Bembridge
Is situated on the East of the Isle of Wight and was awarded Village of the Year in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2019 as well as being the largest village in England!
It boasts a popular destination for sailing, along with its sandy and rugged coastlines, rock pools and stunning panoramic views out to sea. Perfect for an evening summer’s coastal walk. Bembridge also has three popular beaches, a harbour and its own airport.
The three beaches; Bembridge Beach, Lane End and the Ledge are very popular for exploring the coastlines and taking in the fresh sea breeze. These are some of the best on the Isle of Wight to go rock pooling. Grab a crabbing line, and a bucket, and you can spend hours finding all sorts of sea creatures, from shrimps to lobsters! All the beaches in Bembridge are dog friendly too so they are perfect to visit with the whole family.
Please find the tide table for Bembridge here.
Bembridge Harbour is at the heart of a Special Area of Conservation, as well as being a thriving and active home to 2 yacht clubs, an angling club, a small commercial fishing fleet and a number of marine businesses.
Bembridge Windmill
The Bembridge Windmill is the only surviving windmill on the Isle of Wight! As part of the National Trust, this little gem is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the island’s most iconic landmarks. Built around 1700, it last operated in 1913 but still has most of its original machinery intact. The Windmill is open to visitors from April – September, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10:30am – 17:00pm. You can go inside to learn about how the windmill operated. Take a stroll around the surrounding countryside and along the Culver Trail where you will discover a stunning coastal walk across the Downs.
Bembridge is home to the all-weather Lifeboat named Alfred Albert Williams and, the inshore Lifeboat, Norman Harvey. The all-weather boat is situated in the new offshore boat house at the end of the pier. This was built in 2009 in order to house the new Tamar class Lifeboat. The station and RNLI shop are open to visitors from 2pm – 4pm during the week, and 11am – 4pm at the weekend. During your visit to the Lifeboat station you will learn about the history from 1867, when Bembridge Lifeboat was first established, through to now. There are educational activities inside for the children to take part in. During the summer you can watch the crew launch the boat(s) for practice night which commences most Tuesday’s at around 7pm. In August there is a Bembridge Lifeboat open day to raise money for the RNLI. The open day consists of water safety demonstrations, stalls, games and a launch of both lifeboats for a planned rescue so that you get to see the crew in action. Sometimes the Coastguard helicopter even makes an appearance!
Walking Routes in Bembridge
If you’re looking to explore the sights around Bembridge, there are plenty of walks to choose from. There are many footpaths and bridleways in the area, offering a variety of walks, across farmland, over the downs, and through woodland.
The Culver Trail walk takes approximately 1.5 – 2 hours to complete and takes you to the downs of Culver cliffs with panoramic views across the bay. Why not also stop off at The Culver Haven Inn for a well deserved drink, spot of home-made cooking or even an Ice cream in the height of summer.
The Isle of Wight Coastal Path runs round the shoreline of both Bembridge & St Helens. Click here for the map.
Guides to other walks in and around Bembridge can be found here.
Sallys Riding School
Sally’s Riding School caters for all riders from absolute beginners through to established riders. Their aim is to provide a safe riding environment, so riders can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and surroundings. Sally’s Riding School is located at their Bembridge stables from September to May, and you will find them at Nodes Point during the summer.
Tackt-Isle Adventures
If you’re looking for a place to go for an action-packed adventure then Tackt-Isle Adventures is the place for you and the family. Tackt-Isle is situated in St Helens, just a short distance away from Bembridge beach. They offer water sports such as sailing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and windsurfing. Don’t worry if you don’t have much experience with watersports because they have all the kit, skills and experience to help you!
Bembridge is a very popular destination for sailing.
Bembridge Heritage Centre
The Bembridge Heritage Centre has recently moved to a new location. You will now find them in Weaver’s Yard, Lane End. The centre is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 3pm. The centre is run by volunteers with a passion for Bembridge. It is free to enter and you will learn a lot about Bembridge and its history during your visit.
Eating Out in Bembridge
At the heart of Bembridge village there are a number of independent shops, cafes and restaurants to choose from. Why not take a trip to Ye Olde Village Inn. A newly refurbished pub situated in Bembridge Old Village since: 1787! You will get a real local feel at the Village Inn, which is what Bembridge is all about. Their motto is ‘Every visitor is a local, and every local is our guest’. The Village Inn is famous for its home cooked food, namely their stone baked pizzas and Sunday roasts, as well as an excellent selection of ales and wines. They pledge to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, including meat from Woodford’s Butchers, which is across the road from the pub, and vegetables from The Farm Shop just 190 yards down the road! Their menu caters for those with special diets, including vegans.
Having experienced this ourselves, the Olde Village Inn is everything you expect from a marvellous village pub! As we entered the pub we received a warm and friendly welcome from the staff, there was a great atmosphere and the seating was well spaced. If you’re looking for a place for a Sunday roast then this hidden gem is for you, you will receive great service with generous portions! And if you are a fan of your homemade yorkies then you won’t want to miss out on these. Highly recommend you visit this pub if you’re visiting or staying in Bembridge.
For a list of restaurants, cafes, bistros and takeaways in Bembridge click here
Travelling Car Free on the Isle of Wight
If you want to have a day exploring the island car-free, then there’s frequent buses in Bembridge to both Ryde and Newport. Click here for the number 8 Southern Vectis timetable to Ryde or Newport.
How to get to Bembridge from ferry ports by car
There are lots of easy ways to get yourself onto the Island. If you’re in your car then you have a choice of car ferries (Wightlink) run from Portsmouth which is your nearest port to Ryde, and Lymington and then you have (Red Funnel) from Southampton which all run frequently. Don’t forget if you book with us you can take advantage of our travel discount.
How to get to Bembridge from ferry ports as foot passengers
You can catch the Wightlink fastcat via Portsmouth to Ryde, then hop on the number 8 bus from Ryde esplanade which will take you through to Bembridge where you can stop off at various bus stops in the village.
You can also catch the Red Jet from Southampton to Cowes where there is a bus that runs from outside the terminal into Newport town where you would catch the number 8 from Newport to Bembridge.
Hovertravel provides the fastest Isle of Wight ferry route across the Solent, and is the world’s only year round passenger hovercraft service. The Hovercraft runs from Southsea to Ryde and takes just 10 minutes! Once you arrive in Ryde you can walk a few minutes along to the bus station, where you can hop on the number 8 bus to get you to Bembridge.
If you would like to come to the Island as a foot passenger then why not experience the breezer bus!
The Needles Breezer is one of the most spectacular bus rides in all of England, an open-top ride with views that will simply take your breath away, with buses running up to every 30 minutes.
The Downs Breezer follows a circular route through pretty countryside, across the tops of the Downs with views out into the English Channel, across the Island and further on towards mainland England.
Our open-top double deck buses with friendly local drivers run every hour from Ryde. Hop on and off anywhere along the route using your rover+breezer ticket which also gives you unlimited travel on all our buses across the Island.
Staying in Bembridge
Bembridge is home to a wide range of our self catering holiday homes, from Edwardrian apartments to a coastal bungalow just a stone throw away from the beach, which is perfect for older couples. A number of our properties are pet friendly too, which means you can bring your four legged friends on your staycation!
