The ‘unspoilt’ island with one of the sunniest villages in the UK

AS we cruise past bobbing sailboats into port, I see why Queen Victoria once declared “it is impossible to imagine a prettier spot” than the Isle of Wight.

My cockapoo Eddie is equally enthralled by the sight of unspoilt countryside and beaches, sticking his head through the ferry railing.

3

3

We are among the thousands of British couples who got a dog during lockdown — and with the cost of a weekend in kennels more than a budget flight to Spain, pooch-friendly staycations are all the rage.

Thankfully, the island is a haven for hounds and their humans.

We drive off the ferry and make the short hop across the Medina estuary via the Floating Bridge to Cowes, the first stop on our whistlestop weekend tour.

Famed for its sailing regatta — the world’s oldest and biggest — it’s popular with yachty types.

And the quaint high street, still sporting its Coronation bunting, is full of artisan eateries, maritime-themed pubs and independent shops sell-ing everything from fine art to vintage Lego.

Pat and a biscuit

We eat brunch at Jolliffes, an art nouveau-inspired cafe where the decor pays homage to the 1853 building’s history as a shoe shop, before strolling to the Victorian esplanade where locals sit in deck chairs on the shingle beach.

Tempting as it is to stop for a paddle, we get back in the car and head west to The Needles, the Isle of Wight’s most famed landmark.

While having the dog means we swerve the perilous-looking chair-lift and walk down to Alum Bay to admire the sight from afar, boat trips offer up-close views of the famed chalk stacks and lighthouse.

There’s lots to do on land, too, with dinosaur-themed crazy golf, glass-blowing, sweet-making and a traditional carousel among family-friendly attractions.

En route to our hotel on the south-east coast, we visit the Garlic Farm.

TV chef James Martin reckons the island has the world’s best garlic and this idyllic spot offers farm tours, a shop stocking everything from chutneys to garlic beer and an award-winning restaurant with, yep, a garlic-inspired menu.

Having overdone it at brunch we try “lite bites” including garlic hummus and pitta, and pan-fried garlic mushrooms, all washed down with Isle of Wight lager.

After another scenic 20-minute drive, we reach picture-postcard village Shanklin, ranked one of the UK’s sunniest places.

Thatched cottages and cosy tea rooms give it an olde-worlde feel, and it’s home to the island’s oldest visitor attraction Shanklin Chine — a tree-lined gorge with waterfalls which winds down to a sandy beach.

Perched above on the sand-stone cliff is Luccombe Hall — winner of Best Hotel Experience on the Isle of Wight — and its sister hotel Luccombe Manor, the more dog-friendly of the two, run by the same family.

Both have heated outdoor pools, while most sea-facing rooms in Luccombe Hall have balconies, or gardens with hot tubs, where you can relax with a local Mermaid G&T and watch the boats.

Luccombe Manor’s welcoming of dogs — who have their own warm shower at the entrance to wash down sandy paws — is typical of the island.

Everywhere we go, Eddie is welcomed with a pat and a biscuit — and while some beaches ban dogs in summer, there are plenty where they’re allowed to roam year round.

We soon realise a weekend is nowhere near enough time to appreciate all this friendly, laid-back little island offers, but it gives us a taste of why it was such a cherished royal bolthole.

En route back to the ferry we stop at Victoria and Albert’s holiday home Osborne House, a mid-19th century Italian palazzo-style palace.

Now owned by English Heritage, tourists can admire the Durbar Room designed by Rudyard Kip-ling’s dad and master carver Bhai Ram Singh for state banquets.

Its Indian-style plasterwork is spectacular.

The royals’ private rooms are also open to visitors — including the one where Victoria died in 1901, aged 81, as well as the private beach where the couple’s nine children learned to swim.

Setting sail back to the main-land, the Solent glistening in the evening sun, I find myself, like Victoria, planning our next visit.

3