In praise of Yaverland

A place which Professor Google knows all about and of which he has lots of pictures. This one, a view looking north from somewhere near the car park, seemed to capture the spirit of the place quite well.

The car park is quite large and was never completely full when we visited, despite the hot and beachworthy weather. It also comes complete with a toilet block (very clean and decent for such a place) and a café which, amongst other offerings, does a fine line in rock cakes, a variety of cake to which I am partial. A clear plus point for the place.

The beach extends in both directions, Yaverland to the north and Sandown going on Shanklin to the south, these last two being a lot more resorty than Yeverland, if a touch decayed. Large, mainly sandy and not completely covered at high tide. At least it was not during the course of our visits, which ran to around every other day for a fortnight. Interestingly eclectic bunch of users: seaside flotsam, serious sun worshippers and serious pie worshippers. Some foreigns. Some people who smoked and a small number who liked radio with their sun. Lots of cute children. Lots of dogs. On some days, too many jet skis. On quite a lot of days, a small guard ship, possibly HMS Tyne, one of Her Majesty's fishery protection vessels.

Swimming very good, sometime with waves large enough for body surfing, although I did not manage much of that this year.

Geology very good too, Yaverland being the eastern extremity of the Isle of Wight spine, where many millions of years are compressed into a few hundred yards of cliff. A well known haunt of fossil hunters which comes complete with its own dinosaur museum (http://www.dinosaurisle.com), a place which we have enjoyed in the past but of which I can find no record. And if that is not enough for a rainy day, there is also the tiger refuge which, inter alia, takes in the unwanted tigers of celebrities (http://www.isleofwightzoo.com).

And then, for history lovers, there is the mid 12th century church of St. John the Baptist, tucked behind and originally built as the private chapel for the very historical but very private Yaverland manor house. A church sporting no less than two well preserved Norman arches and one large Norman cooking pot. Interesting Victorian altar piece behind the altar, decorated with a mixture of lushly sculpted and mosaic saints etc. Some of the mosaic being touched up with paint, rather in the way of stained glass. Some handsome flowers, perhaps the business of the lady of the manor. We were also offered the services of a lady flautist who is to be found at http://www.iowflute.com/, perhaps not the lady of the manor, just the hired help.

And last but not least there are the Fort Spinney holiday chalets right behind the car park. A place where, in decent weather, one could have a good holiday without a car.