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City & Village Tours: 0845 812 5000 info@cityandvillagetours.com
of Queen Victoria's summer residence, Osborne
House (where our day will finish) and the imposing
20th century Benedictine Abbey of Quarr from where
1000 years ago stone was quarried for the Tower of
London. You can buy morning refreshments on the
40 minute ferry crossing so that we’re ready to make
the most of our day exploring the island. Choose a
crossing time to suit you, 9.30am, 10.00am or
10.30am and plan to arrive in Portsmouth 30
minutes before the ferry sails. Our Blue Badge
guide travels there and back with you on the ferry.
Throughout the day you’ll be treated to sweeping
island panoramas. Our entertaining coach tour will
show you the many faces of the Isle of Wight from
high downs and soaring cliffs to fishing villages and
long beaches fringed by farms and forestland.
We head across the Downs to Godshill and Shanklin
taking in wonderful coastal and countryside views
and then we drive along the south east coast past
Bonchurch with its many literary connections to
Ventnor. Further afield we discover the Back of the
Wight, the treacherous south west coast once a haven
for smugglers and scene of many shipwrecks and go
past Carisbrooke Castle, once prison to King Charles.
During the morning we will stop at Godshill with its
picturesque collection of thatched cottages and its
fine mediaeval church where we will show you the
unique Lily Cross. For lunch we’ll stop on the East
coast at lovely Shanklin on the Sandown Bay.
The afternoon is devoted to Victoria and Albert’s
summer home, Osborne House. Victoria holidayed
on the island as a girl and in 1845 the Royal couple
bought a Georgian house with wonderful views of
The Solent. The house was demolished and Thomas
Cubitt who had built a new facade for Buckingham
Palace was brought over to execute Albert’s design.
It was furnished with money raised by selling off the
Royal Pavilion at Brighton. Unlike our present
Queen, Victoria disliked Windsor Castle where
Albert died and spent her own last days at her beloved
Osborne in 1901. You can now enjoy not just the
house and its marvellous views but also (in return for
a 20 minute stroll) the Queen’s private beach where
she regularly bathed. Refreshments can be purchased
for a small mortgage at the house or for a more
reasonable cost at the Visitor Centre by the estate
entrance before we drive back for the return ferry at
5.00pm, 5.30pm or 6.00pm. The cost of the day, i
including the return ferry from Portsmouth to
Fishbourne for coach and passengers (but not coach
hire), Osborne House and guide is Adults: £35.00
Seniors:£33.00 English Heritage members. £23.00
Instead of Osborne House we can enjoy more of the
Island with interesting stops. This day is Adults &
Seniors: £23.00 inclusive of ferry crossing and guide.
The day trips are available for groups of 35 or more
people Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Sundays from 1 April to 4 November to the end of
October. There is a £2 ferry supplement for travel
on Mondays, Fridays or Saturdays. Day trips are also
available with Southampton Crossings from £18.00.
Walking is a Two on our new walking scale (about
800 metres in total) not including the optional walk
to Queen Victoria’s private beach.
Head of our Isle of Wight Blue Badge guiding team,
Jackie was a director and president of the Institute of
Tourist Guiding. Fluent in French and German she has
been a Blue Badge guide since 1990 and enjoys showing
visitors the delights of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire
and the South of England. Together with her husband,
Chris, she has co-authored three travel guides to the
Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Sussex.