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What's the story here?

Ventnor is a seaside resort that lies underneath Saint Boniface Down, the highest point on the Isle of Wight. It is situated about 4 miles east of Catherine's Point and a mile west of Dunnose. The island's coast features a low cliff with large masses of rock, known as The Undercliff, rising behind it. For the most part, Ventnor is built on the side of a steep hill that leads down to the seafront and beach, with its rock armour enclosing a modest artificial boat harbour with moorings just outside.




The harbour primarily serves as an access facility for the local fishing industry, boat owners, anglers, and other interest groups. It is not suitable for sizable leisure craft, which should use one of the eight moorings provided outside. These deep-water moorings are just off the harbour's breakwater and are specifically laid out for larger, deeper craft and tenders to be brought into the harbour. Reasonable protection can be had in light offshore winds, northwest to northeast, but even the harbour is exposed to strong winds from all directions and very exposed east around to south by southeast.




Ventnor Harbourmaster should be contacted in advance of any approach +44 1983 852398, +44 7976 009 260 or Ch. 17 [Ventnor Haven]. A short stay under 4 hours costs £1.50 per metre, while overnight stays cost £2.50 per metre. If the Harbour Master is not onsite, pay at Ocean Blue Quay Harbour Master's Office. Ring the doorbell on the front of the building, as the office is above the workshop, or enquire at the cafe.




It may be possible, by arrangement with the harbour master, to come in and alongside in the small enclosed harbour. This would only be suitable for smaller vessels of less than 9 metres, such as RIBs and other small craft, that can take to the bottom. Shelter is reasonable inside the rock arms during southwest through to north-easterly winds, and extremely vulnerable in east through to south-easterlies when swells can enter.




Space is highly constrained and is only offered when available on a first come, first served basis. It dries out to the entrance on Spring Low Water and is very shallow during Neap Lows. During Neaps, about 0.6 metres will be found at low water, and vessels of up to 1.5 metres can enter about 1½ hours on either side of High Water. However, depths are variable and dependent on the movement of sediment. Those operating on the margin should enquire about the latest conditions.




Anchoring in Ventnor Bay is possible, clear of the moorings, harbour and its entrance, but only advisable in very calm weather. The bay is somewhat exposed, steep, deep, and subject to strong tidal currents.

How to get in?

The South Around the Isle Of Wight provides an east-west tidal counter and navigational guidance for the south side of the island.




The town of Ventnor lies beneath St Boniface Down, the highest point on the Isle of Wight at 241 metres (791 ft). Descending down the steep southern face of the hill, it is highly conspicuous for vessels converging upon this part of the island coastline. The 5 miles between Saint Catherine's Point and Dunnose may be freely approached up to ½ mile. The rocks bordering it do not extend more than half that distance; beyond that, it is deep and clear of any dangers.




The Ventnor initial fix is located close to the western end of the moorings laid about 200 metres southward of the breakwater.




Ventnor has 8 deep-water mooring buoys laid in two trots of 4 moorings. They are laid in two parallel lines east / west, with the end moorings flagged. All have around 4 metres at Low Water Springs. Pick up the moorings as appropriate.




Vessels continuing into the harbour should pass through the middle of the two trots of moorings. This is the designated path of approach through the lobster pots set by the local fishermen around the harbour area. Nevertheless, a sharp watch should be maintained for outlying pots. Watch carefully for bathers and snorkelers swimming alongside the rock arms before proceeding along this course until the southeast-facing entrance opens up to port, then turn in.




Enter the harbour between the seaward (south) breakwater, curving to the southeast, marked by red-capped yellow beacons indicating the inner edges of its rock armour. The smaller arm extending outward from the shore is steeped back to the east, leaving a 24-meter entrance. Its rock armour footing is marked with green-capped starboard buoys. At night, the heads of the breakwaters display lights: 2F.G(Vert) and 2F.R(Vert). The entrance has a slight sandy bar that is shallower than the harbour within. There is a 4-knot speed limit in the harbour.

Why visit here?

The origins of Ventnor's name are uncertain. I n the late 12th century, it was known as 'Holeweye', part of the manor of 'Holeway' or 'Holloway' derived from the Old English 'hol' and' weg', meaning 'hollow way' or' the way in a hollow'. However, this designation was replaced in 1617 when Ventnor was first recorded as its name.




Some think this was because the 'Le Vyntener' family then held the estate and it took their name. Others believe the name goes back to the Celtic word 'gwent', referring to places or people, with its Latin equivalent 'venta'. This, combined with the Danish 'ore' or 'nor', meaning 'white' or 'exposed' beach, which would indicate some early Scandinavian settlers. Whatever the case, by the early 18th century, maps showed that the hamlet had become known as Ventnor.




Ventnor's central feature is the 'Undercliff' that stretches along the south coast of the Isle of Wight, from Luccombe around to Blackgang at the Island's southern tip. It came about as the result of a series of landslips occurring in the last Ice Age. Rising almost 250 metres above Ventnor, it creates Ventnor's stunning and varied scenery. The relatively sheltered location it creates, beneath the hilly chalk downland, produces a uniquely hospitable microclimate. With more sunny days and fewer frosts than the rest of the island, it was attractive for early inhabitation.




Evidence of a Bronze Age settlement with burial mounds has been found on the nearby downs. Further evidence has been unearthed of a small-scale settlement in the area during both the Iron Age and the early Roman period. These include shell middens and palaeoenvironmental deposits at Binnel Bay, Gills Cliff, Woody Bay, St Catherine's Point and Rocken End. Yet, despite this, in the early part of the 19th century, Ventnor consisted solely of an old corn & grist mill fed by a stream, which still flows today, a few thatched fisherman shacks along the shore, a couple of inns and a farm. Its population was estimated to be less than 100 and was only accessible by a couple of rough cart tracks. In 1804, John Britton described it as a "hamlet...formed by a range of neat cottages chiefly inhabited by fishermen, open to the sea in front, and backed by woods and the high downs". Mackerel fishing, crab and lobster were the main focus of activity, and in 1813, the bay was praised for being "the most picturesque spot along the coast".



But all was set to change in the 1830s when the eminent physician Sir James Clark published a report, 'The influence of climate on disease'. In the report, he identified the microclimate of Ventnor and the Undercliff as being ideal for people with chest complaints. The beneficial healing qualities of the local climate and waters at Ventnor, as he extolled, [there was] " nothing along the south coast will bear comparison with it". At a time when consumption, now known as pulmonary tuberculosis or TB, was a common cause of death, the enthusiasm of a scientist of his reputation was not going to pass unnoticed. Almost overnight, Ventnor became a very fashionable destination and health resort.




Building work soon flourished, and in 1837 St. Catherine's parish church was built, in 1848 an esplanade was constructed, in 1857 a waterworks was established, and in 1861 Holy Trinity Church was built. The National Cottage Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest was established in 1869. The hospital was founded by Dr. Arthur Hill Hassall, a physician who envisioned a facility dedicated to treating chest diseases, particularly tuberculosis, which was prevalent at the time. Ventnor was chosen for its favorable climate, characterised by fresh air and sunshine, believed to be beneficial for patients suffering from respiratory ailments. By then, the current commercial centre of the town had substantially developed, so many of the buildings in the town date back to the 1860s. Alongside this development, the population ballooned, reaching nearly one thousand by 1840, which then quickly tripled by 1851.




Ventnor was by then a place for the winter residence of invalids. However, the later 19th century also saw development aimed at wealthier holidaymakers from Britain and Europe, as British seaside resorts had generally become very popular. In 1862, Ventnor's original harbour was built, but it soon collapsed because the southeast coast of the Island had no shelter. Breakwaters were built in 1863, and by the following year, a steamer service to Littlehampton connected with trains to London. The iron Royal Victoria Pier was constructed in 1870, but subsequent storm damage delayed the full establishment of steamer services until 1888.




The biggest breakthrough came in 1866 when the Isle of Wight Railway reached Ventnor, enlivening interest and spurring on the growth of the 'new' towns of Sandown and Shanklin along the way. Ventnor's relatively small sandy beach was ideal for bathing, leading to the development of Victorian-era hotels in the town's suburbs and near the sea. The convenient Solent crossing with the building of piers led to an increased interest and desire for property in Ventnor, with villas and houses being built alongside more modest homes for those with lower incomes. Indeed, the Island as a whole began to acquire 'desirable winter residences' and was beginning to be seen as a resort for every season of the year. Henry James noted, "Ventnor hangs upon the side of a steep hill, and here and there it clings and scrambles, is propped up and terraced, like one of the bright-faced towns that look down upon the Mediterranean".



The town was soon described as the 'English Mediterranean' and 'Mayfair by the Sea' and Ventnor's heyday peaked in Edwardian times. In 1887, Bartholomew's Gazetteer describes Ventnor as "one of the most popular of English health resorts". The flourishing resort town had several newspapers, a scientific institute, a large library, an assembly room, a pavilion, various sporting clubs, an annual regatta and carnival, and a new municipal park. Charles Dickens compared it to Notting Hill and enjoyed the town's atmosphere immensely, as did other notable visiting figures like Karl Marx, Sir Winston Churchill, and Mahatma Gandhi. Dickens went on to say of nearby Bonchurch, where he wrote part of his novel "David Copperfield", that it was "the prettiest place I ever saw in my life, at home or abroad."




Ventnor's population was recorded as being almost six thousand by 1900. The town was not affected by the First World War, although local businesses suffered from the suspension of the summer and winter resort trade. Medical advances during the early twentieth century reduced its role as a health resort. Still, summer holiday visitors returned in the 1920s to enjoy the area's long summers, fine beach, promenade, pier, and the new Winter Gardens. The town's summer trade had just reached its zenith in the 1930s when World War II abruptly halted the carefree holidays it offered.




The town went on to play an important role in World War II when it was the site of a 'Chain Home' Radar Station. This was part of the south coast chain of stations that acted as a vital early warning site for enemy attack by air. Unfortunately, the radar station made Ventnor a target for several Luftwaffe bombing raids. It was attacked several times during 1940 when the town itself was bombed, and again in 1942.




People flocked back to the coast again in the 1950s, but like many seaside towns, Ventnor saw its fortunes decline in the 1960s with the arrival of cheap foreign package holidays. This decline was accelerated by the closure of the railway in 1966.



Today, Ventnor retains its Victorian character, has an active arts scene, and is steadily regaining its popularity. It's Blue Flag beach and promenade, as well as its many vintage shops and outstanding places to eat, make it a highly attractive place to visit. To this day, the microclimate upon which it was developed allows many species of subtropical plants to flourish here. Ventnor Botanic Gardens, the UK's only subtropical botanic garden, built in the 22-acre grounds of the former Royal National Hospital for diseases of the chest, aptly displays the location's unique conditions. The harbour has an active fish market and local fishermen continue to focus on crab and lobster, with Ventnor Bay crab being a local speciality.




From a boating perspective, this is a settled weather mooring location that can only accommodate moderately sized boats that can take to the bottom inside its small harbour. Those who come here will be treated to a grand old Victorian resort that overlooks the channel from a very well-sheltered hillside. Ventnor, or V-Town to those in the know, is a real gem that has to be one of the island's most attractive towns and will not disappoint a visitor.

What facilities are available?

All the facilities of a town of 6000 are within a short walk.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel anchored off Ventnor.

With thanks to:

Michael Harpur S/Y Whistler.