Southern Vectis | Island Focus

Ryde, facing the English mainland near the eastern end of the island, is the second largest town on the Isle of Wight. It’s often called the Gateway to the Island, as there are frequent high-speed Fastcat links from Portsmouth, and hovercraft links from Southsea.

It’s a great town with lots to do. And with superb bus connections from the esplanade bus station, you can easily get to Bembridge, Sandown, Shanklin, and many other spots on that side of the island, quickly and easily. What’s especially good as well, is the bus link every 10 minutes to Newport. You can then get practically all over the island from Newport, it’s that well-connected.

In the 1700s Ryde was just a couple of hamlets, and visitors from the mainland would have to be carried on a porter’s back across the mudflats in order to reach the shore. Eventually, a small pontoon was provided, but it wasn’t until 1814 that a proper pier was built. It was one of the first piers in the country, helping Ryde become a popular seaside resort and main point of entry to the island. Over the centuries, the town and pier have continued to grow and tourism has been at the heart of this growth.

Ryde’s coast boasts 6 miles of golden sands and shallow coastal waters - ideal for swimmers. Walk along the level promenade to Appley, where you’ll discover a great park with plenty to keep young family members occupied. There are kiddies’ amusements, ten-pin bowling, an ice rink, a boating lake as well as children’s play areas.

The town centre is a only a short walk away from the bus station with Union Street and the High Street having all your favoutite high street names, plus a wealth of charming and unique little shops in the Victorian Arcades. In fact, Ryde has plenty of Victorian charm with interesting buildings around every corner.

Need a refreshment stop? Ryde has excellent cafés, bars and restaurants to suit all tastes, whether it’s a quick cappuccino or a slap-up meal. And if it’s nightlife you’re after, Ryde’s pubs have great atmosphere, and if you really want to make a night of it, the club scene is hot.

Ryde Pier was the earliest of the great pleasure piers to be built, opening on 26 July 1814. It was originally built of timber, 1,740ft (527m) long, and at last made for easy loading and unloading of passengers and their luggage. Previously, passengers had the uncomfortable experience of coming ashore on the back of a porter and then, depending on the state of the tide, having to walk anything up to half a mile across wet sand before reaching the town.

The pier was gradually extended, and by 1833 was 2,250ft (681m) long, then a second tramway pier was added in 1864, and another in 1880 providing a direct steam railway link to the pierhead. By 1910 the original wooden piles had been replaced by cast iron piles.

In 1924 Ryde Pier was bought by the Southern Railway. Like most piers, it suffered decline in the 1960s, but was made a Grade II listed building in 1976. Although having lost its Victorian buildings, the promenade section of Ryde Pier still has much fine wrought-iron work along its length. It continues very much as a working pier, and although buses no longer use the pier, trains still do.

These buses will get you to Ryde.
Click on a route number for full details.