Welcome TO FRESHWATER

The Western tip of the Isle of Wight is usually referred to as the West Wight, this is because a river separated the tip from the rest of the Island. Now, the river is drained and carefully managed to provide a nature reserve that is just a one mile walk from our site. The West Wight has fewer tourists because it has traditionally been used as a farming area, but this has distinct advantages because it has meant that beaches are (generally) quieter and the countryside less developed on. Before you start to think that there is nothing but open fields, nature reserves and quiet beaches, read on! Alum Bay is as far west as you can get (about 5 miles from our site) and is world famous (again) for the natural coloured cliffs, the lighthouse and 'stacks' - called The Needles. Alum Bay has a chair lift down to the beach, a fun fair amusement park.

Compton is a beautiful beach, and has been featured on the Oscar winning film Her Majesty: Mrs Brown as well as being a site of great importance to natural history! In fact, some dinosaur remains have actually only been found here, literally making the Isle of Wight a "Dinosaur Isle" as the BBC recently dubbed it!

Compton is around one a half miles away by foot, and really is one of the most spectacular beaches you will find in Britain. It has also received the European Standard for safety and cleanliness.

This is a view from Compton Bay looking towards Freshwater Bay, a quiet cove complete with rock-pools and caves (not forgetting the ice cream shop of course!) and is only 1 mile from our site. Some of you may recognise this scene from the Oscar winning Her Majesty: Mrs. Brown as being where the bare-bottomed Billy Connelly ran into the sea! (Much of this film was made on the Island)

Yarmouth is historic town based around the harbour, it is a pretty town with several cafes and interesting / unusual shops to be found! The fact that it has a castle, part of a nature reserve and some of the nicest pubs and restaurants in the area is just another advantage for staying in the West Wight for your holiday! It also has one of the three Island car ferry terminals.

The Needles have been used in advertising for many years, and have featured in everything from BBC trailers to car adverts. There are boat tours of this area available from Alum Bay which take you around the famous coloured cliffs and the Needles lighthouse and stacks.