train line is a very short one giving no more than a 30 minute ride from end to end) but this can take you all the way through to Ryde where you can get the ferries back over to the mainland (so you could even visit without bringing your car!).

There is always something going on in and around the Shanklin areas to so if you are coming over for a holiday it is always worth checking out what Shanklin calendar looks like and whether there will be any special events happening when you are visiting. Fireworks are often set off from the beach of an evening close to the carnival dates and the carnival itself has both a daytime and an evening (illuminated) procession.

Overall I really feel that Shanklin has a lot going for it. It is a clean friendly town with so many different parts it really is hard to believe you are in the same place when you walk through the old chine and out into the high street. There is always plenty to do and things to see and I am sure any visitor will enjoy the atmosphere that a sunny summer holiday to the place has.

It is suitable for young and old and especially now when people can't afford to take expensive holidays abroad coming to the island is like going abroad but without the cost (and perhaps a little less heat!). All in all though I am totally in love with my little island and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. I hope that people will visit the island and feel the same as I do.

Many thanks for taking the time to read.

I do hope this has been of some help/interest to you.

If you would like to find out more about Shanklin then check out this website which has lots of helpful information and some wonderful photographs:

http://www.visitshanklin.co.uk/index.aspx

Summary: A great place to visit and an even better place to live