Ventnor

Terraced Victorian health resort with a mild microclimate and artistic community

A Victorian town built on terraces cut into the steep south-facing slopes above the Undercliff, with a microclimate noticeably warmer than the rest of the island. Ventnor was developed in the nineteenth century as a health resort, its sheltered position and mild air recommended for those with respiratory conditions. The town cascades down the hillside in tiers, with the Esplanade and the beach at the bottom and the residential streets climbing steeply above. The High Street runs along a terrace partway up the hill, lined with independent shops, cafes, galleries and a few vintage and antique dealers. Ventnor Botanic Garden, occupying the site of the former Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, grows sub-tropical plants that cannot survive elsewhere in Britain. The town has attracted artists, writers and creative types drawn by the light, the landscape and the slightly bohemian atmosphere. The Undercliff, the landslip area running along the coast towards Niton, is a nationally important wildlife habitat and a remarkable walking landscape.