There’s much more to the Isle of Wight than sunbathing and the Needles! Susan Taylor discovers excellent walks in the footsteps of Victorian holidaymakers
“RACE YOU TO THE END!” shouted Ro, tapping me on the shoulder as he set off along the wooden boardwalk, and was soon several paces ahead of me.
There’s something about a seaside pier that brings out the inner child in us all and I couldn’t help but chase after him, laughing breathlessly as I was unable to catch up before he reached the end of the pier - and the English Channel.
At 870ft, Sandown’s pier might not be the longest in the world, but it’s quite long enough for an out-of-shape runner like me - I bet the Victorian ladies who came here to promenade and enjoy the bracing sea air were far more decorous!
Pier pressure
They started arriving as soon as the pier opened, in 1879, enjoying its pavilion and taking paddleboat trips from the landing stage. The area was so popular, no fewer than four European monarchs stayed there.
In 2021, we found ourselves following
