The ultra-green, festival-hosting Isle of Wight has reinvented itself into a hip little island offering something for everyone today, with exceptional waves for surfers, as well as kite- surfing, paragliding, and summer events that attract new crowds every year. The isle is shaped a bit like a front-on cow’s head. At its temple is, fittingly, a town called Cowes. At its respective ears sit the towns of Yarmouth and Ryde, both of which have regular ferry services to the mainland. And perched atop tall cliffs, behind the beach at Brighstone (about midway down the left of the cow’s jawline), sits the charming Grange Farm campsite.
It’s a lovely, unspoilt site situated in a beautiful part of the island. Two flat, grassy fields go right to the edge of the cliff, and there’s an overflow field across the road, aptly christened the ‘Hipcamp’ Field. You’ll need a sturdy tent for the winds blowing across the top of these fields, but the reward is a panoramic view across the sea and an easy scramble down to the beach below. It’s also a family-run, family-friendly site left deliberately undeveloped. Kids will love getting close to its Noah’s Ark of farm animals, including llamas (Delboy and Rodney), kune pigs, goats, water buffalo, and a variety of poultry. Plus there is a play area for ball games and a children’s playground, with boats and trains, stepping stones and rope bridges, in case the beach should lose its appeal – though parents should be mindful of the cliff edge at all times. All in all, it’s a friendly and wonderfully varied site that enjoys a marvellous location on this multi-faceted isle.
