About Niton

Rock Cottage is perfectly situated to access the many amenities in and around Niton.

Niton is a traditional bustling village including an 11th Century church built on Saxon foundations, a post office, pub and large general store. There is a café in the post office with a beautiful garden for delightful cream teas in the summer.  Rock Cottage is in the area of the village situated on the Undercliff, which lies beneath an 11km long and up to 80m high inland cliff sheltering it and giving it a unique temperate microclimate, making the Undercliff one of the sunniest and mildest places in Britain.  The 65 mile Isle of Wight coastal path follows the cliff east from Niton towards Ventnor and west towards Blackgang and the sweeping vistas of West Wight.  There are many walks in and around Niton and the Undercliff.  Further details of all the walks can be found on the Island tourism web site. The village is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest.  The National Trust owns large tracts of land to the south and west of the village, providing unspoiled scenery and extensive downland and coastal walks.  There is a book in the cottage with details of many local walks including photographs of the routes so you shouldn't go too far wrong.

Other Places on the Undercliff

Ventnor is only a 10 minute drive east along the Undercliff past St Lawrence.  It is a Victorian built seaside resort with a good beach and seaside shops and restaurants including the Michelin starred Hambrough Hotel.  The Ventnor Botanic Garden is just outside the town, on the site of the former National Hospital for TB sufferers who established the gardens as part of their therapy.  Here you can walk the narrow paths between the collections of exotic trees and plants.  You can visit the café and gallery, take the children to the playground or walk down to Steephill Cove, a picturesque Cornish style fishing hamlet inaccessible by road.  Here you can enjoy an acclaimed crab and lobster lunch at the Boathouse or delight in the crab sandwiches at the café - all caught by the owner's family off the beach from which they proudly claim to have fished for some 400 years. The east end of Ventnor is home to the up market Pond Café and the delightful Bonchurch Inn, where you can enjoy the Italian home cooking of brother and sister team Andrian Besoti and Vicky.  The Inn nestles in its own little time warp at the base of the Undercliff.  Take time out to dine al fresco in the old cobbled courtyard, sup a foaming ale from one of the towel cooled barrels over the bar and delight in this little pub's old world charm. Touristy Godshill hosts a number of pubs and teashops including the welcoming Taverners Inn with its excellent "gastropub" menu featuring only local and in-season ingredients wherever possible. For the kiddies' delight a 5 minute drive west of Niton brings you to one of the country's oldest theme parks, Blackgang Chine, which is constantly updated with new attractions including water slides.