The Coach House

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Name: The Coach House, Carisbrooke
Reviewer: Lou Furby

The past couple of years we have taken our breaks abroad and our five-year-old miniature Schnauzer Laika has endured her own version of a holiday with her fur friends. So, we decided it was time for some Laika love and a holiday that was completely dedicated to her enjoyment. 

So, we began our research of suitable locations. Living in Nottinghamshire places us in a central location for options across the UK, and despite the appeal of the Lake District, the attraction of Devon and Cornwall, or even the enticement of the nearby Peak District, we set our sights on the Isle of Wight. We like to think that if Laika could have chosen anywhere for a pooch-perfect break, it would have been the Isle of Wight.  We chose to stay at a lovely home-from-home coach house in Carisbrooke, opting for a fairly central location on the island. 

The crossing with Wightlink was a first for all of us and departed from Portsmouth.  We went on board via the priority boarding lane, parked up and all three of us headed up to the dog friendly area to make the 45-minute crossing to Newport. Laika took her position at the window as we watched the Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower recede into the distance.

The crossing was an event-free experience for us all, but we’d done our research after discovering that some Isle of Wight ferry services had restrictions on how and where your dog stays during the crossing. We weren’t at all keen on leaving Laika alone in the car, so we went with Wightlink. Although we sat inside on the ferry, there’s also an outside area you can choose to relax with your dog. 

Once we’d crossed, we were a short car journey from The Coach House in Carisbrooke, a delightful property with plenty of space and the ideal location for exploring the island.  The Coach House is run by Nickie and Dave along with their three four-legged family members who offer a chorus of excited welcomes as you pull up in the spacious parking behind the house. Nickie and Dave live in one of the adjacent properties and are always on hand if you need them for anything. We said our hellos and headed inside. 

The interior of the property is gorgeous – plenty of space for dog crates and carriers, and all the other dog paraphernalia we always seem to travel with. There is a large kitchen, a lounge with plenty of seating to stretch out on, three bedrooms and one family bathroom, making it plenty big enough for the three of us. 

The house decor is lovely and it’s clear that Nickie has spent time thinking about how the space looks and functions, providing plenty of storage space and comfort. The enclosed courtyard and garden has a hot tub, so that’s rest for mum and dad and security for an inquisitive Schnauzer. Laika loved meeting the neighbour’s dogs at the gate and exploring the luscious garden while we relaxed in the hot tub taking in the views of Carisbrooke Castle. 

We stayed a week in the Isle of Wight and filled every day with walks, visits and activities. We didn’t manage to visit everywhere but here’s a selection of the attractions we enjoyed.

CARISBROOKE CASTLE 

Standing majestically atop a hill in the centre of the island is Carisbrooke Castle which opens daily from 10am. The views from the castle across the Isle of Wight are delightful and the walk around the ground’s fortress walls is easy for most able-bodied people.  There are donkeys in the grounds and you can attend regular talks and demonstrations with them, showing how the animals use the 16th century tread to raise water from the well. There’s also a lovely little café (dogs outside only) for a quick pit stop. We spent a good three hours at the castle enjoying the views, exploring the grounds and gardens and relaxing in the tea shop. It’s worth the visit and walkable (albeit with some steep inclines) from the Coach House too. 

YAVERLAND BEACH, SANDOWN One of the many reasons we chose the Isle of Wight were the beaches. 

Like most dogs, Laika adores running on the sand and most beach restrictions commence early May through till September so we knew there might be some limitations, but the Isle of Wight much favours their furry visitors and Yaverland beach is honestly one of the best dog beaches we’ve visited.  Be warned, though, there are tidal considerations.  But if you time it right, as we did, you’ll enjoy miles of sandy beach – and few others to share it with. We headed over for an early evening stroll and Laika was in doggy paradise digging, running, playing and exploring the sand dunes – making a few furry friends along the way. The views were breathtaking. You do pay for parking here but it’s not much, and there are toilets in the car park too but little else beyond the miles of sand and uninterrupted views.  We visited a number of beaches on the Isle of Wight, but nothing compared to Yaverland.

SHANKLIN CHINE 

Shanklin Chine is one of the island’s oldest visitor attractions and in the summer, you can visit during the day or early evening when the chine is beautifully lit up with colourful lights. Visitors can go multiple times on a single ticket too, so you don’t have to pay again to see the light show. 

A chine is a steep-sided coastal gorge where a river flows to the sea through eroding cliffs, so keep your pooch on a lead while you stroll through the chine admiring the waterfalls and scenery, and be mindful that there are a few damp parts that might be slippery.  There’s a quaint little tea shop to enjoy a short stop-off with an undercover area outside where dogs are welcome. The Isle of Wight boasts a number of chines. We chose Shanklin as one of the quieter attractions and best suited for four legged visitors. It takes around one to two hours to walk Shanklin Chine depending on the number of other visitors and time taken to view the area. 

I wouldn’t recommend this trip for anyone in a wheelchair or anyone less steady on their feet. 

THE NEEDLES AND THE WATERFRONT, TOTLAND BAY 

The Needles is probably the most famous of all the tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight and we chose a sunny day to visit. 

There is a chair lift down to the main visitor point, which is best viewed from the shingle beach edge, or by boat.  Dogs are not allowed on the chair lifts for obvious reasons (even in a body harness) so you will need to walk down the steep cliff edge via the wooden staircase. It’s secure, though, and depending on your ability, not too arduous. Take plenty of water for you and your dog, especially for the climb back up.  We spent a good couple of hours walking the shoreline along to the stunning white cliffs and hopping on the regular tourist boat ride out to the lighthouse. Dogs are also allowed on the boat, but we discovered that the engine is somewhat noisy and for anxious dogs this might be a bit overwhelming.  You don’t get close to the lighthouse, but the tour guide shares some great insights and stories, plus the view of the shoreline from the sea is worth the trip alone. 

Please be prepared as there is a fee for using the chair lift (single or return charges apply) along with the boat too. 

THE NEEDLES 

The Needles is a great day out and while dog friendly, I’d recommend you take plenty of water and a good strong lead and harness for the steps up and down to the beach.  We also popped a life vest on our Schnauzer for the short boat trip. It’s not a condition of taking a dog on the boat. We enjoyed the beach and scenery at The Needles then headed home to find somewhere for an early dinner. Heading back towards Totland, we stumbled across The Waterfront, a delightful pub and restaurant overlooking the bay. The location is its main selling point with a perfectly picturesque view across the water. The early evening sun was breathtaking. This is a lovely dog friendly venue with some outside seating on the harbour and up on the side of the hill too where the views are best. 

GODSHILL VILLAGE 

The island has some stunning scenery along with quaint villages where you can enjoy traditional tea shops, thatched cottages and wishing wells. But Godshill village offers all those delights in standard and miniature form. 

The main attraction here is Godshill model village, a small-scale replica of the village itself. And it’s a great way to enjoy the village with your dog. We paid our entry fee and began our stroll around the miniature village. I have been to a couple of model villages before, but none as meticulously created as this one. With such consideration to detail, it’s a delightful way to spend a couple of hours and you’ll never tire of viewing the models – or the humour in seeing your miniature Schnauzer sitting beside a house of the same size. 

The layout and flow of the miniature hamlet is fantastic, but it is all open air so best visited on a dry day although there are a few undercover spots to wait for showers to pass. The visitor shop at the end offers some gorgeous little gifts and trinkets. After we’d marvelled at the models for an hour or two, we headed to The Griffin for a light lunch. 

The Griffin is on the edge of Godshill and has a large beer garden area, so dog leads aren’t always used by some visitors. We kept our girl on her leash but had a good stroll around the area for toilet duties. The food here was fantastic: a great pub, in a great location, with a big space for dogs, so even if you are only driving through, its worth a stop off. 

THE COW 

The Cow restaurant located in Tapnell Farm Park near Yarmouth is a meat-lover’s dream. Dogs are welcome inside and out and the food is just mouth-wateringly delicious. 

It’s also a great family location boasting a number of indoor and outdoor activities, including go karting, aqua park, mini golf, jumping pillows, and a barn animals farm. 

Sadly, and a bit of an oversight in my opinion, none of these activities permit dogs so if you are looking for a family day out with the kids and your furry kids too, you’ll either be sat in The Cow most of the time or leaving your dog at home.  There is a glamping site here too, but since Laika wasn’t allowed in most areas, we finished up our lunch and headed on our way.  As dog friendly holidays go, I can honestly say that the Isle of Wight is one of the best places we have ever visited. 

Navigating around this 23-mile island is easy. There are plenty of places to visit from the harbours in Yarmouth, Ryde and Cowes to the picturesque villages of Godshill, Ventnor and Shanklin.  The island welcomes dogs as much as their owners, so you’ll be greeted with enthusiasm at almost all attractions that are suitable for dogs along with most restaurants, pubs and cafes. 

Where there are beach restrictions you’ll quickly find an alternative option – be that an area of the same beach further along the coastline that is dog friendly, or an alternative beach less than 10 minutes’ drive away.  Overall a great choice for a UK holiday that isn’t too expensive or far away.

The Coach House, review by Lou Furby and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 82.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine