Treasured island
It takes less than an hour to reach the Isle of Wight from the English mainland, but as you emerge from the ferry you travel back half a century. Long a favourite holiday destination for Brits, this diamond-shaped island in the Solent – some 23 miles across by 13 north to south – is a place of gentle, sedate charms; almost determinedly old-fashioned.
Closely resembling England’s south coast, the Isle of Wight has the cheerful beach resorts, quaint villages, fossil-studded cliffs, chalky downs and dramatic seascapes – but all on a miniature scale. Its unspoilt charm was officially recognised in June 2019 when the island was crowned a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: one of the world’s best places for managed landscapes, where
