How to spend a weekend on the Isle of Wight

Package all that’s wonderful — and quite frankly quirky — about England, set it adrift in the English Channel, and you’ll end up with the Isle of Wight. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it’s the UK’s largest island and a microcosm of its heritage — all thatched cottages, centuries-old pubs and undulating landscapes. Some of the Victorian era’s most influential figures came here to relax and be inspired, and while remnants of their time here remain, the island is hardly preserved in aspic. Today, award-winning distilleries, cool hotels and Michelin-recommended restaurants abound, along with a thriving festival scene.

The only way there is by boat, so you’re forced to slow down immediately, setting your watch to ‘island time’. Make the most of its sunny disposition in summer or come during shoulder season for the walking festivals in May and October, when the beaches are quieter, too.

Where are the best places to discover the island’s quirks?

Known to the ancient Romans as ‘Vectis’, the island appears in the 11th-century Domesday Book as the ‘Isle of Wit’ — a splendid moniker for a place Queen Victoria would later make her home. Her royal residence, Osborne House, was built in the style of an Italianate palazzo, and is full of 19th-century whimsy. Pay a visit to the Indian-style Durbar Room, an extravagant banqueting hall decorated with intricate plasterwork and pendant lamps.

Actors frequently appear in role here, so you may well spot Victoria or Albert gliding down a quiet corridor. You might also spot a member of the island’s thriving red squirrel population in the groves leading to Osborne’s private beach. To improve your chances, spend a few hours at Parkhurst Forest, an ancient wildlife haven near Newport.

Further west lie Yarmouth and the neighbouring village of Freshwater, where Alfred Lord Tennyson once said the air was worth ‘sixpence a pint’. The poet laureate (1853-1892) spent many years at nearby Farringford House, a gothic manor surrounded by ornamental gardens. A keen walker, he was known for cutting a dash in his distinctive black cloak over the westerly downs, where you’ll find hiking trails and a grand monument named in his honour. Otherwise, explore the historical and contemporary exhibitions on show at Dimbola Museum and Galleries — once home to pioneering Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Along with Tennyson and Lewis Carroll, she was a member of ‘The Freshwater Circle’, a group of bohemian artists and writers who gathered in this coastal corner to discuss their work.

Where should I stay on the island?

West Wight, with its postcard-perfect Needles — a series of three soaring chalk stacks — is ideal for nature-lovers. Overlooking the pebble beach at Freshwater Bay, the newly renovated Albion Hotel has elegant rooms with sage-green interiors and Victorian-style furnishings. Call in for drinks at the nearby Travelling Tavern, a repurposed double-decker bus known for attracting a local crowd. Otherwise, stay in one of the three cosy rooms at family-run Bay Boutique Bed and Breakfast, popping down for their fabulous full English come morning.

What about local produce?

The Isle of Wight has a balmy microclimate with more hours of sunshine than the UK average, perfect for the island’s growers. At The Garlic Farm, you can pick up deli items and try unusual dishes like chocolate and black garlic ice cream (it isn’t as pungent as it sounds), watching as red squirrels nibble hazelnuts from feeder boxes. And on the outskirts of Ryde, there’s the award-winning Mermaid Gin distillery, the product of which can be sampled at the adjoining Mermaid Bar. The distillery gets its citrus zest from Ventnor Botanic Garden, whose sunny location on the Undercliff allows fruits, flowers and herbs from across the globe to grow outdoors.