St Helens Village
St Helens lies in a coastal position on the East coast of the Isle of Wight, between the villages of Bembridge and Seaview.
One of the defining features of St Helens is its village greens which form the centre of the village and are rumoured to be amongst the largest in England.
It also offers excellent views over the busy harbour of Bembridge.
St Helens’ village greens are an integral part of village life with regular sports being played here throughout the year, and a good sized children’s play area.
There are regular fishing charters running from the nearby Bembridge Harbour, and the marina is located just outside of the village.
At the opposite end of the village the road runs down to St Helens’ Duver which sits at the mouth of Bembridge Harbour.
Here you can explore the ruins of the old St Helens church which was destroyed by a large wave in the 18th Century.
This is also the location of the popular St Helens beach, which is maintained by The National Trust.
The sand dunes here once formed the Isle of Wight’s first golf course.
On the outskirts of St Helen’s you will find the new St Helens church, which sits on the outskirt of the small village of Nettlestone.
Despite being a small village St Helens has some great places to eat.
There are a couple of popular restaurants and cafes, one of which sits beach-side down at the Duver.
In the centre of the village there is a pub, with various other pubs and eateries nearby if you are looking for traditional English food.
Frequent buses link the East Wight with both Ryde and Newport.
Ryde Town
Ryde is the largest town on the Isle of Wight, and with its prominent position along the seafront and hovercraft and passenger ferry links it is little wonder it is often referred to as “The Gateway to the Island”.
In addition to an expanse of sandy beaches which stretch right along the town, Ryde has a great selection of boutique shops, museums and galleries for you to visit along with lots of other things to see and do along its esplanade.
Ryde offers a great variety of things to do which will interest all ages, not least of which are the hovercraft and catamaran ferry from which you can travel to and from the mainland.
Hovertravel are the world’s oldest hovercraft operator and operate the last remaining hovercraft passenger service in Britain, whereas a trip on the Wightlink catamaran service will take you down Ryde’s recently restored early 19th century pier, which carries both vehicle traffic and train services.
Head along Ryde esplanade and you will encounter a number of great places for family entertainment, including the Superbowl and LaserQuest.
Further along there is a fun fair for young children and a very popular canoe lake which leads on to Ryde’s sandy beaches.
At low tide the sea goes out a long way making it a popular place for sports and outdoor activities, and a regular venue for beach soccer tournaments.