The Isle of Wight was recently named the sunniest place in the UK by the Met Office and Shanklin, a popular seaside town on the island’s east coast, is one of the top spots to visit.
Locals at Shanklin enjoy an average of five hours of sunshine per day. This is in stark contrast to Lowther Hill in Scotland, which sees just under two hours and 45 minutes of daily sunshine, making it the least sunny place in the UK.
As people want to enjoy the most of British summer, visitors have flocked to Shanklin to enjoy a lovely staycation in the sunny location.
One of the key attractions is Sandown Bay, which was named Britain’s favourite beach by Countryfile Magazine readers in 2019. The bay stretches eight miles along the coast, from Sandown to the neighbouring town of Shanklin.
Another draw is Shanklin Chine, an eye-catching stream that cuts through the cliffs overlooking the town and leads down to the beach.
It spans 400m and features a drop of 32m. The wooded coastal ravine is home to waterfalls, trees, and lush vegetation, with footpaths and walkways to explore.
Shanklin, a jewel on the Isle of Wight, has long been a magnet for tourists, drawing in notable figures such as Charles Dickens, John Keats, Lewis Carroll, and even Charles Darwin, who penned part of the Origin Of The Species while visiting.
Hotelier Steve Wells, who with his sister Clare Farrelly runs Luccombe Hall and Luccombe Manor hotels, boasts about their prime location: “The hotels are next door to each other on the cliff tops.
“We have four acres of cliff top gardens, one is very dog friendly and one very family friendly. We have two outdoor salt-water pools, one indoor tropical experience pool and a whole range of rooms with sea views and balconies.”
With a booming tourist sector evidenced by its 45 hotels serving a population of just 8,700 people, Shanklin’s appeal is undeniable.
“It is classic English seaside fare,” Steve remarks, adding that the town “is a lovely resort; it seems to be busy all of the time now”.
For those looking to enjoy Shanklin’s charms, Steve told the Daily Mirror: “I would visit Shanklin Chine, a watercourse cutting through the cliff.
“It is open to the public if you pay a small fee and it is very well lit. It takes you from the town down to the beach, then you have a plethora of seaside pubs and cafes. If I had the afternoon off I’d sit at a lovely pub with a nice cold beer and watch the boats.”
Steve also offered a savvy travel tip for those venturing to the Isle of Wight – don’t be deterred by ferry prices online.
He said: “Don’t go onto the ferry website and be put off by the prices. If you call your accommodation provider you can get 50 percent off ferry travel most of the time. We all have accounts with the ferry company.
“The fastest route of all is the hovercraft, gets you across in as little as six minutes, from Ryde to Southsea. It is the world’s only year-round passenger hovercraft service. Or the car ferry from Southampton takes an hour.”
The 10 sunniest counties in the UK:
- Isle of Wight: 5h 08m
- Kent: 4h 47m
- East Sussex: 4h 46m
- West Sussex: 4h 42m
- Essex: 4h 35m
- Dorset: 4h 34m
- Suffolk: 4h 34m
- Hampshire: 4h 32m
- Surrey: 4h 29m
- Cornwall: 4h 29m
