The beautiful seaside town with UK’s oldest pier that’s just had a £10m revamp

The coastal town of Ryde on the Isle of Wright is home to one of the oldest and longest piers in the country. It has a variety of sandy beaches and coastal water, which makes it a perfect getaway for relaxation.

Ryde has plenty to do, including a two-hour tree climbing experience in Appley Park, which is just a two-minute walk away from Appley’s sandy beach.

The experience available for kids and adults will allow those who take part to absorb the town’s beautiful nature and surroundings from the top of a tree. People have described the experience as “once in a lifetime”.

There is also a range of restaurants in Ryde that offer foods from different cuisines, like Caribbean, Indian, Thai, or Turkish.

Getting to Ryde has been made easier than ever after a £10million improvement to the Ryde Interchange, providing better travel connectivity to the island. 

The improvements included a refurbishment of the station buildings, reinstatement of the pier tramway to provide a new ‘boardwalk’ facility for pedestrians, remodelling and refurbishment of the Esplanade bus interchange to create a better environment for both bus users and pedestrians.

The completion of the improvement at the interchange was hailed by the council leader, Phil Jordan, as a “landmark” day in the town’s history.

He said in August: “The completion of these improvement works is a landmark day for Ryde. It has taken some time but has been worth the wait.

“We know this new transport interchange space will provide an attractive welcome to residents and visitors alike, both to Ryde and the wider Island community taking full advantage of the much-improved public realm space and the upgraded connections for transport opportunities.

“Following this summer season, we also plan to replace the existing bus shelters with a more robust design featuring pitched, rather than barrelled, roofs and lower traditional seat heights.

“And one final, fantastic upgrade, the new shelters will then be fitted with real-time information for bus services giving the much needed and requested information that is fit for the 21st century.”