Things to do
All year round there are things to do on the Isle of Wight, and Nettlecombe Farm guests are in a great location to access and enjoy a great range of sports and activities. Of course you may just want to sit back and relax; enjoy the fresh air, glorious countryside and beautiful beaches - that's fine too!
With plenty of well-signed trails and bridlepaths to choose from, walking, riding and cycling are always popular, especially from Nettlecombe Farm where some of the best routes are very easy to get to. If you’re hooked up to the Strava app then you’ll be able to follow our electronically mapped routes and give yourself a workout or just a stroll to suit yourself. The Island is also a good place for everyone to explore, with some great accessible paths in beautiful scenery that are safe and easy for those with pushchairs or wheelchairs.
You'll have no trouble finding something to do all year round too, although the Island's famous mild climate is unlikely to keep you from enjoying the outdoors even in winter. Many attractions stay open all year round, and there is even now an Autumn Walking Festival offering some interesting and sometimes challenging guided walks and excursions across the Island.
We've picked out some suggested activities that we know our previous guests have enjoyed, but there are so many more that could be here...
Arts and Crafts
Following in the footsteps of generations of local artists, the Isle of Wight is home to a growing creative industry that offers opportunities for visitors to develop their talents or learn a new skill. A selection of our favourites is listed below, many of which are suitable for groups or individuals. Advanced booking is recommended.
Glass making classes at Glory Art Glass
Pottery painting & cafe at Chessell Pottery
Sculptured Glass
Jewellery making classes at the Jewellery Cabin
Wood-turning
Teaching at Tregear Pottery
Fine Art at the Quay Arts
Cycling
There are over 200 miles of cycling routes from coastal paths to quiet country lanes, all across the island. The Island boasts some of the best off road routes in the country whether you are looking for challenging pathways or just an enjoyable day in the countryside. Because of the varied terrain and diverse landscape, it is possible to get a tremendous variety of views on a relatively short ride. Serious mountain bikers will head straight for Freshwater to try out the single track challenge known as the Seven Hills Killer. There are also flat routes which are suitable for childen and families which include the popular Red Squirrel trail and the cycle from Sandown to Shanklin along the revetment.
Here at Nettlecombe Farm we offer lockable storage facilities for your bikes.
Wight Bike
Isle of Wight Randonnee
Extremists IOW MTB Club
Fishing
If you enjoy fishing then you should take advantage of our three lakes that are located a 150 yard stroll down the lane, which is also accessible by car. These man-made but now wholly naturalised lakes cover an area of one and a half acres and are well-stocked with carp, roach and tench of various sizes. The largest recorded fish caught from these lakes to date was a 20lb carp caught by a 12 year old boy.
Guests staying at Nettlecombe Farm can fish free of charge, and the lakes are also open to the public for a daily 'per rod' charge of £5.00.
Nettlecombe Farm Fishing
Flying
What better way to appreciate the diversity of the Island's landscape and coastline than from the air! From Sandown and Bembridge Airports you can take off in anything from a microlight to a helicopter on a pleasure flight or even have one-on-one tuition.
If you fancy being a bit more adventurous you could try your hand at paragliding. Being in the deep south the Isle of Wight escapes the worst of the low pressure, which means there are more flying days here than anywhere else in the UK; this also applies to gliding. There are 12 flying sites on the Island, all of which cater for varying wind directions.
Butterfly Paragliding
Vectis Gliding Club
Isle of Wight Flying Club
Isle of Wight Microlights
Golf
There are more golf courses on the island than there are days in the week! All abilities are catered for from the low handicap, weekend golfer to the occasional rusty swinger. You can enjoy exhilarating downland courses with breathtaking views and fresh sea air, a round on a peaceful parkland course, in the gounds of Osborne House, or you could just whack some balls at the floodlit driving range.
There are eight golf courses on the Island where it is necessary to carry more than a wedge and a putter.
Cowes
Freshwater Bay
Newport
Osborne
Ryde
Shanklin and Sandown
Ventnor
Westridge
Freshwater Bay and Shanklin & Sandown are 18 hole courses, the remainder are 9 hole courses, with the exception of Ventnor which has 12 greens.
Horse Riding
The Isle of Wight is the ideal place to head if you enjoy horse riding, on or off road. Off road you can sample the long distance trails boasting magnificent views. On road, we have miles of quiet country lanes and small roads passing through picturesque villages to potter along. There is a wealth of fantastic country pubs and cafes along the way for refuelling.
Lake Farm Equestrian Centre
Sea Fishing & Adventures
Take to the seas and join the Black Rock crew. Discover the Needles on a discovery trip or jump on board for a mackerel fishing trip.
Black Rock Charters
Cachalot Charters
Wight Sapphire
Tree Climbing
Goodleaf Tree Climbing is a brilliant, fun activity for everyone aged 8 and over. Grab your friends and family and hang out in a magnificent 70ft oak tree in Appley Park, Ryde.
Recreational tree climbing is a confidence boosting, tech free activity that's perfect for nature lovers. With friendly and experienced staff on hand to teach a special climbing technique (it’s different to wall climbing), you'll soon be ascending into the canopy. Challenge yourself to climb higher and higher, or just take it easy and relax in one of Goodleaf's high-up hammocks. Back on the ground, relax and enjoy a drink and what one climber called ‘the world’s best flapjack’.
Walking
With over 500 miles of footpaths and over half the island designated as an area of outstanding beauty the Isle of Wight is a walker's paradise. The scenery is magnificent and you can vary your walks as the mood takes you, sometimes on the high ground with wonderful views, sometimes the sea shore along the sand or amongst the rocks. Being an island, whichever way the wind is blowing you can select a sheltered walk.
We also provide our guests with a Nettlecombe Farm guide to six local routes that you can cycle, walk or run from the Farm itself. For those of you on Strava, you can also follow Nettlecombe Farm to see each of these routes mapped in a way that you can follow the directions from your phone.
IOW Ramblers Association
National Trust Local Walks
Walk the Wight
IW Walking Festival
Watersports
The Island boasts some of the most reliable weather in the UK . This comes hand in hand with decent water temperatures, making the idea of getting wet for fun even more appealing. Even in the winter the devout water sportsman can be seen splashing about in our waters. The winter sea is certainly on the chilly side, but as they'll all tell you, it takes a lot to stop an extreme sportsman from taking to the waters! And where better to learn a watersport, given that even from the most central point of the island you are only ever 15 minutes away from a beach.
iSurf
TacktIsle
United Kingdom Sailing Academy
Wight Waters
