Temperance Society Drinking Well

There's something rather wonderful about stumbling across a Victorian curiosity that's been quietly forgotten by time. The Temperance Society Drinking Well sits near Ventnor as a proper oddity - a reminder of when the anti-alcohol movement had real architectural ambitions on the island. You're looking at a small but characterful structure built to serve the cause, allowing thirsty Victorians to take a drink without stepping foot in a pub.

It's the sort of thing that stops you mid-walk and makes you think about how earnest people were back then. The well itself is modest, but the history wrapped around it is genuinely interesting. This isn't a destination that'll consume your afternoon, but as a curiosity during a ramble through the southern part of the island, it's absolutely worth knowing about.

Walkers and history buffs will get far more from this than families with young children - there's not much to actually do once you've had a look and taken a photo. Allow ten minutes tops. The real appeal is the context: you're standing where Victorians genuinely believed they were doing something radical.

Given its proximity to Ventnor and the cluster of holiday parks scattered within a few miles - Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde is closest at just under three miles, with Landguard and others dotted nearby - this slots in nicely as a between-park detour. Worth the small diversion if you're staying in the area, but don't go out of your way.