Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat on the Isle of Wight Review

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Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is one of two Darwin Escapes on the Isle of Wight

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is one of two Holiday parks owned by Darwin Escapes on the Isle of Wight. We have visited several Darwin Escapes around the UK (and every holiday park on the Isle of Wight), so hopefully we can offer a little insight as to how it compares to the others. 

The park sits along this beach - Woodside Bay

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First impressions of Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat 

It took us some determination to get to Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat, as it is at the end of a very long series of roads and driveways. I am exaggerating a little, but it is five minutes from the main road along a bumpy road near to Wootton Creek. 

We find that a bumpy road and a long drive is usually a good sign when we visit holiday parks. Those that take a little bit more effort tend to be more scenic and more peaceful than those that are in the middle of towns.

That is certainly the case at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat, which is right next to the beach on the northeast side of the island. 

As we first approached the site, our impression was that this is a modern site, which is smart and fits in with the standard that we have come to enjoy from Darwin Escapes. 

There's a good sized patch of grass for children to lark around in the summer

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Accommodation at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat 

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat has about 120 lodges that are scattered across a site on a fairly steep slope. At the bottom of the hill is a woodland with very tall trees that sit in front of the beach. 

Curiously, this means that the lodges with the best views are actually those furthest away from the sea. Most of the lodges have their view of the sea blocked by the trees for most of the year, but will get a glimpse in winter.

A handful of lodges at the top can see over the top of the trees. We did a walk of the site and concluded that the lodges with the best views are 2, 4, 5 and 115.

When we stayed we were lucky enough to be allocated lodge number five. That meant that we enjoyed the terrific view of ships coming and going on the Solent and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

You can't pick your lodge number when you book, but we have previously phoned up reception after booking online. They told us which grade of holiday lodge related to which numbers on the site map, and we then asked them to allocate us the one we felt was in the best location.

The lodges are more spacious than a typical caravan

Our lodge had a sea view (this photo doesn't really do it justice)

The accommodation throughout the site is pretty consistent. There is some variation in the style of lodge but they are mostly two and three bedroom lodges, some of which have hot tubs. There are also a couple of quirky and romantic tree houses, which have got one bedroom. One day I'll bring Mrs Guru back and we'll stay in one of those.

These woodland treehouses are one of the quirkier options at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat

Our lodge was very well equipped with things that I consider essential, including a dishwasher.

Our well-equipped kitchen at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat

We enjoyed the views and space from our lodge at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat

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Exploring Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat 

Shortly after we had arrived and unpacked, we started to explore the site. We took a wander down towards the beach and found the woodland path. 

Along here is a small playground, which includes a couple of tyres and some things to climb on. There isn't a larger playground at the site, but it's not a big issue as you will want to spend most of your time at the beach or exploring the Island. 

The beach at the site is beautiful but is quite rustic. There are patches of sand but it is quite rough sand rather than the sort you will be building sandcastles from. 

I would describe it as a dog walking beach, rather than somewhere you will want to bring a deck chair. The woods near the beach are good for exploring and for having a lovely evening walk.

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Facilities at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat 

Woodside Bay has a large attractive building near to the entrance, which serves as a reception, bar and shop. As far as I could tell, it no longer has the on-site restaurant or gym, which it previously had (feel free to correct me). However, we did enjoy having a drink and playing one of the provided board games in this building. It looked like there was outdoor dining offered in summer.

When we visited it was towards the end of the season, but I could imagine that on a summer's day it would be busy with people enjoying the green space and the outside seating. 

The reception at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is a modern building

You can have a drink on the terrace but there isn't an onsite restaurant

The reception also have a small shop and some board games

The woodland at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat has a small playground

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Location of Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat  

Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat is very convenient if you're catching the ferry from Portsmouth. It's only a short drive of about 10 minutes from the Fishbourne ferry port on the island to the resort. 

It's a fairly long drive of about 45 minutes if you want to visit The Needles in the West Wight. However, it is more convenient for a trip into Ryde, which has a great big sandy beach and seafront attractions. 

The resort is near to Wootton Creek, which is an attractive part of the Island but is slightly more developed than a lot of the West Wight and South Wight. 

A woodland path links the two Darwin Escapes holiday parks

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Final thoughts on Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat  

We greatly enjoyed our time at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat. We continue to be impressed with Darwin Escapes. I take great interest in the branding at a holiday park as I think it makes big difference to how professional and smart it looks. As usual, this Darwin Escapes resort was very on brand with lots of helpful signs. The landscaping and tarmac throughout the site was also beautifully smooth and well maintained. Again, this may seem like a minor point, but we've visited dozens of holiday parks and tend to notice these things!

One thing worth mentioning is that Darwin Escapes also owns a holiday park next door called Woodside Coastal Retreat. We've also stayed there and will write up a separate review. The gist of it is that Woodside Coastal Retreat has better sea views but slightly older accommodation and doesn't have its own bar and shop. 

Overall though, it's a definite thumbs up for Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat.

A view from the woods at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat

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Related pages:

• Best Isle of Wight holiday parks
• Best Darwin Escapes holiday parks
• ​Best holiday parks in Hampshire and the New Forest