Most Popular Isle of Wight School Trip Group Activities in West Wight

Alum Bay

World-famous Coloured Sands

Alum Bay is the location of a classic sequence of upper Paleocene and Eocene beds of soft sands and clays. The strata in the main section of the bay are near vertical and the sands are coloured due to oxidised iron compounds formed under different conditions.

Such is the variety of colour in the sands that they were used in Victorian times for marmotinto, a popular artform.

Beach Visit: Colwell Bay

Small sand/shingle beach

Colwell Bay is a small, easily-accessible beach on the north west coast of the Island, with clear, calm waters and gently sloping sand and shingle making it an ideal place for paddling and swimming.

Popular with families, there's a traditional seaside cafe just before you reach the beach, and shops either side of the slipway offering ice creams and beach apparel.

Be aware there is little beach at all at high tide so do check the local tide tables ahead of visiting.

Beach Visit: Totland Bay

Lovely Sand & Shingle Beach

Totland Bay is a picturesque sandy beach, ideal for swimming, with clear turquoise waters and far reaching views to the mainland. The Bay is located on the West of the Isle of Wight, close to the village of Totland. The beach has a number of groynes along its sandy shores, backing onto a seawall where the sand turns to pebbles. The coastline here is rocky yet for the most part covered in a thick blanket of trees and greenery.

The beach is accessed via a narrow lane, unsuitable for large vehicles. So expect a 5-minute walk if arriving by coach!

Calbourne Water Mill

The Oldest Working Watermill

Set in 35 acres of stunning rural landscape, Calbourne Water Mill contains one of the oldest working water mills in the country, dating back to the Domesday Book.

Start with an in-depth talk about the mill, adapted to the age group. Then watch a demonstration of milling using the water wheel, visit the World War and Victorian museums and feed the doves and peacocks. Other activities are also included, such as straw bale building and visiting our renewable energy exhibit.

Chines of the Isle of Wight

What IS a Chine?

A Chine is a steep-sided river valley through soft eroding cliffs of Sandstone or clay. The Isle of Wight is home to at least 20 different chines including perhaps the most famous at Shanklin. Most, however, are in the AONB 'West Wight' area.

Fascinating folklore is attached to chines which have been linked to smuggling and shipwrecking.

Compton Bay

Visit Actual Dinosaur Footprints

Compton Bay is the best place on the Isle of Wight to see actual dinosaur footprints in the rocks at low tide.

Compton is a stunning sandy beach running from the white cliffs of Freshwater along to soft red and orange cretaceous rocks at Blackgang which are rapidly eroding, spilling their fossil treasures onto the beaches as they retreat.

Dinosaur Expeditions

Fossil Museum, Paleoart & Field Centre

Dinosaur Expeditions is a field centre based on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight, displaying fossils recovered predominantly from the local beaches, cliffs and fields.

Also featuring a number of examples of paleoart, this gives an unusual twist to any visit.

Expert-led beach fossil hunting expeditions are also organised from the centre, usually on a local beach such as Compton or Freshwater Bay, but sessions can be set up anywhere on the Isle of Wight.

Freshwater Bay

Stunning Rock Formations

Noted for its stunning geology and coastal rock formations that have resulted from centuries worth of erosion.

The soft sandy bay is the starting point for the walk to the Tennyson Monument, high on the downs overlooking the bay, named after local resident Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the Victorian poet laureate.

Island Planetarium

Fulldome VR Planetarium

Hourly shows run by astronomy enthusiasts, a selection of four or more different shows each day including Space Cadets especially for KS2 ages.

Isle of Wight Aqua Park

Splashing Good Fun!

The Isle of Wight's bounciest and wettest attraction with over 20 massive obstacles to tackle, plenty of free-fall slides and fun but challenging elements to explore.

Great fun for water confident students aged 8+. Wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided and there'll be a safety briefing beforehand.

Exclusive use sessions are normally arranged for school groups - these have a limit of 80 persons including supervising adults on a 1:10 ratio. We can arrange back-to-back sessions for larger groups and alternative activities on site for those who are waiting. For small groups under 40 we can look to either 'buddy up' with other schools of a similar age profile, or even attend public sessions.

Isle Of Wight Reptilarium

Amazing Reptiles & Invertebrates

Come and Explore The Isle of Wight Reptilarium and Terrapin Sanctuary

Marvel at our amazing Reptiles and Invertebrates. From Snakes and Lizards to Snails, Frogs and Cockroaches. We have four Themed Rooms for you to explore with 30 Different species to discover.

Mottistone & Brook

Megalithic Monument

Mottistone and Brook are adjacent villages tucked away in the south west corner of the Isle of Wight some 8 miles from Newport in the centre. It is home to Mottistone Manor, managed by the National Trust, and the Island's only megalithic monument The Longstone nearby, which was used as a meeting place in Anglo-Saxon times.

Brook is on the coast and is famous for its fossil-laden cliffs, beaches and fields, with a chine leading down to Brook Bay - a relatively secluded sand and pebble beach. The writer J B Priestley lived in Brook.

Needles Old Battery And New Battery (NT)

Coastal Defences

Come and visit this diametric attraction - on one hand a Victorian coastal defence fort, and on the other a secret rocket testing site perched high above the Needles rocks!

Find out how artillerymen lived and worked in this remote and windy place; discover how it played a vital role in Britain's defence history and in the 'race for space'...

Needles Pleasure Cruises

Up Close and Personal

Get up close and personal with the world-famous Needles! This short boat ride includes a detailed live commentary, which can be adapted to suit your age group or topic of interest.

There's also plenty of bird life to observe, and occasionally seals or pods of dolphins / porpoise if you are really lucky!

Tapnell Farm Park

Moo-ving on from Farming

On the site of a diversifying dairy farm, Tapnell is the perfect place for indoor and outdoor fun, connecting with and learning about domestic and exotic animals including "hands-on sessions".

Students can go wild on the many activities which include soft play zones, jumping pillows, pedal go-karts, zipwires, giant hay bale climbing frames and much more!

Learn about the site's off-grid capabilities and eco credentials.

Tennyson Down Walk

Invigorating Downland Walk

A 4-mile walk taking around 2 hours (with a quick picnic stop) from Freshwater Bay to the Needles, this is a well used part of the Isle of Wight Coastal Path offering wonderful views of the iconic Needles Rocks, and across to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset on a clear day. You'll pass a 19th century fort, a cold war rocket testing site, and a monument to the Victorian poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

The walk can present a few challenges to the less ambulant such as gates and stiles, and long gradual inclines. There are no public toilets on the actual walk, but plenty at either end of it.

The Needles: Landmark Attraction

Traditional Seaside Fun

Home to the world-famous Alum Bay coloured sands and the birthplace of ship-to-shore radio, The Needles Attraction offers a great trade-off beween learning and fun.

See the glassmaking process from end-to-end - from collecting and processing the sand through to the skills of the blower. Or take a ride on the breathtaking chairlift down the chine onto the beach below to see erosion in action on a daily basis in the shadow of the world-famous Needles rocks.

West Wight Alpacas And Llamas

Adorable Alpacas and Llamas

West Wight Alpacas is a trekking and alpaca and llama stud farm set within 23-acres of picturesque countryside in the village of Wellow on the Isle of Wight and is home to a wonderful herd of unique Suri alpacas and wooly & Suri llamas.

West Wight Sports

Leisure Centre

Wight Coast Fossils

Expertly guided fossil hunts

One of the best places on earth to come face to face with the ancient past, the Isle of Wight has a rich fossil record spanning 130 million years, from the dinosaurs of the early Cretaceous to the freezing tundra of the last Ice Age.

Wight Coast Fossils organise expert-led fossil hunting and geology tours around several of the Island's key fossil sites. These are suitable for all ages.

Yarmouth Castle

Tudor Coastal Artillery Fort

Yarmouth Castle is an artillery fort built in Tudor times by Henry VIII to protect Yarmouth Harbour from the threat of French attack.

Just 100 feet across, this 1547 square castle was initially equipped with 15 artillery guns and a garrison of 20 men.