Our weekend on the Isle of Wight was built around one of the island’s most-loved autumn events, Beer & Steam at Havenstreet, an event hosted by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. A perfect mix of heritage and real ale, it’s an event that captures the spirit of the island beautifully.
We began our weekend at Tap & Tandoor in Gunwharf Quays with a couple of local beers before boarding the Wightlink catamaran (kindly gifted) from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier, in a short 22-minute crossing. While waiting for our train connection at Ryde Pier Head, we came across the pop-up Mermaid Gin bar, serving not only their award-winning gin but also a great range of soft drink options.
Once in Shanklin, we picked up a Chinese takeaway from Hong Kong City and got an early night ahead of a busy day of beer and steam ahead. The next morning began with a top-notch breakfast at the Tumblers Cafe, just a few steps from Shanklin station. From there, we joined the Wightrider 2025 weekend; a celebration of vintage bus travel that offers free journeys on heritage buses across the east of the island. It’s a fantastic way to explore the Isle of Wight, with each bus restored to its original glory by a team of volunteers.
Our first bus route took us from Shanklin to Ryde, where we visited the Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum; home to dozens of lovingly preserved vehicles. We then travelled on another classic bus to Wootton, where we made a quick stop at The Woodmans Arms for a friendly pint among locals before heading down the road to Wootton Station.
Here, our steam adventure began. The Edwardian-style station at Wootton, complete with traditional ticket office and waiting room, set the perfect scene. Our train was hauled by Hunslet “Austerity” WD192 Waggoner; built in 1953 and once part of the British Army’s Longmoor Military Railway. This locomotive even had its moment on screen as the “spook train” in Enid Blyton’s Five Go Off to Camp.
The train took us to Havenstreet, home of the Beer & Steam festival, where the air was thick with steam from the train and live music was playing from the bar. The event featured an impressive range of local brews from Yates’, Goddards, and Island Brewery, alongside guest ales from across the country. The site was buzzing with visitors enjoying their pints in between rides on the beautifully maintained steam train. Entry to the beer event was free, and our event ticket included a complimentary pint and unlimited train rides, a brilliant combination for any beer lover with a passion for trains, costing just £15.
We queued at the on-site cafe for lunch before jumping back aboard for another scenic journey, this time to Smallbrook Junction, before returning to Wootton and continuing our adventure by vintage bus to Godshill, where The Taverners pub offered our group the perfect setting for great food and more beer. With the vintage buses sadly winding down for the day, we hopped on a public bus to Ventnor, where dinner at the Crab & Lobster Tap didn’t disappoint; home-cooked pub grub in one of the liveliest pubs around. We rounded off the evening with live music at The Blenheim pub before heading back to Shanklin for some much needed sleep.
On our final day, we travelled to Ryde and discovered PO41 Coffee House, the newest and largest of their island cafés. Located right inside Ryde Esplanade Station, it’s a bright and welcoming space with everything from locally roasted coffee and homemade cakes. It’s the perfect stop before or after a journey, and we’ll definitely be back. Big shout out to the best hot chocolate place in the entire south coast, if you haven’t been to the Chocolate Apothecary on the Ryde waterfront, you NEED to go to experience their hot chocolate.
From Ryde, we caught a public bus to Osborne House for a peaceful afternoon wandering the gardens and beach, plus enjoying a lovely cream tea from the on-site cafe, before catching one last vintage bus back to Ryde on day two of the vintage bus event. A decent-sized kids’ meal and battered Mars bar from The Codfather rounded off the perfect weekend.
Our Wightlink catamaran offered the best possible finale; a sunset crossing from the top deck as we waved goodbye to the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth slowly came into view. After a weekend of great beer, vintage buses and a touch of steam-powered nostalgia, Beer & Steam once again proved why the Isle of Wight is such a special place to explore.
