Ryde Canoe Lake (Isle of Wight)

One of the most picturesque locations in Ryde on the Isle of Wight has to be the area surrounding the Boating Lake on the Esplanade. Hidden in a small tree-lined valley with steep grassy banks, the lake is popular in summer seasons with both tourists and locals. As boating lakes go, the one at Ryde is relatively small - perhaps around 100 metres in length and about forty metres across. In the middle of the lake is a little island in the shape of an oval, which is inaccessible to the public - if you squint your eyes at dooyoo's tiny picture at the top, you may just be able to make it out in the middle of the shot. This small piece of land functions as a nesting ...  Read the complete review

Canoeing isn't everyone's bag baby, but sitting and watching the world go by certainly should be. Ryde on the beautiful Isle of Wight is one of the few places left in the world where time seems to have stood still. In some places that is - but while chavs and nutters have taken over certain areas of Ryde the canoe lake is still the same as its better been. In old photographs of Ryde from the Victorian era it is the canoeing lake that it the most prominent attraction that is still in use. Set just back from the seashore, the canoe lake is just like you see in the picture above. Its murky water is populated by a fleet of swans who are quite graceful when they ...  Read the complete review