A couple of years ago, Red Funnel introduced a 15% discount on the car ferry for Isle of Wight residents. We thought that the offer might be ending, as it said for a long time that it was expiring at the end of 2024. However, celebrations and public hugging are due since its been extended until 31 December 2025. To get the deal, you need to book via this page. What if I'm not an Isle of Wight Resident?Fear not, frugal traveller - there are plenty of other deals for visitors coming to the Isle of Wight to sit on the beach or visit Aunt Maude in Bembridge. Some of our favourites include:
For more of this sort of thing, see our guide to discount Isle of Wight ferry travel. Is Red Funnel's 15% off deal the best offer for Isle of Wight Residents?The short answer to that question is "sometimes", but not certainly always. It's a nice simple discount that ensures that you should never have to pay full price for the Isle of Wight ferry if you're an Isle of Wight resident.
If you are travelling to the mainland three times a year or more then I would weigh up the pros and cons of either Red Funnel's Travelcard or Wightlink's Multilink deal. The Travelcard is a pre-pay card that gives you about 23% if you combine it with Red Funnel's loyalty scheme. Wightlink's Multilink deal gives you fixed price return journeys for about £75 or less, but with a few caveats (there are a limited number of cheap spaces on each crossing, you have to pay upfront for five crossings and they expire after 12 months). You can read a detailed guide to the pros and cons of Multilink here. I would also check our discount ferries guide, as Red Funnel discounts of 20% - 25% are fairly common, particularly outside of peak season. These turn up in the back of magazines, usually next to an advert for a walk in shower. It's also worth keeping hold of the Big Book of Savings, which is sent to Islanders five times a year. Sign up for Red Funnel's mailing list as well - their best offer of the year in 2024 was a 50% off discount code that arrived as a part of a 12 Days of Christmas promotion for their mailing list.
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At the time of writing, Robin Hill is closed, with plans to re-open in April 2025. You might like to read our blog about why it closed. You can also read about alternative days out for families on the Isle of Wight. Otherwise, please read on for our history of Robin Hill. A few months ago we put together a timeline of Blackgang Chine, which is so long that it has been added to some undergraduate reading lists. And so, it would be remiss of us to not also embark on a history of Robin Hill Country Park. Robin Hill may lack the sea views and perilous erosion of Blackgang Chine but it holds a special place in my heart and it has some curious stories to tell. As much discussed in this blog, I worked at Robin Hill for four summers (including the early Bestival years) and then returned in the last decade, where it became a favourite of my young children. The story of Robin Hill can roughly be split into two halves. For the first half of its life it combined dozens of animals with moderately risky games and activities. In the second half of its life, the animals vanished (we shall explain why later) and the play became safer, with professionally run rides and outstanding events. Most people over the age of about 50 will tell you that the early years were the golden years. Those of us who bounced through the woods and danced to Fatboy Slim in the lower valley will make a good case for the later years. A word of warning before we begin. This timeline is ridiculously detailed. If you only have a passing interest in Robin Hill then you are best to back away and read something a little shorter. Anyway, let's get on with the timeline. 1906A row of trees are planted. Yes, our first entry in the Robin Hill timeline is not the most thrilling but bear with me. The trees in question are a row of Corsican Pines that make up the Corsican Pine Walk. It later becomes an attractive route leading to the barbecues held at Robin Hill in the 1970s. The trees are significant because they later give a couple of brothers an idea to create a country park. 1910We won't waffle on too much about Robin Hill's history before it opened as a country park, but this bit is relevant. Much of Robin Hill sits on Combley Farm, which had been owned by the Fleming family since 1609. In 1910, excavation work starts at Combley Villa, which is the now-covered-up Roman Villa at Robin Hill. Apparently, the family had known about the Roman Villa for some time, but picked up tools and started digging enthusiastically in 1910. It wasn't exactly done with precision, according to Ida Willis Fleming, who was the daughter of the landowner: "In 1910, my father, with old William Salmon the estate bailiff in charge, and several men armed with spades and picks, started to work uncovering it. Soon a deputation of experts arrived from London, who knew we had a villa. They protested, and beseeched Dad to let them handle it in an expert fashion; they wept at the sight of old William and his pick. But no, Dad would have none of it and told them to go away." Dads, eh? 1967Some of Combley Farm along with part of Downend Brickyard is sectioned off by the Willis-Fleming family to form a new country park. Two brothers were particularly keen on the idea and thought it would be a good way to use the trees that had been attractively planted. Records from 1956 show the Willis-Fleming family owned 378 acres, so my assumption is that Robin Hill took up about a quarter of their estate. From a mix of the official family website and County Press reports, I am fairly sure this was John Valentine 'Roo' Willis Fleming, who was born in 1925 and died in 2009 and Robert Noel Willis Fleming, who was born in 1927 and died in 1996. These two gentlemen can then be called the founders of Robin Hill. The County Press reports that it took them "two years to remove the bramble, bracken, and fallen trees to create a nature trail". An early brochure gives a more detailed re-telling of the two year project: "In 1967, four courageous and perhaps foolhardy people decided that the area, now known as Robin Hill, should be opened up for the enjoyment of the public. This hitherto secluded valley, with its magnificent views and abundance of natural history and historical features, could remain hidden no longer. Undeterred by neck high brambles and bracken, saplings and fallen trees which had been allowed to smother the area over a period of thirty years, they plunged into their work and columns of smoke from their bonfires were the feature of Downend for two long years." I'm not who the other two people mentioned in this summary are. The same document also explains the name: "Why Robin Hill? While they laboured on the steep hillside there was always a robin in attendance as if to cheer them, on." 1968Whilst the Willis-Fleming brothers continue clearing the site, a second attempt at digging up the Roman Villa begins, led by LR Fennelly. Some reports say this dig lasted until 1970, others says it lasted until 1975, 1976 or 1979 (I think the latest date was actually a new bit of excavation). Let's not lose any sleep over it. Fennelly's dig appears to be more professional, but I assume that the 1910 efforts didn't help them as they had to figure out what damage was Roman and what was the result of enthusiastic men with pickaxes. I've seen a photo dated as 1974 that appears to show the Roman Villa still on display (and with a goat walking across it) so I think you could certainly see it for a few years before it was covered up. I'm still figuring out the exact year it was covered. According to Heritage Gateway, the villa at Robin Hill includes a "bath-house and an aisled building linked by a corridor and comprising 45m. of the north side of a courtyard. A dolphin mosaic floor was found in the bath-house, but few finds were made on the site, these consisted of six coins dated 250-350 and a very worn Hadrianic Sestercius." (i.e. an old coin). 1969Robin Hill opens! It originally opens as a nature trail but you would be hard pressed to call it a country park at this point. This may explain why an official brochure from 1983/4 says it opened in 1970. I suspect they are referring to the date that it became an actual country park rather than a more basic nature trail. It was in this year that a company was set up called Downend Enterprises Ltd to operate the park. There is barely any mention online of Downend Enterprises Ltd, but the name does appear on a guide to "Robin Hill: The Isle of Wight Country Park and A Guide To Places of Historical Interest". Some more recent news reports say that Robin Hill opened in 1971 but that appears to be well off. If you need further evidence, there is an early brochure shows the entry price as 2s 6d for adults or 1s 0d for children. Decimalisation was in February 1971 so it must have been prior to that date. I've also seen a guide book on Facebook which has 1969 written in pencil on it. Another bit of confusing history that comes up a few times in this guide is Robin Hill's name. Is it an adventure park, a country park or a zoo or a park and gardens? A guide from 1983/4 claims it was originally called Robin Hill Zoological and Adventure Park, and then changed to Robin Hill Country Park. However, I'm yet to see any early use of the 'Zoological and Adventure Park' title in adverts from the 1970s. In fact, it was used more in the late 1980s. As we shall see, the name keeps changing over the years as owners come up with different ideas for the park. 1970An undated map, which appears to be from 1970 uses the name Robin Hill and shows a simple layout with:
Animals mentioned in this early guide include cattle, sheep, bantams, ducks and geese. It also names different parks of the park as Primrose Spring, Fir Avenue, Saltmoor Copse, Clamerkin Stream and Bennetts Rock. Not a thrilling day out then, but it was a simpler time... We haven't pinned down exact years that everything happened but a guidebook from 1983 (or possibly 1984) says that in the early years, they began by introducing more animals and the commando style assault course. 1971An advert from 1971 invites you to 'share a dream for a day' at Robin Hill, The Isle of Wight Country Park. It claims to be 60 acres (rather than the usual 88 acres) and has 'walks, wild flowers, birds, friendly farm animals, colourful pheasants, bantams, duck and geese'. There's also a 'tiny tots play area, young commando course (and) sports area'. Entry is 15p for adults or 10p for children. 1972By 1972, the park is advertised as being 80 acres including a bluebell woods. You are invited to 'meet Violet, our gorgeous Clydesdale' horse. 1973Live and Let Die and Nightmare Park are both released in cinemas. Why is this of relevance? The snakes used the films come to live at Robin Hill shortly afterwards, with the park becoming more adventurous in the type of animals it housed. We don't know exactly when the park shifted from farm animals to exotic animals but my best guess is around 1973-1975. 100,000 people visit Robin Hill throughout the year, including 60,000 adults (according to an article from 1974). 1974An application is submitted to create a 'beer garden' at Robin Hill. Not a thrilling update, but I'm something of a completist and found this in the County Press archives. 1976An advert for Robin Hill Country Park, apparently from 1976, says it has 'over 100 varieties of mammals, reptiles, insects and birds. Assault course, Tropical Jungle House, walk thro' enclosures with friendly and unusual animals, Roman Villa excavations, picnic gardens and barbecues...' as well as 'Pony rides at high season'. The park's phone number is 430. I just tried it now but no-one was around to take my booking for the barbecue. It also advertises barbecues from July to mid September. Meanwhile, a newspaper advert from 1976 gives a (rather dated) description of the attractions: "more rugged action men can have a great, time on the Commando Assault Course. Designed to present a challenge for the youngsters this gigantic complex includes pulley hoists, rope walks, climbing towers and numerous ether obstacles. For the Junior Commandos (and anxious mums) there is a scaled down version constructed in the style of a rugged Wild West Fort. Radio controlled boats next to the Rondaval gift shop, the putting green and Donkey rides (pony treks too) add up to a full day's enjoyment". So, we aren't exactly sure when the commando assault course first appeared, but it was certainly in place by 1976. Early brochures say it has a 'twin-lane aerial wizzer', which I assume is what they called two zip lines back in the day. My guess is that the assault was gradually built and extended in the first half of the 1970s. The logo changed from a robin to a different bird as the park shifted towards more exotic animals (I'm sure someone can identify it for me). Season tickets are offered for £2.50 for adults or £1.50 for children. Single entry is 45p for adults or 25p for children. 1977A 'children's fort playground' was constructed in this year, according to an official guide from the 1980s. This doesn't make much sense, as it is also mentioned in an advert from 1976. Competitions are held on the assault course between different groups of men. In another thrilling highlight, whippet racing is held at Robin Hill The Queen's Gurkha Rifles visit the park as part of her Silver Jubilee. A two foot long porcupine called Portia escapes from the park, leading to a front page newspaper appeal. 1978The woodland gardens start to take shape at Robin Hill. They are designed to 'provide relaxation for the less energetic' according to a 1980s brochure. At this stage, different paths in the woodland have names. I'm pretty sure this was dropped by the time I worked at Robin Hill. 1979There are further excavations of Combley Villa at Robin Hill, as recorded in a document from the University of Southampton's Archaeology Department. It's not a thrilling read, but it says they studied three 'Dressel 20 bodysherds'. In other words, they found three chunks of a ceramic pot. 1980Robin Hill hosts its first Isle of Wight Midsummer Country Fair with demonstrations of 'local crafts and skills'. It becomes a big event and raises more than £3000 a year for local charities as well as attracting thousands of people. 1981Foot-and-mouth is found on the Island, leading to fears for the animals at Robin Hill. The Midsummer Country Fair returns with an entry price of £1 for adults or 60p for children. 1982A Regiment of the Gurkhas cancels its annual tradition of visiting Robin Hill to show off their marching skills because of the Falklands War. They had put on a show every year since their appearance in 1977. More than 200,000 people visit Robin Hill throughout the year, according to a County Press article. 1983The park begins a 'major conservation project concerning tortoises and turtles' according to a 1983 brochure. Highlights include cockatoos performing tricks in a 'Parrot Playschool'. A pair of Falabella miniature horses also arrive. The Isle of Wight County Press runs a feature with keeper Dave Couch, who is clutching a bird of prey called Rebel. In a major development, Robin Hill launches Freerider Land (sometimes two words, sometimes one word). This is a play area including 'bronco bikes, grass sledges, BMX bikes and Octopod rides' A map from 1983 shows attractions including:
as well as animal attractions including
The brochure also shows off some of the other resident animals at Robin Hill including coyotes and dingos, deer, llamas, otters, fruit bats, iguana, red legged tarantula, a 33 foot long python, owls, highland cattle, goats, porcupine, ostrich, armadillo, raccoons, peacocks, eagles, arctic foxes, cobras. Events throughout the year include whippet racing on Sundays, showjumping, dog shows, MG car clubs and a traction engine steam up. Adverts refer to the park as Robin Hill Zoological and Adventure Park. The owners of Robin Hill buy the lease for the Hare and Hounds pub from Berts Brewery of Ventnor. The pub had been bought from the same family in 1927, so they were really just buying it back. A news report from October says that 'Mrs. Barbara Roberts, wife of co-director Mr. John Roberts, said they liked to introduce new attractions to the park every year and for the coming season were working on a boating lake and extending the Freeriderland where children can ride BMX bicycles and grass sledges'. I'm not 100% sure that the boating lake arrived in 1983, but it seems likely. 1984A goat called Billy makes the front page of the County Press, because he wears plaster casts to correct a problem with his knees. Big news, eh? 1985We've got a map we can share from this era. Thanks to Joanne for letting us have this photo of her map of Robin Hill from the mid 1980s. We think it's 1984 or 1985. We know that it's after 1983, as that's when Freeriderland was added. We also know that by 1986, they had added the Hillbilly Slide, which doesn't seem to be on this map. There are a couple of things that aren't mentioned elsewhere including baboons and 'Bennet's Bluff' featuring a 'treasure stone'. The BMX track seems to be a big feature and is being used for competitions by the Isle of Wight BMX club (as well as there being a BMX section at the bottom of the park). Also in 1985, Treasure Hunt films an Isle of Wight episode where Annika Rice lands at Robin Hill. Skip forwards to about 22 minutes (although the whole thing is good for Isle of Wight fans). She runs to the assault course via the zip wires where excited children show her how to climb across. A key moment is at 23:51 when she falls over. 1986The Willis-Fleming family sell off Robin Hill and Combley Farm. As a reminder, the family had portioned off a section of their estate to create Robin Hill in the late 1960s. Reports say one brother plans to move to Cornwall whilst another plans to stay on the Island. The park is sold to a 'consortium of local businessmen' (according to an Isle of Wight County Press article from 1993) for about £450,000 in September. The farm is sold to a different buyer for £350,000. Another article says the group is called Wight Sight. The 'Giant 80 foot hillbilly slide' opens. At the time, it was one wide slide rather than four lanes. The same slide was still in use when we last visited. An advert refers to the park as Robin Hill Zoological and Adventure Park and mentions a number of attractions with a 'little extra charge'. The new ones (i.e. those not mentioned in 1983) include the 'simulated 12 bore rifle range', 'bucking bronco' archery and 'Santa Fe railway'. Some attractions are advertised as being high season only, including the Hillbilly Slide. I'm not really sure how this worked though - did they fence it off? 'Paddle canoes' are also mentioned for the first time and the assault course has changed its name to the Young Commando Assault Course. There's also an 'infant play area' but I'm not entirely sure what that involves (presumably just a set of swings and a see-saw). The park claims to be the 'Island's largest tourist attraction' whilst the Jungle House and Chelonian Gardens claims to have 'one of the finest collections of the world's endangered tortoises and turtles'. Snake handling is also offered. The Midsummer Country Fair is held in June with the Isle of Wight County Press speculating that it may have been a record crowd for the event. The park has about 230,000 visitors in 1986. 1987Some 'veteran cars' are added, or perhaps they just parked in the car park. In January, a news report says that a macaque called Timothy was abandoned by his mother and had to be hand reared at home by an animal keeper at Robin Hill called Alison. In July, evening barbecues return to Robin Hill with live music and entry from £2.50. In the same year, a news report (from BBC South Today I think) shows the parrots at Robin Hill being trained how to ride a bicycle and pretend they've been shot. This is referred to as the Parrot Playschool in official guides. In 1987, some of the large pine trees fell down in a severe storm. I believe these were the ones planted in 1906 (which would explain why it is mostly native trees there now). 1988Robin Hill proposes adding three floodlit dry ski slopes and a ski lodge, measuring 40m, 75m and 120m. The issue causes much controversy with split opinions in the local council. A letter appears in the County Press to defend the plans, written by L.A. Barber, Managing Director of Robin Hill. He was replying to a letter from (wait for it) David Icke, who wasn't keen on the plans. Another letter from a concerned resident of Rookley suggests that the hospital would be overrun by all the injured skiers. Robin Hill replies by saying that last year 'only four people were taken to hospital, none of whom was detained overnight'. The Mid-summer Country Fair at Robin Hill features a donkey derby, which the Isle of Wight County Press reckons is 'an event not seen on the Island for a number of years'. In July, 1200 people visit Robin Hill as part of a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Spanish Armada. A beacon is lit at the site, as part of the Fire Over England event. A report about a new llama says that the park attracts 200,000 people a year. 1989An advert for Robin Hill from 1989 now refers to it as Robin Hill Adventure Park, although I'm not really sure why as the animals were still a huge part of the park. A family season ticket is offered for £12, meaning four people can visit on Saturdays and Sundays all year. 1990Robin Hill's plan for ski slopes rumbles on, with an alternative plan for a toboggan run instead. A local news report suggests that the owners considered adding both, but the local council said there was only really space for one or the other. By the summer, the decision has been made and the toboggan run is built instead of the ski slope. An advert appears in June 1990, for the 'Grand opening of our exhilarating toboggan run' which was known as The Hurricane Run. We reckon this is Robin Hill's best ride by a long way. The Midsummer Fair includes a stuntman called Johnny Carr, who sets fire to himself. It is opened by Lenny Henry's sidekick Winston. It is attended by about 3000 people. Environmental health officers are called in after a woman in her 20s 'suffered a multiple fracture of his knee after landing on matting off the Hillbilly slide and spent much of this week recovering at the Royal IW County Hospital'. The manager of Robin Hill - Mona Wasfy - says 'my own son is up and down that slide like a yo-yo. It's not dangerous'. Robin Hill attracts 180,000 visitors during year, according to the Isle of Wight County Press. 1991In January, a front page County Press story says that 'Zoocheck - a national voluntary network headed by actress Virginia McKenna - has stated that Robin Hill is one of the worst animal establishments it has ever investigated'. It sends a video to Medina Borough Council. Allegations include:
In its defence, the Robin Hill head keeper at the time, Jon Buck, 'strongly denied allegations' and says that 'the park had committed only minor infringements and that these had been swiftly dealt with'. Each of the allegations are responded to in the article, such as saying they are improving security. There is also an argument about which way round the exposed nails were (i.e. the flat end or the pointy end). Meanwhile, a new '15 course American trim course' is added, made from 'storm damaged timber'. It includes 'swings, slides and sit-up benches' and the park manager reckons it takes 12 minutes to complete (or about an hour for me). Robin Hill hosts its 12th summer fair on July 21st 1991 to raise money for the NSPCC. It had previously been held in June to coincide with midsummer's day. I believe this was the last summer fair, which started back in 1980. The event continues into the evening for the first time to 'take advantage of the new illuminations' (Isle of Wight County Press). Paul Seed and Maria Ferguson host their Isle of Wight Radio show from the show whilst giant inflatable sumo wrestlers fight it out and the 'world's first female escapologist' - Gale Gordon - is hung upside down from a tower by a burning rope. It was expected that 12,000 - 14,000 people would attend, although we don't have the actual number that turned up. New animal arrivals bred at the park include 'baby Tamarind monkeys, llamas, fruit bats, prairie marmots and white wallabies'. The Isle of Wight County Press speaks to head keeper Jon Buck and concludes that the breeding programme is a 'sure sign the animals were happy and well cared for' - despite the concerns of Zoocheck earlier in the year. Simon Lloyd-Edwards took over as park manager in this year. 1992A dramatic year for Robin Hill, with a major twist in November that will determine its direction for the next 30 years (Ed: great teaser). In March, the manager of Robin Hill asked the Isle of Wight hunt to keep off the site after hounds ended up running around the BMX track whilst children rode their bikes. In the summer, about 1000 people attend a children's fair at Robin Hill. About six similar fun days are held per year. Crackers the Clown makes an appearance. There is also an 'adopt an animal' scheme at the park. A Clowns Convention and Fancy Dress is held in August featuring 'Save Pickles with That Duck' and magic from Randini (who I saw thirty one years later at The Needles). Children dressed as clowns got in free. Later that month, Robin Hill hosted the Funerama Weekend (still haven't figured out what that is). Attractions listed on an advert from 1992 include:
The entry price is £3.90 for adults or £2.90 for children. Meanwhile, the skeletal remains of a 'wallaby or kangaroo' are found in Whippingham, according to the Isle of Wight County Press. There is speculation it had escaped from Robin Hill but the park says that is impossible as its wallabies are much smaller and none are missing. And then the dramatic news... In November, Robin Hill is given a 'damning report by vets' approved by the Department of Environment which could see it lose its licence to keep animals. Inspectors found - 'a muscovy duck that had been dead for at least a day, parrots in poor condition and thin iguanas...many filthy cages, some infested with mice and cockroaches and others having faulty electrical wiring...unhygienic hospital areas...chickens, cat and caged parakeet in the kitchen, in which there were no hand towels, soap or handbrush...Marmots and coatis..able to get out of their enclosures and several snake vivaria containing faecal material' The report carries on with concerns about a wet ferrets' cage (i.e. a wet cage rather than a wet ferret), not enough shelter in the paddocks and too much food on the floor. Visitors were also 'being put at risk' by a lack of warning signs, slippery steps and so on. In all, 33 faults are found and inspectors say the licence should be revoked. In December, council leaders decide to give Robin Hill until March to fix the problems raised in the inspection. 1993On May 7th 1993, the Isle of Wight County Press reports that the owners of Blackgang Chine have 'clinched' a deal to buy Robin Hill. Reports in the Isle of Wight County Press say that the park is owned by Downend Enterprises Limited and managed by Rachid Bennis, but this doesn't add up as Downend Enterprises Limited sold it in 1986 to the consortium of local business people. Anyway, the handover is planned for October 31st 1993. Rachid Bennis - who is apparently a commodity trader - claims in the report that £80,000 was spent at the park over winter 'to meet council requirements' and 'introduce new features which included a Spaceball and professional style go-karts'. The County Press speculates that he might have been forced out by environmentalists, but he just replies 'It's too late now'. A week earlier, a news report said £40,000 - £60,000 had been spent on improvements over winter, so it's not very clear! Blackgang's owners also plan to purchase the lease for the Hare and Hounds pub, which had been owned by the same people as Robin Hill (the freehold was owned by a Brewery). Simon Dabell confirms that they won't be closing Robin Hill and have been looking for a new site for some time. In mid-May, two Turkmenian eagle owls and eggs are stolen from Robin Hill. One was found 'shocked and badly beaten' in woodland nearby whilst another was found dead in Ryde. The eggs weren't found. Thieves cut through a padlock. Tim Butcher, who is expected to take over as the park manager, confirms in early September that the animals weren't part of the sale so the current owners need to find a home for them. Simon Dabell says they have plans for a small farm corner but it is the end of an era for Robin Hill as it begins its shift from a zoological park to a country park and gardens with rides. The County Press also reports that some of the park's animals, birds and reptiles are being sold by Rachid Bennis. It says that a pet shop manager says the prices were too high, with a macaw apparently being sold for £1500 compared to 'the normal trade price of £500 to £600'. A few weeks later, there is front-page controversy which the Isle of Wight County Press has created uncertainty over whether the deal will go through. There are claims that two tamarins were loaned from 'the Institute of Zoology and Bristol University in about 1985' and says they shouldn't be sold on. A later report says that the police got involved because of allegations that endangered species were being sold illegally. There is another update in the saga a week later, (late September 1993) when Rachid Bennis says that he has 'donated' all of the remaining animals to a zoo in Morocco. It includes more than 200 animals, including 70 birds as well as 'baboons, wallabies, meer cats, lemurs, macaques, servil cats and the endangered cotton top tamarins'. Other minor updates from 1993:
1994Robin Hill has its first season under the ownership of Vectis Ventures Limited. The park manager is Tim Butcher. It launches joint season tickets with Blackgang Chine called the Vectis Ventures Membership Scheme. Adult tickets are £12.50, children are £10.50 (including one free ride on the toboggan run each time you visit and free entry to a fireworks display!). It had been due to open on March 21st but the site became waterlogged and the opening date was put back until early May. A newspaper report also says that 'clearing up and sorting out of the points that failed to meet health and safety regulations was in itself a huge task'. Two newspaper reports from that year include a number of interesting nuggets (well, interesting to me having spent hours sifting through this stuff):
In June an application is approved for 'an unlimited number of gaming machines' at Robin Hill. One councillor seems concerned that Robin Hill will be turned into a casino. Needless to say, Robin Hill didn't become a casino although if it had I would have called it Viva Las Vectis. More than 2500 people attend the succinctly titled Robin Hill Country Park Steam and Traction Engine Extravaganza. I assume it was known as RHCPSATEE by staff. Meanwhile, charity bungee jumping is held over two days in August. Park entry price is dropped by 30% to £2.50 for adults or £1.80 for children. The first ride on the toboggan run is free. In October, there is a bizarre story about a conker championship at the Hare and Hounds, refereed by Simon Dabell. The story goes that two contestants were so drunk that they kept missing each other's conkers. National newspapers picked up on the story (presumably during a slow week). The men later confessed that it was a joke and they weren't really drunk. 1995There is relief in January when a planning application for £400,000 of 'leisure activities' is approved. Vectis Ventures decided to start work on the project before it was approved because they wanted it to be ready for the new season. Another report says the amount spent was £500,000. The attractions added in 1995, according to a County Press article include:
Vectis Ventures puts the Hare and Hounds up for sale for £550,000 in November. They had refurbished it but decided to invest in the parks instead, according to the County Press. Admission to Robin Hill is £2.99 for adults or £1.99 for children. The toboggan run is 50p, whereas previously the first ride was free. Charging for the toboggan run was hot topic of debate when I used to run it. An MG classic cars event is held and other events include a traction engine event. 19961000 Cadbury's Creme Eggs are hidden round Robin Hill for an an Easter Egg hunt. I would imagine one or two still haven't been found. In May, the park's catering manager, Paul Clark leaps into the lake at Robin Hill to find a woman's wallet. She had been walking across the new Troll Island attraction when she dropped cash, credit cards and tickets for a holiday to France. The report says she was leaving for France that evening, but I can't figure out why she wasn't at home packing. Anyway, Paul went home and got his diving gear and found the wallet in half an hour. The Hare and Hounds is sold to a couple from Bembridge called Dave and Janet Hill. 1997A report from the same year says that £120,000 is invested in the park over the winter of 1996/1997 whilst another report reveals another £150,000 being invested during 1997. Plans include: 'Squirrel Town - a set of connecting walkways leading to the treetops. Also planned were a gypsy encampment, large-scale wooden play animals, including 18ft snails, a rabbit run - an underground network of tunnels for children to play in - and the Woodland Temple, a re-creation of Stonehenge created out of large tree trunks'. I assume that Squirrel Town became the Squirrel Tower and linked up with the treetop walkway that had been built a couple of years earlier. A medieval themed strongman competition is held, with the prize being the hand of Maid Marian. Four power lifters from the Fitness Factory in Newport take part. About 3000 people turn up to see it. Other events include a Supercharged Spectacular with supertrucks, parachute displays and fireworks. During the year, 700 joint season tickets are sold, with each person visiting an average of six times. A three and a half tonne rock arrives at Robin Hill as part of a 'recreation of an ancient woodland temple'. Planning permission goes in for a 'cinema attraction', with a budget of £500,000. Admission to the park is £3.50 for adults or £2.50 for children. The toboggan run doubles in price and now costs £1 per ride. 1998New swings and an 'aerial ropeway' are added near to the toboggan run. I think this must be the assault course that was still there in 2023. Eight young people are recruited as 'advisers' to Vectis Ventures. About 50 applicants were asked to write 100 words on why they should be selected to give tips on improving Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine, in exchange for free season tickets. The ideas in the County Press article include 'Star Wars' characters whilst a 10 year old called Sarah said she was 'particularly interested in safety issues'. A 'country skills' day attracts a crowd of 2500 people, which includes the carving of an Owl and the Pussycat artwork. Other events include an MG car meeting and a country and western weekend. A 1998 advert uses the slogan 'If you've got a day to fill, then come to Robin Hill', and lists the following attractions:
Helicopter flights are offered for £15 per person over the Easter weekend. Admission is £3.95 for adults or £2.95 for children whilst the toboggan is £1. 1999In April, the Time Machine opens at Robin Hill, near to the main entrance. It is a 4D motion cinema with 28 seats that move in time with the video. From what I recall (having run it a few hundred times), staff wore white coats and introduced themselves as Professor Tempus. There were three or four different versions of the ride but we mostly ran an Egyptian one and a volcano mine run. There was also a dated-looking fighter pilot video which I once discovered by pressing a few buttons. I can still remember most of the recorded voiceover for the volcano ride which began "Good! Everyone's onboard! I've switched on the time distortion unit...". It ended with "this could be a bumpy ride". According to news reports, the Time Machine costs either £350,000 or £400,000. It has more than 140,000 time travellers in its first year, according to an Isle of Wight County Press article, which quotes park manager Tim Butcher. The Isle of Wight County Press report that the Dabells want to spend £300,000 on a Terrorsaur, which would have been a swinging dinosaur. There are concerns from planners that it would 'thrust its dinosaur's head above the treeline'. 2000Plans for the swinging dinosaur are abandoned. Instead, the Colossus swinging ship arrives at Robin Hill from Italy in March, according to the Isle of Wight County Press. It has 42 seats. A Robin Hill related April Fool's joke appears in the Isle of Wight County Press (dated March 31st 2000). It says that an archaeologist with the appropriate name of Dr Robert Digsby suggested that the 'quarry at the top of the park may have been part of a small amphitheatre' from 300AD that was used for re-enactments of sea battles. This is given as the reason for the change of theme from a dinosaur to a galley. The report ends by calling the archaeologist a 'crackpot'. 2001A Sensation Zone is added to the Countryside Centre, thanks to designs by Carisbrooke High School students. It features a 'two way mirror that blends visitors' faces with a human and foxes face' and an illusion featuring a fox. Last time I visited, the Countryside Centre was closed, but in around 2005 I remember it being a collection of stuffed animals with some arcade machines at the end. I can't say I remember seeing the Sensation Zone. A new beech hedge maze appears in the lower valley, whilst at the top of the park there is a half ton lever that you can lift with a series of pulleys. The park also opens a new 'countryside gift shop'. A joint season ticket for Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill costs £23 for an adult or £17 for a child. Standard ticket prices are £5.50 for anyone aged 1.1m or taller, or £3.50 for smaller children. A return visit or a ride on the toboggan run is £1. 2002A children's ride called Neptune arrives for the 2002 season. There were two children's rides next to Colossus, called Jumping Jets and Neptune. I'm not exactly sure when Jumping Jets arrived, but it was around this time. These were my least favourite rides to operate as the children were too young to have any hilarious banter with. The only highlight I remember was when rower James Cracknell and Beverley Turner turned up with their family. James squeezed into the ride with his child, but the ride wouldn't lift up and down as it was meant to because he was built like an oak tree. At the time, the website boasted that you will only find 'the three biggest rides on the Island at Robin Hill'. Pulse, the Pink Floyd Experience appear at Robin Hill in June as part of the Isle of Wight Music Festival (Rock Island was the main event, which morphed into the Isle of Wight Festival). A stage was built for the event and was later used as a viewing platform for Bestival. Ticket prices are £5.50 for 1.1m+ or £4 for anyone under 1.1m. 2003Darren Cool is appointed as Robin Hill's new manager, after working at Coleman's Animal Farm Park. He tells the County Press that he would like the park to become 'more of a traditional country park'. A news article refers to Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park, presumably because it is a bit more adventurous than your average country park. Two tribute acts are lined up for Rock on the Hill, including a tribute to Genesis called G2 and a Pink Floyd Tribute. Vectis Ventures Managing Director Simon Dabell wins an award for Business Person of the Year from the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce. Ticket prices rise to £6.50 for 4-60 year olds. 2004Radio 1 Dj Rob da Bank scouts the Isle of Wight for a location for a new music festival and settles on Robin Hill. It takes place in early September, with headliners including The Bees, Basement Jaxx, Zero 7 and Fatboy Slim. The Isle of Wight County Press puts the attendance at 8000. I remember Saturday night with Fatboy Slim being busy and the other nights being quieter. In October, Robin Hill announces a £300,000 project to create woodland gardens. Ten different gardens are planned, 'intertwining the Island's rich history, culture and creativity'. The Isle of Wight County Press reports that this is similar to when the woodland was designed as 'a gentleman's playground' more than 100 years earlier. 2005Bestival returns, with a lineup including Royksopp, The Magic Numbers and Super Furry Animals. I spent quite a lot of time cleaning up after this. It was a big job. Wikipedia puts the attendance at 15,000, which is the same figure used in the Isle of Wight County Press. The 'woodland interpretation centre' opens, with 'a dynamic exhibition, a knowledge tree and interactive displays of wildlife'. This is the circular building part way down the winding path from the top of the park. 2006Robin Hill hosts its first Spring Garden show, which goes on to be one of its bigger events in recent years. The first event is held in May and its co-organiser is Yvonne Mathews, who also works on the woodland gardens. The Garden Show features 'five RHS gold award winners'. One of the highlights reported in the local paper is 'the launch of the air ambulance' although I believe this was planned, rather than a result of a fight over fuchsias. Other highlights include a demonstration of woodland machinery by Geoff Hughes who played Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances. Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters and the Fall are amongst bands at the third Bestival at Robin Hill. Wikipedia suggests an attendance of 17,000 although the County Press says 'around 20,000'. Robin Hill runs a special offer where everyone pays the same price (£4.95) as part of 'research' into an 'all age admission policy'. The park had already introduced the same price for 4-59 year olds in 2003, so I'm not sure what was planned here. Perhaps they considered scrapping a discount for the over 60s? Falconry shows begin at Robin Hill, showing a tentative return to it being an attraction with animals. Ticket prices are £7.50 for 4-60 year olds with free returns within four days. 2007Robin Hill hosts its second garden show over three days in May. A county press report quotes a dog agility enthusiast who has nine dogs and is appearing at the show. She says 'I've been bitten badly' before adding that she is referring to the 'agility bug' rather than her nine dogs. A 'bio-dome' opens at the bottom of the park called Driftwood Dome (near to where the African Adventure playground was later added). It is 13 metres by four and the idea is that driftwood and 'fragrant plants' will make it a 'sensory experience' (I'm quoting Darren Cool). A revamp of the woodland gardens continues, with 'phase three being completed'. Work had been taking place over the last two years, including the addition of what the County Press called a 'woodland appreciation centre' as well as sculptures, 'waterfalls and arched bridges'. Bestival acts at Robin Hill for that year include the Chemical Brothers, Primal Scream, Beastie Boys, Kate Nash and Calvin Harris. Attendance at Bestival increases significantly to 29,000 according to Wikipedia. I remember the Beastie Boys being a highlight that year. Ticket prices are £7.95 for 4-60 year olds. 2008The African Adventure playground opens, at a cost of £180,000. It features 'aerial walkways, scramble nets and slides' according to the Isle of Wight County Press, as well as several carbon fibre animals, which once lived at Blackgang Chine. The third Robin Hill Garden Show takes place, with one of the headliners being a man called Keith Brewer who is described by the Isle of Wight County Press as 'one of the UK's leading sweet pea growers'. Alan Titchmarsh also appears. A highlight of the garden show is the Isle of Wight Chainsaw Carve Off, where artists make models which are sold off. Other events includes a Robin Hood weekend and the Mad Easter Egg Dash. Bestival suffers a very wet year! Acts include My Bloody Valentine, Amy Winehouse, Underworld, Hot Chip, Will Young, Gary Numan, The Human League and Grace Jones. The attendance is about 30,000 according to Wikipedia, although organisers said that only 20,000 made it to the end because of the bad weather (to clarify, they went home early rather than drowning in the mud). Ticket prices are £8.50, but the free return now lasts for a week. The toboggan run increases to £1.50 per ride, which is the first price increase since 1997. 2009The Cows Express is added near to Colossus. It features a 200m track and a series of comedy cows. There is also a new 'Interpretation Centre' for the Roman Villa and a butterfly garden next to the Sensory Dome. A new display turns up called 'Romans at Robin Hill, described on the website as "An exciting mix of history and interaction....the story of our buried Roman villa brought to life, with interactive mosaic, Villa Virtual Viewer, displays and archaeological models." Much of the lower valley is re-turfed at the start of the year after the wet Bestival of the year before. The repairs cost £70,000-£80,000 with the costs being paid by Bestival. In all, 15,000 rolls of turf are used as well as 250 tons of topsoil. The Spring Garden Show is cancelled because of the damage caused by the rain during Bestival. Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine joint season ticket prices rise from £44.95 to £49.95. There's another great lineup at Bestival in September, including Massive Attack, Kraftwerk, Elbow, MGMT, Florence and the Machine, Lily Allen and Fleet Foxes. It was around this time that the capacity increased significantly and I believe they started using adjacent farmland. Attendance was about 43,000 according to Wikipedia. The entry price is £8.50. 2010The Robin Hill Garden Show is held in April (including another round of the Isle of Wight chainsaw carve off), whilst five outdoor cinema nights are held in August and Really Wild Fridays teach bushcraft skills. Bestival's line-up that year includes the Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Dizzee Rascal, Echo and the Bunnymen, Marc Almond and er, Rolf Harris. By this point, Bestival's attendance is more like 50,000 people and it has become a pretty large festival rather than a boutique event. 2011The Big Green Tractor Train appears for the first time. 10,000 people attend the annual Spring Garden Show over the Easter weekend. The chainsaw carving competition also returns, for a third time. Other events include National Bike Week and the first Island Highland Gathering. It's another big year for Bestival with an attendance of about 45,000 people according to Wikipedia. Pendulum, The Cure, Bjork, Brian Wilson, Fatboy Slim, Public Enemy, DJ Shadow and Grandmaster Flash are amongst acts on a pretty big line-up. The standard ticket price increases to £9.95. 2012There is controversy over plans to increase joint season ticket prices for Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine to £69.95 from the previous price of £49.95. An early bird discount of £10 is added shortly after to make the price £59.95. Bad weather scuppers the annual Garden Festival. Other events include summertime outdoor cinema, fright night cinema, the Island Highland Gathering and something called Just About Owls, which seems like a rather limiting title. It is also the first year of the Electric Woods, which launches in June with two other events held later in the year. They involve the woodland being illuminated at night as well as live music. Adverts refer to Robin Hill Adventure Park and Gardens as it Vectis Ventures to make more of the money it has spent on its woodland gardens. Simon Dabell, steps down from his role as the Managing Director of Vectis Ventures. His cousin, Alec Dabell takes over. Alec's father is Dick Dabell, who retired as company chairman at the age of 87 in 2011. Stevie Wonder appears at Robin Hill for Bestival - arguably the biggest act that Bestival had bagged up to that point. Other acts include Florence and the Machine and New Order. Robin Hill opens in late December for the first time. Visitors roast marshmallows at the woodland ponds and most of the rides are open (I assume the toboggan run didn't open as it would be rather perilous on an icy day). Standard ticket prices stay at £9.95. 2013A news reports says that Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine received 1000 job applications, including 620 for jobs at Robin Hill after placing an advert in the County Press for seasonal staff. The sixth Spring Garden Show takes place, although it's now known as the Isle of Wight Spring Garden Show. Highlights include a 'pimp a gnome' competition, judged by Rob and Josie da Bank. Other events include Midsummer Dreams and Lost Before Time events as part of Electric Woods and a February event to celebrate Chinese New Year. Also in May, Robin Hill is burgled, with a safe stolen. Bestival tickets and a 'limited amount of cash' is stolen. In September, Bestival returns with perhaps its biggest ever trio of headliners - Fatboy Slim, Snoop Dogg and Elton John. The line-up this year also includes Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Wu-Tang Clan and MIA. Robin Hill opens again between Christmas and New Year, with a Santa Sleigh Ride movie on the 4D Cinema, an owl show and woodland lighting. Ticket prices leap up significantly to £12.50 - £14.95 depending on when you visit. For summer time visits, that is an increase of 50% on the previous year. 2014The Time Machine is revamped and rebranded as the 4D Motion Cinema. The website description says: "So get ready to don your glasses and get set for the ride of your life with this year’s newest release The Chase. It’s an exciting edge-of-your-seat sci-fi movie set in the future where our lonesome hero fights off deadly flying machines on his motorbike...but will he out smart his pursuers?" Bestival's headliners include Outkast, Foals, Beck and Nile Rodgers. The world's largest disco ball was created for the event (just over 10 metres, since you asked). Electric Woods is held at October half term, inspired by Diwali. Other events include Days of Adventure, with archery, mountain boarding and bushcraft. The County Press reports a 'new pitch and putt course' and a 'clay pigeon shooting arena'. Ticket prices for peak time visits increase to £16.95, whilst off peak prices stay at £12.50. That means summer prices have increased by 70% over two years. 2015The penultimate Bestival at Robin Hill features Duran Duran, The Chemical Brothers and Missy Elliott as well as Mark Ronson, Jurassic 5, the Chuckle Brothers and Tame Impala. I would call that an eclectic line-up. Vectis Ventures submit a planning application 'to develop an almost Centre (sic) Parcs-like environment on land surrounding the existing Robin Hill attraction, however, the scheme was deemed too big and Council planning officers advised reducing the overall size and impact of the plans.' (Island Echo). It is called Nesting and includes 40 lodges, 20 treehouses and space for 40 glamping tents. They aim to complete it by 2018. However, in June the Isle of Wight County Press reports that plans for 'treehouse-style holiday accommodation' are in jeopardy because of Lynn Pit landfill site ruining the view. The woodland walk is expanded and is now called the Canopy Skywalk. Off peak prices increase slightly to £13.50 whilst peak time prices stay the same. Season ticket prices are £27.50. 2016There is a war of words between the owners of Robin Hill and the owners of a waste management site after a landslip pours onto a path between the two sites. The Parting arrives, meaning you can pretend you are walking through the middle of what was previously called Carp Quay. I wrote a blog in 2016 about my first visit to the park with child one. Evening processions are held with Squawk bird and the Squawkettes as well as Squawk Games, Squawks Olympics, Squawks Splash Attack and Squawks Space Hopper Challenge. As you can tell, they went big on the Squawk theme this year. The final Bestival at Robin Hill has the appropriate theme of The Future. Jamie T, The XX, A Tribe Called Quest and Pet Shop Bots headline. Bestival announces it is leaving Robin Hill and moving to Dorset. A spokesperson for Bestival says "the costs of running a festival have increased across the board and moving is something we have been considering for a number of years". They also say that "moving the show to Dorset will ensure we continue to evolve, innovate and deliver the best possible experience for our fans." Season tickets cost £29.50. 2017A 'squirrel run' is added - this is described as 'a spiralling mesh tube suspended around our Canopy Skywalk' Vectis Ventures submits another planning application, this time for 'tree houses, lodges, glamping tents and even a bakery' at Robin Hill (according to the Island Echo). Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine share a pop up Christmas shop in Newport where you can buy season tickets and gifts. Eklectica comes to Robin Hill. It is a much smaller festival than Bestival but still an ambitious event, which is headlined by The Fratellis, Pixie Lott and Scouting for Girls. It takes place over two days. I wrote a blog about it at the time. Ticket prices increase £18.50 on peak and £14.75 off peak. 2018Jungle Heights opens to the public, including 'suspended net mazes, tunnels and a huge net trampoline' (Island Echo). Personally, I think this is one of the best additions in recent years as it uses the woodland really well. The pitch and putt course becomes a disc golf course and hosts the disc golf championships. The summer slide sees people whooshing down the steep hill where falconry is held. Plans are revealed for a 'multi-million pound indoor waterpark, ‘The Springs’ at Robin Hill Country Park' (Isle of Wight County Press). It is planned as a separate attraction to Robin Hill and will have water flumes and a wave machine. Reports say that work is due to start in 2020 with construction taking 18 months but that's the last update we heard about it. Alexander Dabell also reveals that 90,000 people attended Electric Woods over the previous four years. Online ticket prices increase slightly to £19 on peak and £15.50 off peak, although gate prices are higher. 2019Spirit of the Orient celebrates the year of the earth pig at Robin Hill in February. Farm Fest is held in April, with the help of Shaun the Sheep. New hot air balloon events called Sky High and Night Glow are held in May. Christmas event Polar takes place for the first time. It features 'rides, Santa, a larger-than-life moving Polar Bear, festive entertainment and beautiful Christmas décor throughout the park'. Online ticket prices increase to £23 at peak times or £17.50 off peak, with different prices on the gate. 2020Robin Hill closes in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequent visitor pass holders are told their ticket will be valid until the end of 2021. 2021A white tailed sea eagle arrives at Robin Hill for the falconry shows. This is a big deal for eagle fans, as the birds disappeared from the south coast for more than 200 years, until a breeding programme started in 2019. The expansion of the falconry requires the park to get a zoo licence. A hot air balloon event called Sky High Night Glow is held in May. A grenade shaped hot air balloon on its way to Robin Hill causes some hoohaa (i.e. a few people talked about it on Facebook). Woodland Sessions are headlined by Katie Melua and Tom Allen. 2022The hot air balloon events are rebranded as the Isle of Wight balloon festival. Organisers make the bold claim that 'This is the most spectacular event you will ever see on the Isle of Wight.' Read our blog. News reports say that Robin Hill switched to new partners 'following a raft of bad publicity for the contractor behind the Sky High events'. Woodland Sessions are held in the lower valley, headlined by Russell Kane, Sigma and Russell Watson. Spirit of the Orient celebrates the year of the tiger. A bird of prey centre opens called the Falconry Experience Centre. It is home to 28 birds and 16 species. The Festival of the Dead is held at Robin Hill. Read our blog. Standard on-the-gate ticket prices are £35, although discounts can be obtained with various tips and tricks. That is an increase of 251% compared to the 2012 price, 10 years earlier. 2023Vectis Ventures announces it is selling Robin Hill due to financial turbulence (see our blog about this). The asking price is £2.25m. Robin Hill's new Ripple water pillow is punctured by some oaf. Staff say they think it was deliberate. Comparisons are made to Los Angeles crime. 2024Robin Hill's hot air balloon festival features on Channel 5's Jewel of the South. A tear rolls down my cheek.
Colossus moves to Blackgang Chine to begin its new life as the Jolly Robin whilst The Ripple is transformed into an attraction called Blackgang Beach. In July, the Warrior Festival announces it is being held at Robin Hill in September - suggesting that the sale of the park is confirmed. In August, Robin Hill is sold to Robin Hill Partnership Limited, which was set up by an Islander called Lee Priddle who hires out toilets via AMP Hire. The new company also has links to C&O Tractors in Newport. Early news reports say that Robin Hill will be free, but the new owners clarify that they haven't decided on an entry price and later reveal that entry will cost £14.99 to £21.99 with a concession price of £9.99. They say they are going to 'look at adding accommodation to the park and plans to keep the much-loved toboggan'. He also says that 'the 4D cinema has already gone' and that a car boot sale will start at the park in mid-August. Later that year, the new owners announce it will re-open in 2025, with new attractions including:
The owners also say that they plan to add a separate attraction, which is a 'high adrenaline adventure space'. Priory Bay is an absolute gem of a beach. I'm convinced that if it was easy to access then it would be heaving on a summer's day. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) you need to faff around a bit to get there. Those who make it to Priory Bay share a steely determination that is usually found in Arctic explorers and astronauts. Your options: 1. Via Seagrove BayOur preferred option is to park on the housing estate around Caws Avenue or Solent View Road. This is very much a residential area but all of the residents have driveways so you aren't pinching their spaces. Needless to say, you can expect an angry note, raised eyebrows or a shaking fist if you don't park courteously. If you're getting a bus, you want the number eight that links Newport and Ryde. This will get you as far as Caws Avenue in Seaview. From here, we walk over a small bridge at the bottom of Solent View Road. Google Maps tells me it is called Seagrove Dell, which is perhaps a rather grandiose name for a short footpath and a couple of trees. This leads to Seagrove Bay, where you turn right at the beach. There's a toilet here, which is the closest public toilet to Priory Bay. If it's low tide then you can walk along the sand and through to Priory Bay round the corner. If it's not low tide then you walk along the seawall until you reach the raised walkway. This leads to a footpath through the woodland. Follow this until you reach the steps down to Priory Bay. The canniest option is to arrive about an hour before low tide, and then leave an hour after low tide. That way, you can probably walk on the beach in both directions. Of course, the height of the tide varies throughout the year so it's a bit of a guessing game. Your total walk is about half a mile, which should take 10 minutes. It took us twice that long last time because I had a beach trolley and 27 bags. 2. Via St Helens BeachAn alternative plan for reaching Priory Bay is to walk from St Helens beach. This is very much dependent on the tides and you face certain death if you don't read the tide times properly. Parking at St Helens is quite easy. There are pay and display spaces on the seafront for those who are willing to part with both an arm and a leg. This car park isn't huge and you might end up doing a 93 point turn to get out. There's also a National Trust car park if you continue past the main entrance to the seafront. It's free for members and was cheaper than the seafront car park last time I checked (see our guide to cheap parking). There's also some on-street free parking on Duver Road, which leads down to the beach at St Helens. Feel free to have an argument with your spouse about how far children should be expected to walk for free parking, and what it was like in your day. Once you get to St Helens Beach, you turn left as you face the sea and walk around the headland. It's a nice walk but can only be done at low tide. The walk is about three quarters of a mile and will take you about 15 minutes. Needless to say, it's easy to get cut off. If this happens, you'll end up walking back to St Helens via Seagrove Bay - which is a big detour. We've also used paddleboards and kayaks to get round from St Helens, which avoids the tidal issue. 3. Via Priory Bay HotelThe third option isn't really an option at all at the moment - and hasn't been for several years. At one stage, there was a rather nice hotel with a path down to the beach. However, the Priory Bay Hotel is currently closed and access isn't allowed. We've written about the closure of the hotel, which is currently looking very sorry for itself. 4. Buy a YachtYour final option is to buy a boat and sail to Priory Bay from the mainland. You can then sit in a boat a couple of hundred metres from the shore and eat crab sandwiches with Geoff and Jean from the tennis club. If you know of a better option for visiting Priory Bay, please leave us a comment. Perhaps there's an underground railway line to the beach that we don't know about?
Over the last 10 years, discount codes have become a much more essential part of saving money on the Isle of Wight ferry. Back in the day, discount codes with Wightlink and Red Funnel peaked at 10% or perhaps 15% for something really extraordinary. There were other ways to save money, such as flexibility but it wasn't unusual to pay the standard price without a discount. The more modern strategy - particularly from Red Funnel - seems to be to offer discounts throughout the year, ranging from 10% to 50% off. You can usually get 15% to 20% off via one of the discount codes on our guide to discount Isle of Wight ferry travel. The challenge now is to try and predict when the best discount of the year will come along. Black Friday and the 12 Days of ChristmasOver the last couple of years, the best discount of the year had been the Black Friday offer, which was 1/3 off Red Funnel for travel throughout 2025. Wightlink also did a Black Friday offer but it was a bit more restricted and meant you had to travel over the winter or early spring. You can imagine my scepticism then when my Mum told me that she had just been sent a 50% off voucher by Red Funnel as part of their 12 Days of Christmas promotion. I am often wary of the tales that my Mum tells me, as some of the details do sometimes require a little investigation - such as the time she told me that she had seen a dolphin in Cowes when it was actually a seal. Anyway, I digress. It turned out that the 50% off deal was legit and was valid throughout 2025. Apologies to my Mum for doubting her. It was only sent to customers on the Red Funnel mailing list (sign up here) and was a one time code that had to be used by New Year's Eve 2024. I did my best to publicise it, including a New Year's Eve interview on BBC Radio Solent that must have sounded like a desperate man trying to evacuate a building ("You've got to book today! Today!! It's the best deal of the year!!!"). What other offers were in the 12 days promotion?In my relentless attempt to find cheap ferry travel, I thought it would be worth noting down the offers that were available from Red Funnel in the 12 Days of Christmas promotion. This may give us some clues next year when people are asking 'when is the best time to book the Isle of Wight ferry?'. I have previously said Black Friday, but might need to re-think things if they are going to surprise us all with mega-deals via email.
It's worth saying that these offers had very short booking windows and are no longer available. I'm writing them down to help predict what they might do next year. Visit this page if you are looking for a ferry discount for 2025. Here are the (now expired) offers in Red Funnel's 12 Days of Christmas 2024:
So, offers #1, #4, #7 and #12 all gave you money off the ferry whilst the others were competitions or money off stuff you can buy onboard. Offer #12 was the best by far but the day return deal for £45 is very good as well. Red Funnel regularly do a day return for about £50 - £60 via its Big Book of Savings but it never drops as low as £45. Anyway, I shall be intently checking my inbox in December 2025 to see if the 50% offer deal is repeated.
Red Funnel has bumped up our ongoing 10% off deal for the rest of January 2025. You can now get 20% off bygoing via this link or filling in your details into the form below.
You need to book by 31st January 2025 but it's valid for holidays throughout 2025.
It's a good discount, but it's always worth checking if there's a better deal available. Take a look at our discount Isle of Wight ferries guide or the best ferry + accommodation bundles.
For campers and tourers, Red Funnel do a very good pitch + accommodation bundle that will probably beat the 20% off deal. There are also things like the Red Funnel Big Book of Savings, which offer fixed price deals. Missed the deal?
Head over to our main ferry discounts page where you can still take advantage of our ongoing 10% off deal with Red Funnel.
**Away Resorts Discount Code #1: Save up to 7% via this link with discount code AWRAF7 + cheap ferry travel** **Away Resorts Discount Code #2: Save 15% with code FOMO15 until 11/02/25** Away Resorts now owns four different holiday parks and lodge resorts with hot tubs on the Isle of Wight. They're a popular choice, partly because they'll get you a hefty discount on the Isle of Wight ferry if you stay with them. Away Resorts has run Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park in the East Wight for donkeys' years, but in 2022 they merged with Aria Resorts and took on three other lodge parks including:
They're all dog friendly and offer hot tubs and a range of different types of accommodation, but which is best? The short answer (for those who don't want to read all my waffle) is that St Helens Coastal Resort gets the best reviews but it's small and simple, whilst Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is the best for a beach holiday and has the best facilities. The Lakes Rookley is cheapest in our price comparison. Here's our guide to which is best Away Resorts for you, along with a price comparison: Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park - Best Beach Location, Biggest, Best For Busy Families, Some Sea ViewsWhitecliff Bay Holiday Park is a big, busy, family-friendly holiday park on the outskirts of Bembridge in the East Wight. Over the last few years they've spent a lot of money adding flash new accommodation with cool names like TriBeCa and Rockstar. They even featured on a Channel 5 TV programme where Shane Ritchie larked around on the Isle of Wight and said things like "Corrrrrrr, look at that, me old mucker!". If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will. Whitecliff Bay no longer offers touring, but they do have simple camping pitches during July and August. There's a much bigger choice of accommodation types at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park than there are at the other Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight. If you want plenty to do onsite then Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is your best bet out of the four Away Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight. It's got indoor and outdoor swimming pools, as well as minigolf, a playground and an arcade. During term time they have things like Tots Breaks, which are aimed at pre-schoolers, whilst during the summer holidays they put on outdoor cinema where you can sit outside and hope it doesn't rain. In peak season, there are free daily activities for kids such as a toddlers' disco as well as things you pay for, such as arts and crafts, archery, disc golf and baby ballet (more details on the entertainment programme here). There's also evening entertainment for grown ups. The onsite restaurant is a good size and there's also a beach café during peak season. However, the very best thing about Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is the location. When the sun shines, the beach at Whitecliff Bay is truly gorgeous and even muscles its way into my top 5 Isle of Wight beaches. It's hard to access unless you are staying at an adjacent holiday park, so it doesn't get unpleasantly busy. One downside is that the slope down to it is ferociously steep and has claimed the good-natured attitude of many a beach-goer. My wife's language changed from Stepford-Wives-Esque to Tarantino-Esque in the time it took to get from the bottom of the slope to the top. It's also worth looking at the map to figure out where your accommodation is. The site is split into two with a road going through the middle. That's not a big problem but if you're in the furthest away point then it's getting on for 15 minutes to walk to the beach. Customers give Whitecliff Bay an average review score of 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.2/5 on Google Reviews (82% overall). That puts it in the middle compared to the other Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight. St Helens Coastal Resort - Best Accommodation, Best Reviews, QuietestSt Helens Coastal Resort has changed its name a few times. For a while it was called a 'retreat' but it doesn't have the range of facilities you might expect at a 'retreat'. It's also not as coastal as you might imagine - the beach is about a mile away. However, it's got a lot going for it once you get past the name. For starters, it is the highest rated Away Resorts site on the Isle of Wight, according to customer reviews (4.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.5/5 on Google Reviews or 90% overall). A lot of the lodges and caravans have been added in the last few years so you've got a good chance of a very modern property that isn't looking like it's been lived in by a parade of holidaymakers with hairy dogs. We made use of the outdoor swimming pool, which is small but good fun (and it was heated). There's also a small playground that was completed shortly after we left. The location is at the end of a wiggly road past some houses. It's within a pretty coastal village called St Helens in the East Wight, which has a large village green. Walking down to St Helens beach will take you about 15 minutes. If you're a bit more determined, you can walk to the sandy paradise of Priory Bay. St Helens Coastal Resort is a much smaller resort than nearby Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, so it's a good choice if you want a quiet base for exploring the Isle of Wight. There isn't a restaurant onsite, but Bembridge has a good choice and there are plenty of other good places to eat depending on whether you prioritise a sea view or occupying the children whilst you enjoy a glass of Merlot. The Lakes Rookley - Best for Island Wide exploring, Cheapest In Our Price Comparison, 76% review scoreThe Lakes Rookley is something of a rarity on the Isle of Wight - a holiday resort that isn't by the beach. There are plus sides to that, assuming that you've bought a car with you. You can explore a lot of the Isle of Wight with a short drive. The seaside resorts of Shanklin, Sandown and Ventnor are all about 15 minutes away in the car, whilst Compton Bay in the West Wight and Cowes in the North Wight are both 20 minutes drive. The absolute longest drive from The Lakes Rookley is the 35 minutes to Alum Bay and The Needles lighthouse. Most Islanders wouldn't drive this far unless it was a very special occasion (e.g. a family wedding or perhaps a funeral of a relative, at a push). If you're a hardened mainlander then you'll be used to drives of more than half an hour so it will be fine. Anyway, back to The Lakes Rookley. In terms of scale, it is bigger than The Bay Colwell and St Helens Coastal Resort but it's smaller than Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park. There are two swimming pools, including one indoors and one outdoors. The Lakes are also used for watersports such as kayaking and paddleboarding. Of course, you could do these on the seafront at Shanklin or St Helens but there's less risk of being dragged out to France from a lake in Rookley. You can eat onsite at The Lakeside Bar and Eatery. Rookley itself doesn't have a huge amount to it (there's a car dealership, but I doubt that would entertain the kids). However, Shanklin, Sandown and Ventnor have lots of places to eat with a sea view. If you are after chain restaurants and fast food then Newport is your best bet (Beefeater, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King). The poshest and most expensive accommodation at The Lakes Rookley are the Lakehouses, which have a pleasant view. At the other end of the accommodation range, we found that The Lakes Rookley was the cheapest of all four Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight (see further down for our price comparison). Reviews of The Lakes Rookley are a little bit behind the other three Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight. Customers on TripAdvisor give it 3.5/5. On Google Reviews it scores higher with a score of 4.1/5 (76% overall). A lot of the older reviews will be from several years ago when it was Rookley Country Park. I would read through the more recent reviews for a more accurate summary. The Bay Colwell - More Accessible Beach, Quiet, closest to a ferry portFinally, The Bay Colwell which is a bit of an all rounder. It is certainly smaller and less well equipped than Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park and The Lakes Rookley. However, it does have an indoor swimming pool (unlike St Helens Coastal Resort, which has an outdoor pool). It's also much close to the beach than The Lakes Rookley and St Helens Coastal Resort. You can get to Colwell Bay in about five minutes on foot. There's bike hire, soft play and a coffee shop onsite. The accommodation is mostly rows of two bedroom chalets which have been much improved in recent years. They're described as 'Cottages' on the website and some of them have hot tubs. The more expensive accommodation are 'Lodges', some of which have an extra bedroom. It's also the only Away Resorts site in the West Wight. Generally speaking, the West Wight is prettier and less developed than the East Wight (complaints from East Wighters to the usual address, please). Colwell itself is developed, but the nearby West Wight coastline which runs from Freshwater Bay to Chale in the South Wight is populated by more cows than people. If you are coming from the Westcountry, then The Bay Colwell is convenient to reach via Wightlink's Yarmouth to Lymington crossing. The ferry takes 40 minutes and then it's a seven minute drive to the resort. The Bay Colwell scores 82% from reviewers, including 4/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.2/5 on Google Reviews. Away Resorts ISle of Wight Price ComparisonWe started by looking for a week for the cheapest accommodation available in August 2025. We searched for a seven night holiday. Prices don't include ferry travel, although you can get it for around half price if you book through Away Resorts. Expect to pay about £50 - £150 for the ferry depending on when you travel and how long you stay. From cheapest to most expensive:
We then looked for the same holiday but a lodge with a hot tub. So, it's a holiday in August 2025 for four people, staying for a week, excluding the ferry:
So, based on our mini price comparison, The Lakes Rookley is the cheapest of the four Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight and The Bay Colwell and Whitecliff Bay tend to be the most expensive. I would caution that prices vary a lot depending on when you visit and what accommodation you choose. Review comparison of Away Resorts ISle of Wight Holiday REsortsAs of November 2024, the review scores for the Away Resorts on the Isle of Wight look like this:
All three of the parks have seen big changes in the last few years, so the older review scores are not particularly relevant. St Helens Coastal Resort, The Lakes Rookley and The Bay Colwell have all changed hands twice in the last few years. They were previously known as St Helens Holiday Park, Rookley Country Park and Colwell Bay Holiday Park until they were bought by Aria Resorts in 2017. Aria Resorts invested a lot of money in the sites and then the company merged with Away Resorts in 2022 (Ed: will there be a test on this at the end?). My advice is to look at some recent reviews, rather than going on the overall score. Distance from the ferry portsThe Isle of Wight is not vast, so travel times from the ferries are not a major factor if you are bringing a car. However, if it's a weekend visit or if you have children who don't travel well (i.e. all children) then it's something to consider.
Also, make sure that you use the Away Resorts ferry discount. It'll save you as much as 50% compared to going direct. See our full guide to the Isle of Wight ferries for beginners. Here's my guide to some cheap and free places to park on the Isle of Wight including free parking in Ryde, Newport, Sandown, The Needles, Ventnor and Shanklin. It is ideal for anyone - like my mother - who is willing to walk some distance to avoid paying to park. I really don't like paying to park, but I usually cough up now that we have children and 14 bags on every beach outing. It is also worth trying Your Parking Space and Just Park for events such as Cowes Week or for parking near a ferry port. You can rent out someone's driveway for a few hours or days via the website. Quite a lot of Isle of Wight seafront parking is free in the depths of winter but I won't bother listing all of those, as most people visit the Island in spring, summer and autumn. I've focused on the places where you might have a day out. There's also the controversial topic of whether it's acceptable to park in a permit-free residential area as long as you aren't blocking someone's drive. Personally, I have no problem with this (and don't mind people parking near my house) but I do whoosh off pretty quickly when I return to the car in case an angry resident has been waiting for me with a rolling pin... This guide will probably go out of date before I hit publish, so please comment at the bottom if a) somewhere is no longer free or b) you've found somewhere else free or cheap to park on the Isle of Wight. Also, please check signs for yourself when you park somewhere as I may have got things wrong. And for any grandmas reading, the best way to suck an egg is at the pointy end. Free and cheap parking for Alum Bay and The NeedlesLet's start with one of the trickiest places to visit without paying for parking. The road leading to Alum Bay and The Needles has double yellow lines that seem to go on for miles. Last time we visited, the only car park was £6. That's not exorbitant for all day parking but it's a bit pricey if you only stay for 10 minutes before one of the children has a meltdown.
Free and cheap parking in Bembridge and St Helens
Free parking in Brighstone
Free parking at Colwell Bay
Free and cheap parking at Compton Bay
Free parking in Cowes and GurnardCowes gets pretty ruthless when it comes to summertime parking, particularly in Cowes Week.
Free and cheap parking at Freshwater Bay
Free parking in Godshill
Free and cheap parking in Newport and Carisbrooke (including Isle of Wight Festival parking)There are some residential roads on the edges of the town centre which are free, but a lot are now resident permit areas.
Free Parking in Ryde
Free and cheap parking in Sandown
Free and cheap parking in ShanklinParking on Shanklin Seafront is a competitive and expensive experience. We once stayed in a flat on the seafront which didn't have parking and I spent the whole week moving the car or driving round looking for a space whilst crying (and I spent £50 on parking). Some options:
Free Parking at Totland BayThere are a couple of good options for those who don't want to pay for seafront parking at Totland Bay. Seafront parking was free a few years ago, which makes paying for it all the more painful.
Free parking in Ventnor
Free parking in Yarmouth
Free parking in Yaverland
Free parking near Isle of Wight ferry portsIf you're looking for free or cheap parking in Southampton, Portsmouth, Lymington or Southsea for a trip to the Isle of Wight then that is covered in our ferries guide. (Spoiler alert: there isn't much).
If you're hoping to find somewhere free or cheap to park near to the ferries from Fishbourne, Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth or Ryde then you face a bit of a challenge. Some suggestions:
**Red Funnel latest offer: 10% off for everyone via this exclusive link or 15% off for residents** Before we get into the meat of this Solent-sandwich let's make it clear that there isn't currently a simple fixed price discount which every Isle of Wight resident receives on every vehicle crossing on the Isle of Wight ferries. You can’t just turn up at the ferry, shout a secret phrase ("alright nipper!") and help yourself to a £50 return journey without any effort or commitment. However, with a bit of investment, faffing or forward planning then most people can make some good savings on the ferry if they're an Isle of Wight resident. This blog post will focus on car ferry travel but there are deals for Isle of Wight foot passengers such as My Link and the HoverBlue Card. Anyway, let’s start with Wightlink car ferry travel. Wightlink's Multilink Deal for residentsIf you’re an Isle of Wight resident or a second homeowner then you are entitled to buy a Wightlink Multilink pass. The idea is that you buy a book of ten crossings for a car and passengers. At the time of writing, it costs £355, so a return journey is £71 regardless of when you travel or how many passengers you have. During the peak of summer that will probably save you more than £100 per crossing. Each ferry crossing has a number of spaces reserved for Multilink passes so you need to book early if you’re planning to use the ferry on a Saturday lunchtime in August. The Wightlink website says it is at least 15% of the available space on a ferry. That is only about 10 cars on the ferries on the Lymington crossing, but is more on the bigger ferries from Portsmouth. There are some key bits of smallprint – some of which make it more appealing and some of which make it less appealing. The main downside is that you need to use the journeys within one year of topping up. You may conclude that since you only manage two or three return journeys with a car each year, that it’s not worth it. But wait, dear reader! There are a couple of bits of juicy smallprint which will make your heart race. Firstly, you can share a Wightlink Multilink pass with two other people who live at the same address and you don’t have to be the driver. They aren’t tied to one vehicle, so a parent could share a pass with a son and daughter who are away at university. Secondly, if you don’t use all your journeys within one year you can carry over spare credit by topping up another five journeys. This works well if you have a year of minimal travelling followed by a year of more regular journeys. Thirdly, if you decide you don’t need your pass anymore and it has credit left, you can apply to get 75% of the cost back. There are some bits of smallprint to abide by but it’s not too complicated and it means that you’ll still get a good price if you only use three or four crossings and then cancel the pass. Red Funnel's offers for residentsLet’s move on to Red Funnel, which takes a completely different approach. Their travel deals for regular car ferry travellers are available to Islanders and Mainlanders (20% off if you prepay £1000). However, they do send out something called the Red Funnel Big Book of Savings to Isle of Wight residents (71,000 homes apparently). These books are sent out five times a year and offer special deals and discounts for residents. You can use the discount codes a limited number of times (usually three times), which is why we don’t share them on this website. The deals either offer a fixed price or a percentage discount. As you’ll see from this marketing website the deals can be pretty good – during 2024 they offered 25% off vehicle ferry crossings or Red Funnel car ferry day returns for about £50 - £60. Read our full guide to the Big Book of Savings. The upside with these deals is that they will sometimes trump the Wightlink Multilink price and there’s no commitment or upfront payment. The downside is that they are usually designed to steer customers towards lower demand sailings, whereas the Wightlink deal potentially lets you travel any time. You can’t rely on these discounts if you’re planning a trip to the mainland long in advance. Cheap ferry travel for residents on low incomesBesides those deals from Wightlink and Red Funnel, there are also generous discounts for Isle of Wight residents who have low incomes. To qualify, you need to either be receiving ‘Local Council Tax support’ or housing benefit. The press release announcing the scheme back in 2018 said there are about 14,000 eligible people. Once you’ve applied for the scheme, you can get Red Funnel return car ferry travel for a maximum price of £59. They call it the Assisted Fares Scheme. Wightlink also offer a discount under the name of the Discounted Fares Scheme although I couldn’t see prices. There are also foot passenger discounts for people on low incomes from Red Funnel, Wightlink and Hovertravel which is somewhere around half price. Hovertravel call it the IOW Council Affordable Fares Scheme. Discounts for residents travelling to hospitalFinally, it’s worth mentioning that there are schemes in place for Isle of Wight residents who are visiting hospitals on the mainland.
At the time of typing, you get a 50% discount with Wightlink if you're going for an NHS appointment and they also have a maximum fare of £70 in place. Red Funnel do a fixed price hospital trip deal whilst Hovertravel offer discounts to foot passengers under their Hovercare scheme. If anyone knows of other discounts and deals that are exclusively for Isle of Wight residents, please add a comment below. We cover all the deals and offers that we know of in our ferry discounts guide. Red Funnel has just launched its Black Friday offer for holidays in 2025. You can get 1/3rd off if you book by December 6th 2024, and can travel right through until November 3rd 2025. You can also get:
But is it the cheapest deal for an Isle of Wight holiday? Is Red Funnel's Black Friday offer a genuine discount?The short answer is yes. We've all become wise to the fake Black Friday discounts, with prices that are inflated the week before just so they can be lowered a few days later. However, Red Funnel's Black Friday deal is a genuinely good one. Throughout the year, Red Funnel offers discounts of 10% to 25% via discount codes (including the booking form on our ferries guide). They haven't offered a 1/3 off at all during 2024, so this is about as good as it gets. They did the same offer for Black Friday 2023. Of course, we can have long arguments about the standard cost of ferry travel to the Isle of Wight, but within this context it is a decent deal. Is this offer the cheapest way to get to the Isle of Wight in 2025?Well, that depends. There are (at least) four alternative options that may be a cheaper way to get to the Isle of Wight in 2025 than using the Red Funnel's Black Friday deal. 1. Accommodation + Ferry bundlesGetting an accommodation + ferry bundle will often beat the Red Funnel Black Friday price. You can find many of the best bundles on this page. For example, you will often get discounts of 50% or more if you stay at a holiday park owned by Away Resorts (The Lakes Rookley, St Helens Coastal Resort, Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, The Bay Colwell Bay) and Parkdean Resorts (holiday parks called Landguard, Lower Hyde, Nodes Point and Thorness Bay). There is also a stonking deal for tourers and campers where you book a ferry + pitch via Red Funnel. We found a five night holiday for four people during the school holidays in August for £220 - including the pitch and the ferry. You can choose from four decent campsites and touring parks. Big name hotel chain Warner also offer a big ferry discount. The maximum price is £90 return, which will often beat the Red Funnel discounted price. If you are going for an independent hotel, give them a call or check their own websites as they often get a good discount. 2. Book a Day ReturnIf you just plan to visit the Isle of Wight with your car for a day (or visit the mainland for a day) then you may find that the 1/3 off deal isn't the best price. That's because Red Funnel often do a more generous discount via its Big Book of Savings. These are sent out five times a year to every Isle of Wight residence and regularly include a day return deal for about £50 - £60. At the moment, you can only book until 17 March with these vouchers but there is a good chance that they will do something similar later in the year. We checked prices for a peak time day return with a car in August 2025 and found that it was about £66 - £70 with the 1/3 off. Of course, mainlanders need to find an aunt on the Island who is willing to hand over her discount booklet. The Big Book uses unique codes so we don't share them on this site. 3. Travel as a foot passengerAs mentioned earlier, this Black Friday promotion also works on foot passenger travel. You'll only pay £16 - £25 for a period return if you book it before December 6th. It would work particularly well for a couple bringing their own bikes to the Isle of Wight for a week's cycling holiday. They would pay just £16.74 each, as bicycles are free on the Isle of Wight's ferries (note: this only applies when you travel as a foot passenger, it's more complicated if you attach the bikes to your car as it can make your car longer and push you into the next price band). The Isle of Wight's buses are pretty decent in my experience and are included in the capped bus fares that you get in the rest of England (with the exception of the open top buses). See our public transport guide. It gets more complicated if you are doing a day return as a foot passenger. The Black Friday price might be the cheapest, but Red Funnel did several offers during 2024 where you could get a day return for £12.50 to coincide with big events. 4. Get a Wightlink Multilink DealOf course, Red Funnel isn't the only option for getting to the Isle of Wight.
Honestly, I would be surprised to find any standard Wightlink fares that were cheaper once you factor in the 1/3 off deal for Red Funnel. I haven't yet seen any details of a Wightlink Black Friday deal, although we know they are doing an offer from 29 November 2024 as there's a big countdown clock on their site. You'll be able to find it on this page. However, there are ongoing Wightlink deals that will work out cheaper than Red Funnel's Black Friday offer for some people. The first is the Wightlink Multilink deal for cars, which will get you a return journey with a car for about £70 (ish). This offer is only available to those with an Isle of Wight residence and it requires you to travel five times a year. You can read our full guide here or read Wightlink's guide. The second is the Wightlink Multilink deal for foot passengers. This offer is available anyone, but you buy a book of five return journeys that need to be used within a year. See or guide or Wightlink's guide to how it works. Things were looking pretty bleak for Robin Hill a few months ago. The owners of Blackgang Chine put it up for sale for a couple of million pounds and we all feared it might never return as a public attraction. Ill-informed sorts speculated that it would turned into a housing estate. Others speculated that Center Parcs would swoop in - despite Robin Hill being a quarter of the size of an average Center Parcs in England. Thankfully, the pessimists were wrong. A local chap called Lee Priddle saved the day by buying Robin Hill Country Park. His other business interest includes renting out toilets, but we will avoid making lazy puns about him feeling flushed (Ed: *rolls eyes*). The park is now due to re-open at Easter 2025. We don't have exact date yet. Here's what we know so far: Which attractions have been removed from Robin Hill?A few attractions won't be at Robin Hill when the park re-opens. No flowers please.
What new attractions are coming to Robin Hill in 2025?We already know that lots of new things are planned for Robin Hill. This is exceedingly exciting, although I would caution that they may not all be instantly available on the first day of opening (based on my experience of how these things usually go, rather than any inside information). It seems to me that the new owners are moving away from the theme park vibe, and moving more towards an adventure park and country park vibe. This is from the official website, with my comments:
The website also says that they plan to add 'a new high adrenaline adventure space in 2025 which will be ticketed separately and is not included in the membership pass'. My best guess is that this will be a high ropes attraction, along the lines of Go Ape or the aerial adventures that you get at Center Parcs. Could there perhaps be a great big zip wire over the top of the trees? Am I just making this stuff up without any facts or details to go on? Definitely. The only similar thing that I know about on the Isle of Wight is at PGL Little Canada, which is mostly a residential place for school parties. There are also plans for a high ropes course at Parkdean Resorts' Thorness Bay Holiday Park, but this hasn't happened yet. Fun fact - the bouncy nets at Sandham Gardens were originally going to be a high ropes course, but the plans were changed. One of our favourite games at home is to discuss what we would add to Robin Hill. Little Miss Guru and myself both agree that the key is to add things that don't require lots of staff. One of my suggestions was minigolf, which looks to be happening. I also thought that a series of slacklines in the woodland would work well. These cost next-to-nothing and don't really require any staff and only minimal maintenance. We also thought that that it would be rather cool to have a free-play arcade in one of the woodland buildings. How much is entry to Robin Hill going to cost?The entry price for 2025 is going to range from £14.99 to £21.99, depending on what time of year you visit. There is also going to be a concession price of £9.99. The season ticket is about £47 including booking fees and children under one metre will get in free.
That entry price is lower than it was under the previous owners in the last few years. At one stage, the entry price reached £35 - although there were many ways to save money and you got free returns. We don't yet know if the seven day free returns offer will stay. I haven't quite figured out if they are still going to charge for the toboggan run. The advert for the annual passes says 'Free toboggan rides' but it's not clear if that's unlimited or perhaps just the first ride each day - and whether it will apply to day visitors. Events have been a big part of Robin Hill for many years. Back in the 1980s, it had midsummer fairs whilst more recently it hosted Bestival, the Spring Garden Festival, the Isle of Wight Hot Air Balloon Festival and so on. We know that the new owners are keen on hosting events - many of which will be run by external companies rather than by themselves. Events so far have included the Warrior Festival and a Halloween event. Upcoming events include a Sausage and Cider Festival and a Summer in Nashville event, both of which are planned for July 2025. Anyway, best of luck to the new owners of Robin Hill! |
Isle of Wight Guru's BlogTales of Isle of Wight days out, attractions and ferry discounts from a Wightophile. This site uses cookies - see our privacy policy. Ads & links in bold may give us a small payment from the seller, at no cost to the buyer. However, this never affects our views - if we like it, we recommend it. Archives
February 2025
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