Tag Archives: history

Ventnor beach review, Isle of Wight

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Ventnor beach is a delightful cove positioned on the Southerly edge of the Isle of Wight. Set staggering down a steep cliff, with a zig zag path, tiers of shops and houses lead to golden sand and shingle. The beach has an esplanade that rolls round from The Spyglass Inn (west) to the recently built bandstand (east). Pretty little beach huts line neatly along the bottom of the cliff. High tide covers the sand and can leave you with little beach to sit on.

The town was built up in the Victorian era and sits on the side of St. Boniface Down. It is smaller than the nearby Sandown and Shanklin beaches and often much quieter on sunny beach days. Ventnor is filled with holiday makers and residents alike.

Ventnor is popular not only for the beach but for the coastal path that leads from Bonchurch (small beach to the north-east of Ventnor) through Ventnor and on to Steephill Cove (one of the best kept secrets on the Island, well, OK not so secret really but quite secluded as it can only be reached by foot).

Ventnor also has the famed Ventnor Botanical Gardens, home to many subtropical and exotic plants. Nannie rightbeach really enjoyed her stroll around them and even ventured onto the coastal path which is directly accessed from the gardens. Watch out for the ladders though! The beach is a good forty-five minutes’ walk from the gardens, along the costal path and then there’s the walk back!

rightbeach recommends Ventnor beach for all generations of the family, although the steep path and stronger currents suggest it would suit older children who can swim and carry their own lunch better than the pushchair brigade. It will be a real agile granny pleaser with the gardens and coastal walks. The Victorians believed Ventor’s suntrap micro-climate was ideal for restoring health-therefore rightbeach also recommends this beach if you are nursing a small hangover!

Beach blurb

See Ventnor beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • The road in and out of the esplanade is extremely steep and twisting so beware! Nannie rightbeach has warned you!
  • High tide steals most of the sand away so time it right or head up into the pretty town to souvenir shop.
  • When swimming there may be hidden rocks or strong currents-rightbeach suggests adult supervision at all times. A red flag indicates unsuitable swimming conditions.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sand, shingle, beach huts and rock pools. Mostly gone at high tide. Litter picked daily during the summer.
Crowded (1=deserted) Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Popular with locals and Grockles but not so that you are all piled on top of each other.
Surf Sandcastle rating Strong tide means it’s not great for watersports but swimming is good.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sand and shingle.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Car parking is on The Esplanade or at the medium-sized car park at the end behind The Spyglass Inn, all pay and display. You could also park in the Botanical Gardens if you were planning a visit there.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilets clean and tidy.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The Spyglass Inn, along Ventnor’s sea front, has a homely atmosphere that is filled with seafaring memorabilia that shows its history as a smugglers tavern. Local seafood specials mmmm! Fresh Ventnor crab and lobster may be purchased from a fisherman’s hut (Blake’s) located at the very start of the Esplanade.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A Victorian town centre full of antique and knick-knack shops.

Review by Nannie rightbeach

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

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Known as ‘Northern Ireland’s favourite holiday destination’, Portrush is well known for its long, sandy beaches, East and West Strands. East Strand is the quieter of the two, as it does not have the life boat station training centre. It is still a busy beach with plenty of people watching to be done. It has large sand dunes and amazing views along the coast and is an ideal place to explore the Causeway Coast.

Portrush, built mainly on a mile-long penninsular, is a popular and well known town on the Londonderry border. It has hosted the British Golf Open, many open air music festivals and an annual air show in September. Portrush is also home to Barry’s Amusements, the largest amusement park in Northern Ireland. Actor, James Nesbitt, once worked in Barry’s.

rightbeach recommends this beach for young families due to its ease for parking and toilet facilities but also for families with teens who fancy learning to surf. There is a surf school on the beach with surf board and suit hire with changing rooms.

Beach blurb

See Portrush East Strand beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Take a wind break as the wide beach means it can get a bit breezy.
  • …and a kite to keep Daddy entertained (although Daddy rightbeach is yet to succeed in the kite department!)
  • A wet suit to keep the chill out when learning to ride the waves.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Open beach with plenty of space.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Can get busy due to its popularity.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Waves here can get very good with the prevailing south westerly winds blowing offshore.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sandy, sandy, sandy
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Clean and tidy with baby changing facilities. Located in car park.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Massive car park on sea front.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Only a stones throw away from Portrush town.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Clothing shops, surf suit hire

Review by Lesley H

St Ouen’s Bay beach, Jersey

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St Ouen’s Bay is a massive five-mile-long stretch of sand, making up the majority of the west coast of Jersey. It feels the full force of the Atlantic which can be a blessing and a curse. Surf can be fabulous but it can also be very exposed if there’s a westerly wind blowing given there’s little shelter on the beach.

The beach does have non-sun worshiping activities though, with rock pools and surf lessons to be enjoyed. However, the beach’s primary assets are it’s epic expanse of fine, flat sand and mega surf.

rightbeach recommends this beach for its space, sand and surf, and deems it suitable for families with children and surfers.

Beach blurb

See St Oeun’s Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • If you’ve got the motivation, take a BBQ with you, buy some fresh fish from Faulkners at the north end of the beach, and eat on the beach in style.
  • There’s virtually no beach left at high tide so timing your trip right is essential.
  • If you fancy a break from all that sand and surf take a stroll around the World War II German gun emplacements. Jersey (and the other Channel Islands) were occupied by the Germans from June 1940 to May 1945.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Massive amounts of space and sand, but can be exposed and beach is virtually non-existent at high tide.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle rating Sooooo much space
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The Atlantic 2,500 miles to get ready for St Oeun’s Bay. The waves can be big!
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Fine, flat and lots of it.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating In the car park so think twice about venturing too far away from civilisation.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Lots of parking along the length of the beach (three or four car parks all along La Grande Route des Mielles) all right next to the sand.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A reasonable selection of icecreams / pasties, but most of the food outlets are clustered around the car parks.
Shopping Sandcastle rating Good for fresh fish (at Faulkners) less good for other stuff as the beach is so spread out.

Review by dom perrignon

Eastbourne beach, East Sussex

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Eastbourne has been a noted seaside destination since the 1700s. It has the privileged title of Britain’s sunniest place, recording the highest hours of sunshine in a month for July 2011. It has a busy town is served by a well-connected railway station. The seafront has a pier, promenade, 1930s bandstand and the stunning Carpet Gardens.

The beach is a mix of shingle, pebbles and sandy stretches. It is a gentle slope down to the sea where there is sand at low tide and great rock pools and lots and lots of mussels.  In fact low tide is really rather good for young children to play and be occupied by the pools.  There can be a lot of seaweed.  The water is quiet and safe with no surf.  There are areas sectioned for swimming towards the town.

rightbeach recommends Eastbourne for day trippers from the Big Smoke and families with both young and older children. Plently of traditional seaside activites on and off the beach.

Beach blurb

See Eastbourne beach on a map …

Tips to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Head past Eastbourne town, towards Beachey Head and The Grand Hotel. It is slightly quieter but beach is great and the promenade is wide and spacious to walk along. There are green areas just above to hang out on and play as well.
  • Toilets are signposted but there are some just in front of the Grand Hotel, in front of the turreted area.
  • Remember your nets and buckets for rock pooling as there are not many shops that sell this type of thing.

Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle rating Pebbles but sandy stretches at mid and low tide. Rock pools!
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Busy and friendly promenade beach, head towards Beachey Head for a quieter stretch of beach.
Surf No surf. Dedicated swimming areas.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Pebbles and wet sand when the tide is out.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Not always easy to spot the signposts. Some directly outside The Grand Hotel.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Car parking along the sea front. Can get tricky on a hot Summer day.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Bars and cafes by the pier and Harry Ramsden’s along the sea front. McDonald’s & Starbucks in the Arndale Centre.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating  The Arndale Centre is 5-10 mins walk from the sea front. It has many high street faves, not many gift shops or beach paraphernalia for sale near the sea front.

reviewed by Kerry T

Pevensey Bay beach, East Sussex

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Pevensey Bay is a narrow and steeply pebbled beach stretching for some way between Eastbourne and Bexhill. This historical fishing village is known as the landing-place for William the Conqueror. The beach is lined with a smattering of holiday cottages, benches and, occasionally, private marinas along its substantial length. There are also opportunities for windsurfing and kayaking.

To be honest there’s not a massive amount of family-friendly attractions here other than the lure of being by the sea itself. Even bathing can present a challenge as the beach shelves steeply into the water, making paddling awkward. rightbeach did see parents and children taking the plunge but close supervision would be advisable.

Having said that it’s within relatively easy reach from Greater London and is a pleasant enough environment to have an ice cream or tuck into some fish and chips while gazing over the water.

rightbeach recommends Pevensey Bay for romantic yet bracing walks along the sea edge or taking the dog for a long run (maybe even combine the two?!) Finish off your chosen walk with fish and chips, shared from the paper wrapping-ahhh!

Beach blurb

See Pevensey Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Park in the main car park (pay and display) – there should be enough space.
  • The fish and chip shop on Eastbourne Road behind the beach (Rose Grill and Fry) serves pretty good fish and chips to take back to munch on the beach, if a bit on the expensive side.
  • It’s fairly exposed and so can get a bit on windy on the beach. Together with the pebble beach making wind breaks impractical, we’d advise setting yourselves up next to one of the breakwaters, in the lee of the prevailing wind.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle rating Pebbles all along and a steep incline down into the sea
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Plenty of space to spread out or stroll along in relative solitude.
Surf Sandcastle rating Deep in the heart of the English Channel so not much in the wave department
Sand Sandcastle rating Stones, pebbles and, if you’re lucky, a bit of shingle.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Free, clean and located in the main car park.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating One smallish pay-and-display close to the beach but there seems to be enough space to deal with demand.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Bit of choice on the main road, plus plenty of pubs with beer gardens close to the beach.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A couple of beach-type shops but their stock was pretty shabby and definitely over priced.

reviewed by The rightbeach Team