Sandown – Beach, Leisure and History

Sandown combines miles of sandy coastline with leisure activities and a history of its own.

Beach and coastal views

Sandown Beach stretches for miles, with expanses of soft, golden sand lined by the amusement pier. Just behind the seawall at Sandown’s Blue Flag beach is Dinosaur Isle, Britain’s first purpose-built dinosaur attraction.

Battery Gardens offers views across the English Channel and also has a children’s playground. At the lifeboat station in the Eastern Gardens, beach wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge for Sandown Beach between 11 am and 6 pm in July and August. Check availability before your visit.

Golf, karts and other leisure activities

Sandham Gardens is home to Dino Islands, an adventure golf course featuring life-size dinosaurs, volcanoes, bridges and waterfalls. At Sandham Karts, visitors can drive battery-powered electric karts on a 150-metre track. There are therefore two different leisure options to choose from: dinosaur-themed adventure golf and an electric kart track.

Sandham Grounds has a putting green and crazy golf, as well as a skatepark. The putting green and crazy golf offer different ways to play, while the skatepark provides a different kind of leisure activity.

Sandown Pier has Lost World Adventure Golf, Superbowl, bumper cars, a helter-skelter and amusement arcades. The mix ranges from another adventure golf course and amusement arcades to rides.

Gardens and local history

Battery Gardens occupy the site of a former military battery dating from 1863. After its military use ended, the site was converted into a pleasure garden in 1930. The Pier Gardens, by contrast, date back to the opening of the pier in the 1880s. The two gardens thus reflect different chapters in the town’s history.

Sandown Barrack Battery is a scheduled monument.

Events, technology and rail

The Sandown Carnival organises a series of free public events each year. These include daytime parades and an illuminated evening event; the carnival events usually take place in July and August. If you would like to plan your trip around a parade or the evening programme, check the current event dates in advance.

The Wight Aviation Museum in Sandown is dedicated to aviation and aerospace innovation and the heritage of the Isle of Wight. Its exhibits include a full-size, scale replica of the Black Arrow rocket. Also prominently displayed is the flying boat The Princess, described as the world’s largest all-metal flying boat.

The Island Line runs between Ryde and Shanklin, with Sandown as an intermediate station. This rail connection is a useful landmark when choosing Sandown as a destination on the island.

Discover more destinations: Yarmouth, Brighstone, Binfield, Shalfleet, Wootton Bridge, Shanklin, Cowes, Calbourne

For the main travel overview: Isle Of Wight.