CENTRAL WIGHT – Restaurants & Activities

NEWPORT is the Island’s main town. It has all you need, but nothing terribly exciting any more sadly ! All the usual chain shops including Boots, WHSmith, New Look, Next, TKMaxx , Mountain Warehouse, M&S, phone shops, etc. Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys inc Argos.

Restaurants include Correo Lounge, traditional restaurants Burrs and Hewitts, the Snakes & Ladders Board game Cafe, and the new Eleven Coffee house on the corner opposite Morrisons. And yes there is a Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Kentucky !

Also in Newport is a big multi screen cinema Cineworld.

Plus Medina Sportscentre with swimming pool, gym, fitness classes, spin, badminton, and pickleball courts.

Medina Theatre offers a good range of shows, dance and theatre.

CARISBROOKE CASTLE is an interesting old place with historical significance, and great battlements to climb and sometimes even staged battles, special events, etc. Boys love it. Plus some good walks nearby.

The Blacksmiths nearby is a popular pub up on the ridge.

Very near us is the Briddlesford farm shop and Bluebell cafe – offering fantastic local produce & amazing bread and fresh meat to buy and to eat. Also open for dinner some evenings.

Further along is ARRETON Village with lots of little artisan shops. And further along is the new upmarket farm shop and deli Harvey Browns, selling all manner of wonderful Island Produce, and a butcher and cheese counter too, plus café / restaurant and garden.

Near Wootton is the new Island Riding Centre, Staplers Rd – for horse riding lessons, hacks etc. And right next door is the Island Monkey Haven , where you can get up close and personal with all sorts of monkeys and birds.

At Monkey World, you can get up close and personal with all sorts of primates.

Nearby is Butterfly world, with a wonderful array of interesting butterflies.

Chug along on the ISLAND STEAM RAILWAY all the way from Wootton to Smallbrook. It really is gorgeous and most relaxing and nostalgic. You can also visit their yard at Havenstreet and learn all about it, and they have a cafe etc.

Visit ROBIN HILL– nearby to us, a lovely natural adventure park, newly updated in 2025, fab for kids and some things older kids will like too, like the mini diggers, the toboggan run. There’s a wooden house village, underground tunnels, treetop rope walk, bouncy pond bridge, etc, etc – a good full day out. Often do a great light show in the evenings, plus food in the woods, in autumn/winter .

Lovely new SMOKEHOUSE restaurant on site too ( also publicly accessible) , by a top Island chef and with excellent food.

In Merston – you can hire bikes and take a lovely flat ride throught the countryside along the old railway track, and stop at the Pedlars cafe for refreshments, ending at Sandown in the south for an ice cream if you are feeling fit !

CENTRAL WIGHT ACTIVITIES

STEAM RAILWAY – RIDING – SWIMMING – ADVENTURE PARK – MONKEYS – CYCLING

RESTAURANTS

SMOKEHOUSE – BLUEBELL CAFE – HARVEY BROWNS – CORREO LOUNGE – BURRS – HEWITTS – THE SMOKEHOUSE

www.isleofwighttreehouse.com