Find things to see and do, and places to stay, in England.

England

iSurf is a mobile surf school, so they can move to where the surf is best. 
They cater for families with children aged 8 and over for both stand-up paddleboarding and surfing lessons.

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Surfing and SUPs with iSurf

The **Isle of Wight** isn't that far from Portsmouth or Southampton. The hovercraft that runs between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight claims it only takes ten minutes.
We were <Link href="/travel/exploring-the-isle-of-wight/">very impressed with the island when we visited</Link>. There's quite a lot for the family to do in a relatively small area. It's definitely somewhere we'll be going back to. <Link href="/travel/exploring-the-isle-of-wight/">Click here to see where we visited</Link>.
Click the '*Narrow down results*' button to find what you are after and click the Save heart next to each item to add it to your <Link href="/adventure-planner/">*Adventure Planner*</Link>.

The Isle of Wight isn't that far from Portsmouth or Southampton. The hovercraft that runs between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight claims it only takes ten minutes.
We were <a href="https://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/travel/exploring-the-isle-of-wight/">very impressed with the island when we visited</a>. There's quite a lot for the family to do in a relatively small area. It's definitely somewhere we'll be going back to. <a href="https://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/travel/exploring-the-isle-of-wight/">Click here to see where we visited</a>.
Click the 'Narrow down results' button to find what you are after and click the Save heart next to each item to add it to your <a href="https://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/adventure-planner/">Adventure Planner</a>.

Isle of Wight

This is a walk up from the Needles Pleasure Park in Alum Bay, Isle of Wight, to the headland where the famous Needles are. 
Although the walk goes up a hill and might look far from the car park, it's doesn't take too long and is a fairly easy walk. 

Note that the path runs next to the cliff edge, so keep an eye on the kids. 

At the top of the headland, there are some old gun batteries. One is now looked after the National Trust, where you can explore and look out at the Needles. 
As you walk over the headland to the south side of the hill, you'll see an old concrete structure. At first, I thought this was part of the WW2 defences, but it was actually where they tested rockets. Our very own Cape Canaveral!

The Needles Headland Walk

The Needles is a famous landmark of the Isle of Wight and a distinctive edge of the western end of the island.
The Needles Landmark Attraction has a number of activities for the kids, such as crazy golf, or watching the glass blowing. However, it's the chair lift that goes down to the beach, with stunning views of the Needles as you go over the edge of the cliff.

The Needles Landmark Attraction

Take a cruise around the famous Needles on the Isle of Wight. 
You can take a normal boat, or zip around in the fast jet boat.

In the fast boat you get to experience the Needles from both sides, and of course, have great fun zipping over the waves. 

If you want to learn more about the Needles, then the slower boat has commentary. The slower cruise includes:

    - Live commentary
    - Panoramic Views of the Coloured Sands of Alum Bay
    - Victorian Fort beneath the Needles Battery
    - Shipwrecks of the area
    - Views of the surrounding Dorset & Hampshire Coastline
    - Sea Bird Life
    - Needles Rocks & Lighthouse
    - Dramatic 400 foot high chalk cliffs
    - Progression of coastal erosion form caves to stacks
    - Discover the origin of the “Needles”
    - Views of Hurst Castle and Fort Albert

The Needles Pleasure Cruises

The Needles Old Battery is a Victorian coastal defence right on the headland that overlooks the famous Needles on the Isle of Wight.
It was originally built to deter the French from invading, and it guards one of the entrances to the Solent.

A short walk from the Old Battery is the 'new battery' or where they tested rockets in the 1950s. 

Note that there is no parking at this location, but you can park at the bottom of the hill at the Needles Pleasure Park. A parking fee applies.

The Needles Old Battery

Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight has had a mixed past. It's was a prison that kept Charles I during the Civil War, a somewhere for royalty to stay during the summer, and an artillery fortress in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The castle is on a hilltop, and the first fort was built around 1000 years ago, probably to escape raids from Vikings.
Now the castle is one of English Heritage's top ten family attractions, as voted for by visitors.
There are plenty of castle ruins to explore, as well as visiting the castle's donkeys.
If the kids still have plenty of energy, there are 71 steps to climb around the remains of the 14th Century motte and keep.
Visit the English Heritage website to see if there's a family event on at the castle.

Carisbrooke Castle

This is the summit of St Catherine's Hill, which is part of the Isle of Wight 3 Peaks Hiking Challenge

St Catherine's Hill

Each yurt sleeps 6 and comes with an ensuite toilet and shower, a cooking area, and a woodburning stove.
There is no wifi or TV in the yurt, but there are electricity and hot water.

Kids Love Yurts

Monkey Haven, on the Isle of Wight, is an award-winning primate rescue centre. 
They specialise in taking on primates (and a few other animals) that have been rescued from the illegal pet trade, street pedlars, or from other zoos, where for whatever reason, the monkey was being bullied by the others. These are all monkeys that cannot be rehabilitated into the wild, and so Monkey Haven creates a home for them.

Monkey Haven

Like all Camping Unplugged sites, White Meadow is committed to family camping in open country with campfires, dogs and of course children. We don’t have set pitches or electrical hook-ups and are tents only. No motor homes or caravans, though we do accept small VW type vans. 

White meadow is a broad meadow just about a kilometre from the Lepe Country Park and the beaches of the Solent, looking across to the Isle of Wight. Set on the Cadland Estate it has woods along the edges and has a small amount of woodland camping, but mainly offers open field camping. 

There are woods, beaches and footpaths to explore within easy walking. Tablets and smartphones are forgotten and you will sit grubby and happy around a campfire eating muscles collected on the seashore cooked in the very old fashioned way. White Meadow is the place childhood memories are made.

White Meadow Campsite

This is the summit of Appuldurcombe Down, which is part of the Isle of Wight 3 Peaks Hiking Challenge

Surfing and SUPs with iSurf

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