natural wonder
The Needles, Isle of Wight
Three distinctive chalk sea stacks rising from the sea off the western tip of the Isle of Wight, topped by a red-and-white striped lighthouse.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Freshwater
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Freshwater
Freshwater works well as a base: 10 minutes from Milford on Sea, 5km from The Needles, Isle of Wight.
Freshwater is in England, United Kingdom, with about 7,800 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Milford on Sea, about 6 km away.
Freshwater is a large village and civil parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight, England. The southern, coastal village is Freshwater Bay, named for the adjacent small cove.
Freshwater sits at the western end of the region known as the Back of the Wight or the West Wight, a popular tourist area.
Freshwater isRead more
close to steep chalk cliffs. It was the birthplace of physicist Robert Hooke and was the home of Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Where to Stay in Freshwater
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Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Freshwater.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Freshwater?
Within an hour or so of Freshwater: The Needles, Isle of Wight (5 km), Military Road, Isle of Wight (11 km), Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (14 km), Buckler’s Hard (15 km).
Are there any good drives near Freshwater?
The nearest famous roads are Military Road, Isle of Wight, Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Where is Freshwater?
Freshwater is in England, United Kingdom, about 6 km from Milford on Sea.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 7,829
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.6837, -1.5262
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Freshwater
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
famous road
Military Road, Isle of Wight
Thrilling clifftop road along the southwest coast of the Isle of Wight with sweeping sea views and access to dramatic landslip scenery.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
A remarkable collection of rare and unique motorcycles in the New Forest assembled by legendary trials rider Sammy Miller.
14 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Buckler’s Hard
A single Georgian street running down to the Beaulieu River, built as a shipbuilding village that supplied Nelson's navy.
15 km · about 30 min drive
museum
National Motor Museum Beaulieu
Set in the grounds of a historic abbey, it houses over 250 vehicles telling the story of motoring from 1893 to the present.
16 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Beaulieu
A New Forest village around a 13th-century abbey and the Montagu estate, at the head of the tidal Beaulieu River.
16 km · about 30 min drive
famous road
Rhinefield Ornamental Drive
A New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
18 km · about 20 min drive
national park
New Forest National Park
Ancient royal hunting ground where wild ponies and deer roam freely through 219 square miles of heathland, woodland and coastal marshes.
21 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Freshwater
- Right hereMilitary Road, Isle of WightThrilling clifftop road along the southwest coast of the Isle of Wight with sweeping sea views and access to dramatic landslip scenery.
- 18 kmRhinefield Ornamental DriveA New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
- 32 kmBallard DownThe chalk ridge above Swanage running out to Old Harry Rocks, with views over Poole Harbour and Studland Bay.
- 59 kmGoodwood Festival of SpeedThe hillclimb course on the Goodwood estate driveway where Formula One cars, prewar Grand Prix machinery and rally legends run flat out past a country house each summer. The 1.16-mile course is estate road year-round.
- 68 kmPortland BillThe southern tip of the Isle of Portland, marked by a red-and-white lighthouse above a fierce tidal race.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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