Top Rated Concerts and Shows in Isle of Wight

"If you hanker after a coastal location as well as all those acres of forest, then booking into The Mayflower means access to the best of both worlds. Lymington is an upmarket south coast town, with a smart high street, cobblestones and a yacht-lined quay. As you might expect, a nautical theme runs throughout; even the mock tudor facade is painted in greys and blues."

"Musicals and live acts have been performing in this theatre’s 2,300 seat auditorium since 1928. I saw many a pantomime here as a child. It’s also the place to see all of the touring West End shows, as well as comedy, ballet and spin offs from popular television shows like Strictly Come Dancing."

"A venue for high-quality productions, and a mainstay of the community, the Chichester Festival Theatre opened in 1962. Its first artistic director was none other than Laurence Olivier, forming the company that would merge with the Old Vic in London to create the National Theatre Company. That alone, gives you a sense of the Chichester Festival Theatre’s real pedigree."

"Opened in 1962 just outside the old city walls, it provides the focal point of the annual Chichester Festival. It is a modem building of hexagonal design with a traditional apron stage. Sir Laurence Olivier was the theatre's first artistic director, and its presentation of classical and contemporary theatre over the years, has won it an international reputation."

"The original Cistercian monastery at Beaulieu was founded in 1204 by King John, and its Abbey Church dedicated was in 1246. Most of the Abbey fell into ruins after the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII, but the domus, cloisters and refectory still remain. The refectory (monks’ dining hall) of the original abbey became the parish church of Beaulieu, and has remained so ever since, making it one of the oldest church buildings in the Forest."

"High on a mound dominating the Forest’s capital, Lyndhurst, stands the church of St. Michael and All Angels. Whilst a comparative newcomer to the scene it isone of the more prominent New Forest churches and a fine example of Victorian Gothic style architecture. The present building, the third on the site, was built between 1858-69 during the height of the village’s popularity with Victorian gentry."