Bonchurch Travel Guide
Tourist Guide
![Located on the Isle of Wight UK. Lovely day out. Ventnor Botanic Garden is a botanic garden located in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. It was founded in 1970, by Sir Harold Hillier, and donated to the Isle of Wight Council. The garden is free to visit, except for parking charges. Its collection comprises worldwide temperate and subtropical trees and shrubs organised by region. These grow in the open air, the location favoured by the moist and sheltered microclimate of the south-facing Undercliff landslip area on the Isle of Wight coast. The garden is on the site of the Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, a sanatorium that was established there to exploit the same mild climate. Founded by Arthur Hill Hassall and opened in 1869 as the National Cottage Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, it offered 130 separate south-facing bedrooms for its patients. The hospital was closed in 1964, made obsolete by drug treatment of tuberculosis, and demolished in 1969.[1] In 1970, the site was initially redeveloped as the Steephill Pleasure Gardens before Sir Harold Hillier's involvement in its more extensive development as a botanical garden. Despite the generally mild weather, plants had to be carefully selected to tolerate the shallow alkaline soil and salt winds, and the garden suffered serious damage in the unusually hard winter of 1986/7, the Great Storm of 1987 and another major storm of January 1990. The garden is still owned and managed by the Isle of Wight Council, and continues to develop with numerous new features. The current curator of the garden is Simon Goodenough. The garden is located on the A3055 road, has a large car park, and public transport is provided by buses on Southern Vectis' route 6 and Wightbus' route 16. In September 2008, a woman died after eating Amanita phalloides (death cap) fungi that a relative had picked in the vicinity of the gardens.[2] Police briefly closed the gardens during the investigation, but did not believe the death to be suspicious. A common UK species, death caps are not cultivated at the garden, and those picked appear to have been growing wild on the site.](https://images.trvl-media.com/place/182459/31b1b18d-2235-4bfd-9519-2fb3c781cc44.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=1040&h=580&q=mediumHigh)
Visit Bonchurch
Royal Maritime Hotel
I asked in advance of my visit if there could be gluten free bread for breakfast (I had pre-booked breakfasts). On the Wednesday the person who greeted me (did not see her Thursday) could not have been more accommodating - she was an excellent representative of the hotel. Breakfast both days was ...
Reviewed on 25 Mar 2026
The Langstone Quays
The room we stayed in was very close to the reception.We could hear people talking loudly which disturbed our sleep in more than one occasion.A sound proof door should be there between reception and the ground rooms to minimise or eliminate the sound.We also found dump in the bedroom walls, towards ...
Reviewed on 24 Mar 2026
Village Hotel Portsmouth
The hotel was noisy from 08:00 on Saturday morning with what I can only assume was a spin class being taken by someone using a mega-phone...
Reviewed on 23 Mar 2026
The Hayloft
great little unit, good kitchen, comfy and good location. Restaurant right downstairs, friendly staff.
Reviewed on 1 Nov 2025
Pinnacle Suites
The room was great!
Reviewed on 13 Feb 2026
Mill Rythe Coastal Village
Extremely disappointing first stay. We arranged a 2:30pm check-in, but the accommodation was not ready until 30 mins later. On arrival, we were told to return in 10–15 minutes, only to be told again that it still wasn’t ready. This appears to be a recurring issue based on other reviews. The soft ...
Reviewed on 16 Feb 2026
Popular places to visit
Ventnor Beach
If a restful holiday is part of your travel plans, Ventnor Beach might be the perfect place to visit during your trip to Ventnor. Wander the gardens and seaside in this quaint area.
Steephill Cove Beach
Why not spend a lazy afternoon at Steephill Cove Beach during your trip to Ventnor? Wander the gardens and beaches in this quaint area.
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary
Visit the native and exotic animals who live at Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary during your travels in Wroxall. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its lively bars.
St. Catherine's Lighthouse
St. Catherine's Lighthouse is just one of the places to see in Niton and Whitwell, so why not enjoy the other things to explore during your travels? Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
Godshill Model Village
You can spend an afternoon exploring the galleries in Godshill Model Village during your travels in Godshill. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
Isle of Wight Owl and Falconry Centre
Enjoy an outing to Isle of Wight Owl and Falconry Centre during your stay in Wroxall. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
Things to do
