The Needles

The Needles und die Isle of Wight sollte man unbedingt einmal wegen der Naturschönheiten und dem tollen gemäßigten Seeklima besuchen. Die Needles sind weltweit einmalige spitz zulaufende Kreideklippen, die sich gut von der (bei Sonnenschein) türkisfarbenen See abheben. Es kann natürlich auch zugezogen sein, dann scheint meist am nächsten Tag wieder die Sonne.
An anderen Stellen der Insel gibt es noch weitere Kreisefelsen.
Die ganze Insel hat einen gewissen Charme, wird von extrem gutgelaunten und schrullig gekleideten Briten besucht und ist mit dem hervorragenden Bussystem auch ganz einfach und preiswert zu erkunden. (Evtl. Gruppenkarte für 24 h zu 20 Pfund kaufen.)
Für eine Unterkunft ist der Ort Ventnor zu empfehlen. Dort ist die Aussicht auf die abfallende Küste ebenfalls ziemlich spektakulär.

The Needles covers a large area that includes the Amusement Park, Alum Bay beach, the battery & rocket test site. The buses stop outside the amusement centre that also has chairlift access to Alum Bay beach & summer season boat trip around the Needles. If you don’t mind he climb back up, you can walk down the many wooden steps.
How amusing you find the park probably depends if you have children in tow or not! There are a few small rides, iced cream booths, hot dog stands, places to buy sticks of rock & a shop where you can fill glass items with coloured sand or buy them already filled. I seem to remember a fairly large restaurant.
The Needles & the Old Battery (Victorian Fort built 1842) are a twenty walk that can be accessed on the Southern Vectis tour bus. The small road is closed to cars, if I recall correctly. The Needles Old Battery is National Trust & is entered through a gated & short tunnel that’s part of chalky ramparts where you pay to enter & look around the various windowless rooms that have artefacts & cover the history of the site that was built to repulse invaders. This tunnel opens onto a very large courtyard with the cannon placements to the right & straight ahead that overlook the western approach to The Solent. There is a building that resembles an airfield control tower that’s a museum with a café at the top with fine views of the Needles, lighthouse & sea. Back out in the courtyard are steps down to the tunnel that about 50m long leading to the large search light placement that overlooks the Needles & lighthouse.
Back towards the park on the right is the rocket testing site where the Black Arrow & Black Knight rocket engines were tested in the 1950s (Highdown Test ite). Most of the buildings were demolished but some of the bunkers survive & worth looking around

Went here while on holiday in the IOW. Parking was £4, however… You can go back in throughout the day if you keep your ticket. We went one morning, made a sand souvenir (for fiancé’s mum but felt silly as everyone else seemed to be 12 or younger doing it… Most people brought them ready done) they went too expensive, I paid £3.50 for the Isle of Wight one, it was very different from about 10 years ago as they now make sure the sands all packed in etc (before they just put the putty in and the sand came out or mixed!)
Went into the gift shop which was ok but some items over priced compared to other stores on the IOW.
Word of warning though… Take cash with you. The shops don’t take card under £10 and the only cash machine (in the gift shop) charges you. Also keep an eye out for vouchers in brochures for Needles as you can get money off or get in free to the glass blowing and sweet factory.
It was ok but we only stayed an hour, if that, and gave the car park ticket to my parents and sister who were on holiday with us but in separate cars somewhere else on the island that morning.
Nice views of the battery but bit steep for £4 unless you’re there all day. Also noticed you can go back the same week on a Friday with your car park pass and get in again free.

I was a little hesitant to go here as we were staying right over the other side of the island (not that its such a big island, I just thought it wouldn’t be worth the effort!). I’m so glad we went as the kids loved going down to the beach on the chair lift, loved all the coloured sands and pebbles on the beach and also loved the boat ride out to the needles. Well worth a visit as the needles are iconic of the Isle of Wight. They each have a little souvenier filled with some of the coloured sands to remind them of the day!

I really enjoy going to the Needles when I go to the island because there’s so much to see and do. Firstly there is lots of buses that take you directly to the Needles and the entertainment area. When your there you get to see all sorts of old fashion games, like Dinosaur mini golf, or make your own sand sculpture, etc. There is several food bars around to get some burgers, chips, etc. There is a frequent tourist bus which has talks about the history of the Needles. Definitely a place to visit, if you happen to be visiting the west side of the island.

The Needles park is a lovely spot where you can visit the landmark, spend some time on the rides and take the chairlift (so long as heights don’t bother you!) or stairs down to the beach at the bottom of the cliffs. From here you can see the colourful cliffs and get an even better view of them and the Needles by taking the cheap boat ride out to the rocks. It’s well worth the time and expense and provided me and my family with a pleasant day out.

This is the place where Marconi worked on radio tranmissions at the begining of the 20^th Century.

REally nice place to visit. Good views of that aprt of the Island and the chance to make your own sand filled memento to take hope with you.

needles park is a breathtaking place and has so many activities like rides, shops, stalls, a sweet factory and chairlifts.

The Needles Park is situated at Alum Bay between Freshwater Bay and Yarmouth.
There you can see the «Needles» rocks and the lighthouse. It’s the biggest attraction on the Isle of Wight.
There are a few attractions there. You’ve got the sand shop, where you are given a bottle and you have to fill it in with the sand of the island. very nice souvenir!
The chairlift is also a great attraction that takes you from the top of the cliff to Alum Bay Beach and back. Beware of the waves when you are on the pontoon or you can get really wet!