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1 Drayton Villas

The major attraction of the apartment is its unique position situated on a quiet residential street which leads from St Helen's village green via Mill Lane to the sea. From the bottom of the lane one can turn left at the Old Mill and walk across the Duver to the coast and perhaps sample the menu at Baywatch cafe, or to the right to Bembridge Marina and the village, or more beaches and wooded walks.

At the top of the road is one of the two excellent restaurants of the green, and across the green a general store which hardly ever closes and of course the village pub.

The apartment itself has been comfortably refurbished - finished Spring 2009 - and is the perfect place to relax after the day's adventures.

The Isle of Wight region

Separated from the mainland by a short, low carbon ferry trip,the island has lost none of its charm since it was discovered by the young Victoria in the mid nineteenth century to be a perfect holiday venue. Almost half is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty and it has sixty miles of coastline with coastal paths which form some of its 500 plus official walks. The island attracts record levels of sunshine for the UK and has a variety of beach resorts to suit every taste.

On arrival after the relaxing scenic ferry ride, the visitor will be faced with the problem of which of the amazing range of activities to embark upon first. Over 1000 festivals are listed by the tourist board ranging from internationally renowned pop music festivals to village flower shows and regattas. As well as the obvious attraction of Cowes week at the beginning of August, there are many other sailing events throughout the year and the island is an ideal venue for the pursuit of water-sports, fishing, walking, cycling and riding. There are also castles, country houses and ancient historical sites to explore as well as animal sanctuaries, parks and museums designed to be of special interest to the children.

Bembridge / St Helens, Bembridge area

St Helen's Duver (a sandy dune area of coastline) and the shoreline around the area are noted for their extraordinary variety of maritime plants and wildlife, and much of the coastline in the immediate vicinity is under the care of the national Trust. Nevertheless there are many child-friendly sandy beaches which are relatively quiet all the year round. The larger resorts of Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown are only a short drive or bus trip away.

The historic village green, one of the largest in existence, is bordered by picturesque cottages, and all village amenities including two restaurants, a selection of shops, a bus stop, children's play area and the village pub.

A greater variety of shops and facilities are to be found in the nearby village of Bembridge. Bembridge is known for its harbour, said to be a haunt for pirates in bygone days, and is now an attractive venue for the sailing community.

Both villages are situated between the Downs and the sea so that the tourist can alternate between forays into the countryside and the coast.