National Character Area 127 - Isle of Wight : Key Characteristics

This is a small-scale Island landscape, with an intimate feel but with often sudden and dramatic views of the sea. The close relationship of the area to the sea has been a vital ingredient of the Island’s cultural heritage since prehistoric times.

The Island has a varied landscape as a consequence of its geological history. A central chalk ridge divides the Island on an east–west axis. The northern half is characterised by low-lying Tertiary clays overlain in places by gravel-capped ridges. To the south, as well as Chalk, ridges of the Upper Greensand overlie Gault, the Lower Greensand and the Wealden Beds, the clays of which give rise to a dissected plain.

The south-west coastline is defined by soft, slumping cliffs and chines (steep-sided valleys); the south-east coastline consists of extensive sandy beaches, with the Undercliff to the far south of the Island. The north coast consists mainly of cliffs and is shaped by numerous harbours, estuaries, creeks, salt marshes, tidal mudflats and shingle beaches.

The main north-flowing rivers flow through deep gaps in the central chalk ridge before joining the Solent. The south-flowing rivers flow along chines, steep sided valleys that cut through the coastal cliffs to the sea.

Woodland cover varies, with pockets of ancient woodland interposed with small copses, woodland pastures and large plantations. Most of the ancient woodland is found on the northern clays and estuaries.