Lake
Lake - you can walk through it without getting wet - one of the six "Wonders of the Isle of Wight", is the village on the A3055 which over the years has grown to meet its neighbours on either side, Sandown and Shanklin. It is said that in the heart of the village near where the War Memorial now stands used to be a cottage which in wet weather was surrounded by water, and possibly gave the village its name. This area has long since been drained. Lake is bounded at one end by Los Altos Park, formerly part of the Los Altos estate, and at the other by Cliff Gardens.
With a large supermarket on its outskirts Lake offers the usual range of small, privately owned shops and businesses.
For entertainment Lake offers a CIU affiliated Working Men's Club, a Community centre which is run by the Lions Group and hosts a variety of local events. Lake Common adjoins Sandown Golf Club and a health and leisure centre is at the top of Lake Hill. There are two pubs. The Stag Inn was built in the 1840s and is next to the site of the old Toll Gatehouse, (now where the traffic lights are). It would cost you three pence for one horse or sixpence for a pair which would take you to the next gate eight miles away. The Old Manor House was opened as an Inn in 1953 and the Buttery is now the men's toilets, the original tiles can still be seen there!
Lake has a Church of England and a Methodist Church, also a Christian Mission. Lake Middle School has its own Web Site - you can visit it here.
Lake Station opened in 1987 and is the penultimate station on the Island's railway line which runs between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. It connects with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Smallbrook Junction. Lake is on the main bus route and Sandown Airport, for light aircraft only, is just under one mile away.
Lake beach is safe and sandy, and a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the larger resorts. It is reached from the Cliff Path by a sloping footpath, or, also on foot, along the revetment, from Sandown or Shanklin. There are two small cafes and, at the Shanklin end, a water sports centre. Beach huts are available for hire.
Lake cliffs are home to kestrels, fulmar petrels and swifts and cormorants can sometimes be seen.
The Cliff Path affords an easy stroll between Sandown and Shanklin, and for the more enthusiastic walker forms part of the Island's Coastal Path.
