Bonchurch
Travel 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
Clean, comfortable newly refurbished room. Had a good night’s sleep.
Reviewed on 11 March 2026
The Langstone Quays
Staff lovely.
Reviewed on 2 March 2026
Village Hotel Portsmouth
Amazing hotel hard to beat the village hotel. Food and drinks are quite pricey
Reviewed on 5 March 2026
Grebe Cottage Bonchurch Isle of Wight . Idyllic setting.
Everything was provided for a comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Reviewed on 26 September 2025
Pinnacle Suites
The room was great!
Reviewed on 13 February 2026
5 bedroom modern home Hayling Island
Peaceful family stays
Host was very helpful. Beautiful, large clean house. Lovely view from the balcony.
Reviewed on 10 January 2026
Popular places to visit
Ventnor Beach
If a restful vacation is part of your travel plans, Ventnor Beach might be the perfect place to seek out during your trip to Ventnor. Wander the gardens and seaside in this quaint area.
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary
See the exotic and native 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.
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.
St. Catherine's Lighthouse
You can find out about the history of Niton and Whitwell with a stop at St. Catherine's Lighthouse. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
Blackgang Chine
Enjoy the thrill rides with your kiddos at Blackgang Chine during your trip to Chale. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
Godshill Model Village
You can spend an afternoon browsing the exhibits at Godshill Model Village during your trip to Godshill. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.
