The largest village in England is set to become the UK's go-to summer holiday destination.
In the world of staycation hotspots and places not quite big enough to be a town, Bembridge on the Isle of Wight is a giant.
According to Tripadvisor, where researchers have been pouring over search data from the website and a survey of 2,400 people, the village will be the fastest growing destination in the UK this summer.
Once you've made it onto the island on one of the 200 daily crossings from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington, head to the most easterly point of the island to find Bembridge.
Part of the village's charm is its setting behind the spectacular headland of Culver, a 104m chalk cliff which provides a towering backdrop to the homes and shops below.
Another draw of Bembridge is that it looks and has much of the quant qualities of a village, while being large enough - with a population of 4,000 people - to have the hustle and bustle of a small town.
Bembridge stretches the tip of the island and has its owns harbour and three beaches, as well as a small airport, so there is plenty of places to amble around in the sun and explore.
Appetite to visit Bembridge has been high since 2019, when it won the 'Village of the Year' gong at the the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2019, with the judges calling it a "wonderful coastal setting with a pier and lifeboat station, plus a busy village community with independent shops, cafés and restaurants."
The village is a hotspot for sailing and rock pooling, while many others are drawn to the Bembridge Lifeboat station which stands offshore and was built in 2010. Since then it has become a focal point for photographers intrigued by its shape and location.
Another of the Isle of Wight’s most recognisable pieces of architecture is Bembridge Windmill, on the outskirts of the village, which is maintained by The National Trust.
If you fancy a wander out of the village towards the down of Culver you will stumble across the remains of a former barracks, a large fort owned by The National Trust and a WWII anti-aircraft battery.
Beneath Culver on the Bembridge side is the magnificent Whitecliff Bay, a sheltered cove well worth exploring that can be easily accessed through the holiday park.
Within the village itself there are plenty of independent shops including fish and chip shops that serve very fresh produce whipped out from the sea, and a number of pubs.
As well as holiday cottages and Airbnbs, you can stay in Bembridge in the large hotel that sits at the back of the Bembridge Ledge Beach. For a more novel stay, a night on a houseboat in the harbour may be in order.
The late Queen Mother once visited the village and stayed at the hotel to watch yachts during Cowes Week, one of the oldest regattas in the world.
Overall the Isle of Wight shined in the Tripadvisor rankings this year, with the town of Ventnor to the south east of the island coming in second. Further north, the picturesque town of Llangollen, North Wales, is the third top trending domestic destination for summer 2023, and Balmaha on Loch Lomond comes in at fourth.
Two thirds of Brits surveyed said they plan on visiting somewhere they have been before, with 81% planning holidays between June and August.
Top 10 emerging hotspots
- Bembridge, Isle of Wight
- Ventnor, Isle of Wight
- Llangollen, North Wales
- Balmaha, Stirling
- Salcombe, Devon
- Hayling Island, Hampshire
- Banavie, Scottish Highlands
- Seahouses, Northumberland
- Hayle, Cornwall
- Looe, Cornwall
You can find out more on the Tripadvisor website.
