Sunny Sandown on the Isle of Wight (Sandown (Isle of Wight))

Member Name: newby2

Product:	Sandown (Isle of Wight)
Date:	09/04/09 (306 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: everything

Disadvantages: nothing

Sandown, Isle of Wight, England.....



Sandown is located on the South East side of the Isle of Wight and is a perfect holiday destination or indeed for me a perfect place to live. The summer time is amazing in Sandown and there really is, for me, no better place to be. Although the winter can sometimes be rather dreary and bleak, I think this would be the case where ever you are in Britain so I would say that this is surely the best place to live if you have or choose to live in Britain.

There is lots that Sandown has to offer for both the young and old for surely all ages would enjoy to sit on the golden sandy beaches of Sandown Bay overlooking Shanklin and the Downs at Culver (perhaps this is why it is called Sandown, because of both the sandy beaches and view of the downs!). There are plenty of beaches to choose from as the coast line along Sandown Stretches a good way round to Lake (Southwards) and the opposite direction to Yaverland (Westwards). All the beaches are clean and sandy with breakers separating each section of beach making it easier to keep little ones in view. In the Summer the sea can get quite warm and I have been known to take a dip in there once or twice which is rather needed in the heat of the summer sun. The waters are clean and apart from having to watch out for weaver fish (nasty little buggers) the sea is safe. In the summer there are lifeguards patrolling certain beaches and these shores are clearly marked so you could choose to set up camp on patrolled beaches if you have children etc.

On the beaches you will never be short of a deck-chair, sun lounger, parasol or wind breaker as these are for hire from various cabins along the esplanade. Also there are plenty of small cafés and shops dotted along the esplanade where refreshments and beach goods such as buckets and spades can be bought.

Part of the Esplanade attraction along side these glorious beaches would have to be the Pier which offers hours of amusement in the arcade type environment. It has an array of slot machines and prize machines that will lure out the gambler in most! The Pier also has a children play area up stairs, where toddlers can enjoy playing in the ball pits or soft play areas that are so enjoyable for them (which is perfect for a rainy day). There is also a small bowling alley on the Pier which has several lanes (although not full size) and a crazy golf course with a jungle theme to it. These attractions are relatively new to the Pier so are in not bad condition and again are priced within reason and not too expensive.

Amongst Sandown's other attractions is the dinosaur museum, again another relatively new attraction which has been standing for around 5 years now and houses some of the best fossil or bone finds from along the island cost line and in land. I can honestly say however that as yet I have not been inside this museum although I have heard positive things about it. The building from the outside has been built to a rather "modern" type standard and is made from metals all bent trying to look like a dinosaur (I believe the flying pterodactyl?!?). At first this stood out like a sore thumb among the islands beauty but I guess I have now grown to live with it and I don't really notice it so much. The area around the Dinosaur museum is a wildlife reserve which is home to all sorts of ducks and swans (which are always being fed!) on a large lake. This area looks rather shabby because the lake used to belong to Browns Golf Course and was in fact a boating lake. The remains of the old café still stand (which is a shame as it does look unsightly) but I guess they can't remove this because it might upset the wildlife.


Further along to Yaverland is the Brown golf course where you can either play a small game of putting or a larger game of pitch and put, all at a relatively cheap rate. Brown's also has a nice café overlooking the greens where they open up the large patio doors in the summer and this is a nice place to sit and grab one of their delicious cream cakes! The prices for golf and cakes are again reasonable andi have played many games (and eaten many cream cakes) without thinking prices were too high. (plus if you have a one card which is a gym membership you get free golf because Browns is council owned and so is the gym!).


Sandown is where the Islands one and only Zoo is (more towards Yaverland but this is still all just a stones throw away from the high street in Sandown). It is a fair sized Zoo which I have visited quite a few times and have enjoyed myself for at least a couple of hours. It is not very big compared to mainland Zoo's, even though it has just been extended and the place looks a lot brighter than it did a few years back. Some people may recognise it as being host to the ITV1 show "Tiger Island". The price is not too expensive to get in and there is a gift shop and café on site. I would say it is suitable for disabled people as there are no steps and areas have ramps etc.


The main area of Sandown i.e. the high street is, at the moment, pretty poor. Woolworths was by far the best shop that Sandown had and since that has closed Sandown has gone rather down hill. (Woolworths is being turned into a Sainsburys!) The high Street is really just full of a lot of tourist type gift shops and what I call "old lady shops" which sell pleated skirts or knitting patterns. Sandown is however going through a major regeneration project funded by the council. New toilets have been installed in the Yaverland car park (which is used by many visiting the beach and Zoo) and these look very smart. They have also asked the owners of the Yaverland Café to fork out to upgrade the old shack type cabin that it used to be to a rather smart looking building (although in my opinion it has now lost all of it's charm). Along side this they have been smartening up the high streets bus area giving seats and proper shelters, where as before you had no shelter so got wet if it was raining. So hopefully the council are putting a bit back into Sandown and within a few years it may look even tidier than it does now.


Of course like most towns Sandown is riddled with places to eat. Whether it is Chinese, Greek, Italian you are looking for or seafood to home cooked, Sandown has it all to offer. There are many places to eat in Sandown but one of my favourites is "The Ocean Deck" which has a maritime theme and does a lovely carvery for a cheap price! In the summer they have, as many restaurants in this area do, locally caught fish, crab and lobster (if available) and some of this, especially the crab, is pure delight!

Sandown has a market on Sunday's in the high street which is very poor and more annoying than anything else. There are the same stalls selling the same tat week after week and literally only five stalls are there but it takes up a lot of the pathway and all the old holidaymaker ladies come out in force to see if there is a bargain to be had (which really there isn't). This is a real shame because I do remember there being a much better market that was held on a Tuesday in a car park by the Jolly sailor pub but this poor effort took its place.

The town itself is so close to the beach and everywhere else that it really does make it a wonderful little all round town. Everything is in walking distance which makes it a child friendly place as well as ideal for the older generation. With pubs and restaurants along the seafront and glorious beaches what more could anyone want? I know I feel lucky to live here, even in the gloomy winter!

I would say it is an ideal destination if coming to the island as hotels are plenty and cheap. This would make a perfect summer get away for anyone who perhaps cant afford to splash out and go abroad this year!

A five star rating is all I can give but I would give more if I could. I love my little town and I am sure you would too! HIGHLY recommended!

Many thanks for taking the time to read.

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

Summary: A great holiday destination and perfect place to live!