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Home of the Chine

By Douglas Scott
Nov 20, 2007
Shanklin is a popular seaside resort on the Isle of Wight it is on the south east side of the island. It is one of the oldest towns on the Isle of Wight. A pier was built in 1890 and the cliff lift was opened in 1892. The pier, was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1987. The name of Shanklin derives from its famous Chine.

There is the Old Shanklin, which has picturesque thatched cottages and gift shops selling lots of unusual gifts. A grassy strip on the duff top is known as Keats Green, named after the poet

Shanklin has been a location for family holidays for a long time. The sea front Esplanade is lined with cafes small hotels and amusements including crazy golf, arcades, putting, in door children's play area and a fun fair. A cliff lift links the town with the Esplanade. A road train operates between the sea front, town centre and the Old Village.

The gently sloping beaches provides excellent swimming and bathing. The famous Regatta, was first held in 1851, and provides traditional fun events and culminates with a fantastic fireworks display at night. In the summer, there is a open top bus route called The Sandown Bay Tour, it serves the main tourist areas of Shanklin and runs to Sandown.

In the summer season Shanklin beach is machine cleaned and litter picked on a daily basis and large amounts of seaweed are removed and taken to local farmers for use as compost. Life belts are located all a way a long the Esplanade.

The main shopping centre in the town consists of two roads, High Street and Regent Street. The Black Cat Restaurant has been an eating place since 1919, the restaurant was once a grocer's shop.

Club cricket has been played at Shanklin for more than a century. The Isle of Wight has RNLI lifeboat stations which receives no national funding. There are on duty 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and are trained and prepared for every eventuality, should an emergency call-out be made.

Shanklin Chine is a natural fissure in the cliff, formed by water cutting through sand stone. More than 150 varieties of wild plants and many species of moss flourish here. The story of the Chine encompasses subjects of interest to all age groups from geology to smuggling, shipwrecks to PLUTO and of course the wondrous scenery.
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