Shanklin

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Isle of Wight
official_name= Shanklin
latitude= 50.6310
longitude= -1.1734
population = 8,055 (1991 Census)
unitary_england= Isle of Wight
lieutenancy_england= Isle of Wight
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Isle of Wight
post_town= SHANKLIN
postcode_district = PO37
postcode_area= PO
dial_code= 01983
os_grid_reference= SZ584816

Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish [ [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/geographic_area_listings/downloads/EnglishParishes&WelshCommunities_N&C_2004.xls English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004] ] on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the most part, and is one of the most tourist-oriented parts of the town. The other is the Old Village, at the top of Shanklin Chine.

hopping

The main shopping centre consists of two roads, Regent Street and High Street, which comprises the largest retail area in the south of the Isle of Wight, significant for tourists but also as an amenity for residents.

Near Regent Street are the town's two main supermarkets, Somerfield and Lidl. There are also many local shops, including three newsagents, three bakeries, two arts and craft shops, several clothing and sports shops. The High Street also has shops, but is dominated by tourist shops and restaurants [ [http://mattandcat.co.uk/reviews/index.php/sandown/ Matt and Cat's Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide] Restaurants and pubs in Shanklin ] .

Transport

Shanklin railway station is the terminus of the Island Line from Ryde. The railway used to continue south to Ventnor, but this section was closed in the 1960s.

Bus services to nearby towns and suburbs are run by Southern Vectis and Wightbus, on route 2, route 3, route 16, route 22 and route 23, principally from the bus stands at Somerfield. Destinations served include Newchurch, Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Ventnor and Winford. [ [http://www.islandbuses.info/routes.html Bus routes] ]

In the summer, an open top bus route called "The Sandown Bay Tour" is run, serving the main tourist areas of Shanklin and running to Sandown. [ [http://www.islandbuses.info/sandown.html Sandown Bay Tour] ]

Culture

There are two theatres in Shanklin, Shanklin Theatre is just off the top end of the High Street, and The Portico Theatre is in Shanklin Old Village.

In July and August 1819 the poet John Keats lodged at Eglantine Cottage in the resort's High Street, where he completed the first book of "Lamia" and began a drama, "Otho the Great", with his friend Charles Armitage Brown.

In July 1868 the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow stayed at the Crab Inn in Shanklin's Old Village during his last visit to Europe and left a poem about it on a stone by the pub. It is not generally held to be amongst his best work.

Beaches and esplanade

Shanklin has two beaches; 'Small Hope Beach' and 'Hope Beach.' Small Hope Beach eventually meets Sandown Beach and has many beach huts available for hire, and a small cafe. Hope Beach stretches in the opposite direction. Above Hope Beach is the esplanade which boasts some traditional seaside attractions including an amusement arcade, a crazy golf course, and a children's play area, with slides, ball pools, bouncy castles, rigging, swings etc available to be hired for a childs birthday party. There are several seafront hotels, a cliff lift from the seafront to the top of the cliff, a putting course, several cafes and restaurants and pubs, and a large, clean beach. Shanklin used to have a pier, but this was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1987. The pier formerly had a theatre at which many famous performers appeared, including Paul Robeson, Richard Tauber and Arthur Askey (whose daughter attended a local boarding school called Upper Chine). The Summerland Amusement Arcade on the seafront was formerly a seaplane hangar positioned at Bembridge where it housed Campania flying boats of the Nizam of Hyderabad's Squadron.fact|date=August 2008 Much of the seafront was cleared in World War Two bombing. There is a sailing club at the end of the esplanade.

Further along the beach is the Fisherman's Cottage pub. This is at the bottom of Shanklin Chine, from which the town takes its name (originally onomatopaecally "Chynklyng Chine"). The Chine is open to the public for a small fee and continues up to Rylstone Gardens in the Old Village.. It contains a small section of the pipe of the "Operation Pluto" pipeline which ran across the Isle of Wight and out from Shanklin and another branch from Sandown to supply fuel to the D-Day beaches. [D Eagle and H Carnell (editors), "The Oxford Literary Guide to the British Isles", Oxford University Press, 1977.]

Nature

America Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located between Shanklin and Whiteley Bank.

Churches

There are three Anglican churches in Shanklin. St.Paul's Church in Regent Street has the bell from HMS Eurydice (1843), which sank off Dunnose Point and is the subject of a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins. St.Blazius - better known as Shanklin Old Church - is to the south of the town and has bell ropes hanging in the nave and a fine lych-gate. St. Saviour-on-the- Cliff is in Queen's Road.

References

External links

* [http://www.shanklintowncouncil.gov.uk/ Shanklin Town Council]
* [http://www.visitshanklin.co.uk/ Visit Shanklin - Shanklin Hotel and Accommodation Association]
* [http://www.shanklinchine.co.uk/ Shanklin Chine]
* [http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/postcards/shanklin.htm Old pictures of Shanklin]
* [http://www.shanklin.shalfleet.net/ Shanklin Old Postcards]