Isle of Wight – Victorian charm tucked in the Sea

What amazes me the most about UK is its diversity. It’s a small island nation, really (39 times smaller than the USA) but the undulating landscape promises assorted experiences. The country has been bestowed with a great number of diverse landforms and natural wonders alike – waterfalls, rivers, river islands, limestone cliffs, coves, sea caves, rolling hills, chines, mud flats, hollow-ways, canals, wetlands, fertile valleys, lakes, rugged mountains, basalt columns, tidal pools and dark hedges to mention some.

The best part – given the smaller size and great transport connectivity, you are never far from any of these experiences!

Take me to the Isle so pretty… steep chines and cliff lines far away from the city 🙂

While in Portsmouth, we got to see many wonderful places over the holidays and long weekends. One such gem has been the Isle of Wight. The island makes a super convenient getaway from Southern England (it took us just a short ferry ride to get there).

Shot the sunset as we were leaving the Isle. Picture postcard spots generously spread all over the place!

Isle of Wight was recently in news when British astronaut Tim Peake snapped an incredible photograph of the isle of Wight from the International Space Station. In case you missed it, check it out! It looks otherworldly!

You know you are in the UK when nature throws splendours at you at every turn and bend. Even in our wildest dreams, we couldn’t have imagined cliffs so colourful. Then the Alum Bay happened to us.

The cliffs are known as ‘downlands’ or ‘downs’ in the local lingo. For us, the coastal walk with a gorgeous backdrop like this was the cherry on top.

After soaking up the lucrative views of the Alum Bay, we ventured out to the Needles, probably the most recognisable landmark of the Isle of Wight. The spectacle is terrific with three distinct cliffs popping out of the sea adding a dramatic feel to the landscape. The formation takes its name from a fourth needle-shaped pillar that ironically collapsed in a storm back in 1764. The name stays though.

We then headed to Shanklin, a coastal village on the island. As soon as we approached the Shanklin seafront, we were greeted with sweeping views of the English channel. But the weather had turned grey by now and in the unobstructed biting wind on the deserted seafront, we walked the long coastal path – just the two of us. It looked like we had the entire beach to ourselves.

At the end of the walk, we came across the Shanklin chine. Famously found in the Isle of Wight, chines are nothing short of a natural wonder. Millions of years of erosion caused by the rivers falling into the sea through coastal cliffs has produced steep sided narrow gullies, known to us as chines. Shanklin chine was a deep, densely wooded formation with a canopy formed by trees, serving as a hotbed for a bewildering variety of flora and fauna.

It has started to pour when we reached there and it’s so unfortunate that we could not get a picture of the unique phenomenon we are talking about! Nonetheless on a trip to the Isle of Wight, the chine experience (Shanklin chine or any other for that matter, Isle of Wight has many of them) is not to be missed.

We had some spare time before boarding the ferry back to Portsmouth, leaving us with the opportunity to roam the streets aimlessly. Little delights loomed around every corner – sunken lanes, quaint farmland, thatched cottages and country inns.

As the sun started dipping into the horizon, the island turned unbelievably calm with it’s serene seafront and simple local life. It’s a reminiscent of life before it became too zippy.