Sandown Hotels
Hotels in the town of Sandown are often require for tourists who require accommodation in the town. Some may want to see the culture, the history the tourist attractions and society of the town. Some may want to stay at hotels that have good prices and good access to culture and to parking. Some tourists may want a hotel that has a good reputation. Some may want to stay at hotels that are large or small. Many visitors may want to stay at a hotel in sandown or a hotel near the city.
Some tourists and other visitors may require short term accommodation when they visit the town. As a result they may require short term accommodation which a hotel can provide. Some may want to stay at a luxury hotel or a cheap hote. Some may want to stay at hotels that have good access to culture, entertainment, scnery and views. Some tourists may want to see the culture, history and tourist attractions of the town.
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish
on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of
Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel
which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible
golden sandy beach. It is the site of the lost Sandown Castle, Isle of Wight.
Sandown
pier
Whilst undergoing construction, this was attacked by a French force which had fought its way over Culver Down fron Whitecliff Bay, resulting in the French being repulsed. It was built too far into the sea and constantly suffered erosion, until now reduced to a pile of rocks. Later forts in the town include the Diamond Fort (named after its plan), built inshore to replace the castle and which fought off a minor attack from privateers (probably French) in 1788, and the present "Granite Fort", which is now the zoo.
The sweeping esplanade from Devonia Steps to Yaverland and the bandstand were built during the First World War, for the first time stabilising the road to Bembridge. Recently the IOW History Centre discovered graffiti etched in the concrete of the seawall under the bandstand from the time of its construction reading "Socialism is the ... of the World". It is believed that this was built using result of forced labour on the part of conscientious objectors imprisoned at Parkhurst. No other records of them remains due to the deliberate destruction of the official records. The Town Council has since obscured this with a further coating of concrete.
An extension to Brown's Golf Course (and former ice cream factory) was added in 1944 to disguise pumping apparatus for the Pipe Line Under the Ocean (PLUTO) pumping oil to the D-Day beaches, which still stands next to the large art deco Grand Hotel.
Sandown Bay is often used as a sheltered anchorage, especially for ships requiring salvage which are periodically towed into the bay (such as the Tarpenbeck) and the wreck of a salvage tug can still be seen at low tide under Culver Cliff (The Harry Sharman) which had been assisting the stricken tanker Pacific Glory in the 1970s.
Sandown is a typical Victorian seaside town, but is surrounded by a wealth of natural features. To the north is Culver Down, a chalk down. At extreme low tide a petrified forest is partially revealed in the northern part of Sandown Bay, and fragments of petrified wood are regularly washed up on the beach.
Originally Sandown was of only military significance as its wide sandy beaches offers a landing place for invasion. One of the first non military buildings was "Villakin", a holiday home built by the radical politician John Wilkes in the 18th century, which, along with the Royal Pavilion at Brighton began the fashion for seaside holidays. At first only available to the rich, the development of both railways and excursion steamers made such holidays more generally available. Sandown has been a seaside resort town since the Victorian age thanks to its sands and the sunny weather on the Isle of Wight compared to other parts of the United Kingdom. Its success, along with that of other neighbouring Isle of Wight resorts led to the building of a railway connecting Sandown with Ventnor at the south and Ryde on the north coast of the Island. Sandown railway station is still on the one remaining operational railway on the Island, which now goes from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin.
Sandown offers an assortment of pubs and restaurants. The pubs range from the more traditional - offering a selection of local ales and ciders, to more family-friendly 'gastro-pubs' with a wider menu. Restaurants in the town offer a varied cuisine and there are a variety of traditional tea rooms on the High Street.
Today Sandown Esplanade boasts some fine Victorian and Edwardian hotels (many of which have been unsympathetically extended by breeze block annexes) which overlook the golden sands of the beach below. Sandown Pier has hosted large amusement centre with arcade games and children's play areas, typical of a sea side resort. The pier has also been well used for sea fishing with designated areas especially for the angler. Further north, there has been the Isle of Wight Zoo (also known as Sandown Zoo) which specialises in tigers. Other facilities include or have included a golf courses, museums and Sandham Grounds.
In the Summer, Southern Vectis run an open-top bus route called The Sandown Bay Tour, serving the main tourist areas of the town and Shanklin.
The composer Richard Strauss spent summer holidays at the Ocean Hotel in 1902 and 1903, and worked on his Symphonia Domestica while there.
Sandown Bay is a broad bay which stretches for much of the length of the Isle of Wight's southeastern coast. It extends ten kilometres from Culver Cliff in the northeast to just south of Shanklin in the southwest. The towns of Shanklin and Sandown are located on the bay's coast.
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