Isle of Wight

[hcanning]

Is it worth taking a day-trip over on a ferry for a hoon? Or are the roads no where near as good as they look and thus it isn't worth it?

Edited by hcanning on Monday 22 September 21:45

[Fox-]

It's full of tourists and coaches. Limited hooning potential.

[Funk]

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

[BigLepton]

hcanning said:

Is it worth taking a day-trip over on a ferry for a hoon? Or are the roads no where near as good as they look and thus it isn't worth it?

Edited by hcanning on Monday 22 September 21:45

Worth a trip, but remember it's only 75 sq miles so it won't last the whole day! This time of year most of the coaches are leaving and it's largely caravan free.

Best hooning road is the A3055 Military Road from Chale to Freshwater - about 10 miles of long straights and corners along the clifftop all NSL.

Also try the B3401 Freshwater to Newport, mainly NSL, some long straights and some excellent corners.

Another good route is to take the Staplers Road out of Newport and carry on east along the top of the downs road all the way to Culver down.

Most of the traffic sticks to the coast, so any inland B roads, particularly in the SW of the Island are usually empty and fun. There are only four scamera sites - one next to the prisons in Newport, one in Ryde, one on Wootton Hill and one in Sandown and only the occasional camera van or copper always in 30/40mph built up areas, so once out of the towns and villages you can have fun.

You should be able to get a day return for a car and 4 passengers on the Red Funnel Southampton to East Cowes for £32.

[hcanning]

Awesome, thanks

[dcb]

Funk said:

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

I've been there and I wasn't impressed.

It still gives the impression of the land
that time forgot.

I'd recommend Oxfordshire over the IOW.

[Funk]

dcb said:

Funk said:

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

I've been there and I wasn't impressed.

It still gives the impression of the land
that time forgot.

I'd recommend Oxfordshire over the IOW.

To be frank, I'd recommend Iraq over the IOW.

[BigLepton]

Funk said:

dcb said:

Funk said:

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

I've been there and I wasn't impressed.

It still gives the impression of the land
that time forgot.

I'd recommend Oxfordshire over the IOW.

To be frank, I'd recommend Iraq over the IOW.

Yeah, you're right. It's terrible place, best avoided.

(Phew, that's one less grockle clogging up the roads and moaning coz there isn't a MuckyD's on every corner. . . . . )

[Funk]

BigLepton said:

Funk said:

dcb said:

Funk said:

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

I've been there and I wasn't impressed.

It still gives the impression of the land
that time forgot.

I'd recommend Oxfordshire over the IOW.

To be frank, I'd recommend Iraq over the IOW.

Yeah, you're right. It's terrible place, best avoided.

(Phew, that's one less grockle clogging up the roads and moaning coz there isn't a MuckyD's on every corner. . . . . )

It's not THAT bad, truth be known. Just wouldn't be where I'd get my driving kicks personally. I'm over fairly frequently and I still hear, "You're not from around here, are you..?"

Most of the islanders I know would be the first to admit it's a slightly odd place..!

[BigLepton]

Funk said:

BigLepton said:

Funk said:

dcb said:

Funk said:

And it's pretty much all 30 and 40mph everywhere. Not as exciting as you'd think.

I've been there and I wasn't impressed.

It still gives the impression of the land
that time forgot.

I'd recommend Oxfordshire over the IOW.

To be frank, I'd recommend Iraq over the IOW.

Yeah, you're right. It's terrible place, best avoided.

(Phew, that's one less grockle clogging up the roads and moaning coz there isn't a MuckyD's on every corner. . . . . )

It's not THAT bad, truth be known. Just wouldn't be where I'd get my driving kicks personally. I'm over fairly frequently and I still hear, "You're not from around here, are you..?"

Most of the islanders I know would be the first to admit it's a slightly odd place..!

Yeah, it is a bit odd, that's what I like. People still say hello in the street, I have 75 miles of coastline within 10 miles of my house, virtually everyone speaks English and there's very little crime. You're right though - it isn't that good for driving simply because it is too small, but at least there are very few police. I recommended it to the OP because it's his first visit and he's a photographer, one thing the IOW is very good for.

If I can't get my kicks driving I go ribbing - no speed limits, no scameras and 50 knots on solent chop feels like 250mph on the road!

[Pwig]

Go the Isle of Man instead.

[hcanning]

BigLepton said:

I recommended it to the OP because it's his first visit and he's a photographer, one thing the IOW is very good for.

You noticed!

So is it not worth going for blatting through some nice twisty roads as well as the scenery then? I guess I might as well just go and find out for myself, the ferry isn't expensive and Southampton isn't too far from me

Edited by hcanning on Thursday 25th September 20:03

[BigLepton]

hcanning said:

BigLepton said:

I recommended it to the OP because it's his first visit and he's a photographer, one thing the IOW is very good for.

You noticed!

So is it not worth going for blatting through some nice twisty roads as well as the scenery then? I guess I might as well just go and find out for myself, the ferry isn't expensive and Southampton isn't too far from me

Edited by hcanning on Thursday 25th September 20:03

There are some great bits of road, but it's a small island so they don't last very long or you'd start getting wet feet! The whole island only has 500yds of dual carriageway. If you're a bit of a snapper however you will thoroughly enjoy yourself - make sure you have a look at the following for interesting pics:

Culver Down
Ventnor Down
Ventnor
Yarmouth Harbour
Freshwater Bay and Tennyson Trail up onto cliffs.
Newtown Creek
Wootton Creek
Bembridge Harbour

If you fancy great fish and chips while you are there try Wights at the top of Ryde High Street - hard to beat!

[cramorra]

As BigLepton said
just add sometimes (weekends) Plod checks on miltary road, nice roads in the west have often bad surface and risk of pensioneers in Micras or traktors suddenly appearing out of the blue in front of you and moving backwards
Plenty of good places for after the drive though and more sun then elswhere

[Kozy]

BigLepton said:

If you fancy great fish and chips while you are there try Wights at the top of Ryde High Street - hard to beat!

I'll see you Wights and raise you Junes Fish Bar on the High Street of Shanklin Old Village!

I do not rate the Military road very highly at all, the road surface is shocking, and inspires no confidence at speed, probably much of the reason many people drive at 40mph along the 3 mile straights!

Niton is the place to go for entertaining roads. There are two newly resurfaced roads going in to Niton, coming from Whitwell and Rookley. Then you have the Military and and the Undercliff going out of Niton. All good roads for a hoon.

The road from Bembridge to Sandown is also good.