What to do in the rain?

Aug 16, 2022

No matter what the weather, you’ll always find something to do on the Island! Ok so picnics and beach days might not be on the cards but take a look at our top picks of keeping busy when mother nature isn’t on your side!

John Cattles Skate Club – Wootton

How about trying something a little more extreme on your holiday? Even if you’ve never skated before a trip to John Cattle’s skate club for a lesson is well worth it. The indoor skatepark is located at the back of St Marks Church in Wootton, and they also host indoor sessions at West Wight sports centre. You’ll have a skate coach to lead you every step of the way, and in their words, if you can walk then you can ride a skateboard!. Take a look at their Facebook or Instagram page for details on how to book. Suitable for all ages!

Chessell Pottery & Cafe – Brook road

Around 5 minutes drive from the park you’ll find this absolute gem of a place, serving a delightful range of hot and cold food and some seriously delicious cakes! Not only that, if you take along your blue welcome card you can receive 10% off acrylic painting too! The perfect wet weather activity.

Snacks & Ladders Board Game Cafe – Newport

Imagine a place where you can play virtually any board game you fancy, get a great meal and even bring the dog… no need to dream it as Snacks and Ladders have made it a reality! You can have a play session for £2 for the first hour and £1 after or you can just have food… and oh my does it all look wonderfully tasty!

Shanklin Seafront

It wouldn’t be an Isle of Wight holiday without a trip to the arcades now would it! And Shanklin seafront really has it all. With a huge array of arcade machines, including the classic 2p machines, grabbers and fun games, the kids can collect and redeem tickets for prizes. There’s a fantastic fish & chip restaurant also on site and even when its pouring with rain you have to get yourself an ice cream! Toppings ice cream parlour serve a massive range of ice creams, most of which can be made into an ultimate treat of a thick shake!. You’ll absolutely love their indoor mini golf course Caddyshack too!. There is an array of outdoor things to do too when the sun is shining.

Isle of Wight Reptilarium – Yarmouth Fort Victoria

For those of you that are fascinated by reptiles then this is the place for you! This small family owned business has four themed rooms of live reptiles, amphibians and insects. Pick up a flyer in reception to receive a 10% entry discount when you book online.

Time for a swim!

And ofcourse you can take full advantage of our indoor pool!

Have you found something perfect for a rainy day on the Island?

Let our marketing team know so we can keep on recommending them to our guests!

bryony@orchardsholidaypark.co.uk

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Great value holidays every time

If you would like more information on holiday bookings or owning your own holiday home email info@orchardsholidaypark.co.uk or call us on

01983 531 331.

      GOOD  
   Based on 613 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Explore14285127922 
 31. October, 2025
 
 
 Verified Great little site
Absolutely love this site. Staff are warm and friendly and super helpful. Site is small and quiet and great for exploring the island. Its a great family site with Caravans to suite all budgets. The vans are clean and comfortable. Great onsite shop with lovely cakes. Definitely a recommendation from our family to stay here
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Lucy T 
 3. September, 2025
 
 
 Verified An amazing spot
We have just returned from another amazing stay at The Orchards. We had a lovely caravan that was very clean and comfortable, with lots of room for us and the dog. The dog gets so excited about visiting the park especially visiting the secure dog walking area where he gets to socialise too! We visited mainly the outdoor pool this time as we were lucky enough to have some wonderful sunshine. The kids love the indoor pool too so we did swim there a few times. We always receive a friendly welcome by all members of staff. The girls love the shop which sells a variety of items, all of which are reasonably priced. It does some great local beers and mermaid gin! The site is so quiet and peaceful at night, the stars are amazing and you get spectacular sunsets. On one evening, we ordered some delicious pizzas from the take away, then sat down the front by the cows and open space to watch the sunset. The girls love spending time on the site, they always make friends with other children and spend time playing happily. There are some fantastic beaches close by and it is a great spot to explore the island from. We love the Orchards and can’t recommend it enough. We have already booked our next visit and can’t wait to return.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Quest12109511104 
 22. August, 2025
 
 
 Verified Clean and quiet site
If you're after a peaceful and clean holiday park, Orchards is definitely the spot. The views are stunning, and we managed to catch some beautiful sunsets. It's about a half-hour drive to most places, depending on traffic. The girls enjoyed the outdoor and indoor pools, but that was pretty much the only thing they could do on-site (teenagers, right?). The older guy at the indoor pool was super friendly and chatty, really took pride in his job, while the younger guy at the outdoor pool seemed a bit disinterested and spent most of his time glued to his phone. The takeaway team were lovely, and the food was delicious—definitely recommend the scampi! The dog-friendly caravan was quite outdated, and even though it was offered as an upgrade, it felt more like a bronze caravan to me. I get that cleaners have limited time to prep the caravans, but we thought it could use a more thorough clean (I own a cleaning company, so I might be a bit picky). On the bright side, the beds were comfy. I think adding some small outdoor furniture would have been a nice touch. I don’t want any of the negatives to overshadow the lovely site it is; overall, we had a great time. However, with teenage kids, we might need to find a place that caters more to their age group.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Claire D 
 18. August, 2025
 
 
 Verified Fantastic site
Excellent, quiet, clean site. We had a lovely stay in a very modern caravan. The outdoor pool was warm and well looked after. The views were amazing and left you feeling like you were abroad. Handy dog friendly pen, plus a little loop walk with a river for the dogs to cool off. The food at the cafe was excellent and very handy when you had the urge not to cook. All in all a very enjoyable stay!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Samuel C 
 4. August, 2025
 
 
 Verified Decent
Pros: Brilliant Ferry Discount from Portsmouth (it was better than 50% off if booked with the business), Friendly and attentive staff (Tracy was very helpful), Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, on site shop & takeaway businesses, decent driving location going to different attractions around the island, caravan had good kitchen facilities. Cons: Weak Wifi in our caravan (also bad phone signal when we wanted to use our own data), No Smart TV so no steaming services (only freeview, as internet was bad I wouldn't of been able to bring my own Firestick either), No Caravan Terrace, Outdoor pool was great but there were a lot of black bits floating in it. Cons were not dealbreakers by any means (and some I appreciate would be difficult for you to address) but they're things you might want to consider moving forward. As a whole I highly recommend.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Emma Bailey 
 29. July, 2025
 
 
 Verified Beautiful scenic site
Lovely site with rolling countryside views. Facilities are good, shop slightly limited could be improved with fresh bread etc. The showers are push button which is slightly annoying but otherwise fantastic place for a family caravan holiday. We would recommend.