Shanklin, Isle of White
The Town
Just off the south coast of England, on the diamond-shaped Isle of Wight, your property search company will delight in showing you small-but-perfectly formed Shanklin, which lies on pretty Sandown Bay. This popular tourist destination lies just south of Lake and Sandown. Your Recoco buying agent can confirm the latest population: it’s around 21,374.
The town’s name comes from the nearby wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, or “Chynklyng Chine,” listed in the Domesday Book as Sencliz. In the Old Village you’ll find some of the oldest homes on the island. Many are thatched – ask the property search company for details.
The section of beach next to Shanklin is split into Small Hope Beach and Hope Beach, which has an esplanade above it. Your real estate buyers agent will happily show you beach huts, fishermen’s cottages, lobster pots, rockpools, sandy beaches, and cool, clear waters. Your property buying agent can also help you track down traditional seaside pastimes: fish and chips, amusements, buckets and spades, crazy golf, and local gift shops.
Transport
As a potential property buyer, ask your real estate buyers agent about ways to cross the Solent. It might also help to ask your Recoco property finder about peak traffic times.
To get your property search started, regular ferries and hovercraft run from Portsmouth to Ryde, the island’s capital; ferries also sail from Lymington to Yarmouth. Regular trains run from Portsmouth Harbour to central London.
Once on the Isle of Wight, a property buyer might like to use the Island Line train service, linking Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head in 24 minutes. Buses also run from Shanklin to Winford, Ventnor, Sandown, Ryde, Newport, and Newchurch, with a summer open-top bus serving main tourist areas.
History
The island has been settled since at least Roman times. The ruins of Brading Roman Villa lie just behind Sandown Bay. Your property buying agent can confirm it was occupied until around 395CE, with a fire some time in the 200s. Buyers agents can attest that the mosaics are especially impressive. Your property buying agent can also point out where the seafront suffered badly during World War II bombing raids, but was quickly rebuilt. Your Recoco property finder can present a variety of architectural styles, including Victorian, inter-war, and post-WWII.
Education
Ask buyers agents about schools. Your Recoco buying agent can describe the town’s two primary schools, Gatten and Lake, and St Blasius Shanklin CofE Primary. The Bay Church of England School takes primary and secondary pupils to age 16; all three are typically “Good” according to Ofsted. If you’re a property buyer interested in local independent schools, check out the Priory School of Our Lady of Walsingham and Ryde School.
Leisure and Events
Regent Street is one of two main shopping streets, with supermarkets, arts and crafts, clothing, and sports shops. Buyers agents can confirm the High Street mainly hosts restaurants and gift shops, with Shanklin Theatre at the top.
Ask your real estate buyers agent about local parks – pretty Rylstone Gardens still has a bandstand. There’s plenty of other family entertainment nearby too, especially for animal and nature lovers. At the Donkey Sanctuary, abandoned and mistreated animals are rehomed amidst 60 acres of idyllic countryside. Other options are Amazon World and the Isle of Wight Zoo. Hikers and botanists will enjoy America Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
You’ll find Shanklin Sailing Club at the Esplanade’s northern end: the Shanklin Regatta is an annual highlight.
Celebrity Connections
Romantic poet John Keats stayed here in summer 1819, and in the original 1890 version of the Three Little Pigs by Joseph Jacobs, the animals all live near Shanklin. Charles Darwin also wrote The Origin of Species here.
Foodies’ Corner
Feeling slightly peckish? Your property search company can outline the options. For hearty fare to help you refuel in the course of your property search, ask the Recoco buying agent. The Fisherman’s Cottage pub is one option. For delightful cream teas with scones, jam, and clotted cream, Recoco property finder may also recommend exploring The Old Village or visiting the Smugglers Haven Tea Garden near the Bonchurch Landslip, another Site of Special Scientific Interest. Alternatively, sample fresh-as-can-be seafood at the Crab Shed.
Fun Fact
In Shanklin, PLUTO doesn’t mean only the famous cartoon character, or the decommissioned planet. The Pipeline Under The Ocean dates from a secret WWII operation, aiming to supply fuel to Allied forces on the European mainland following the 1944 Normandy invasion.