Local Information

In this section you can find a wealth of information about and the local area:

 

• About Lake
• Maps of the Area
• Local Organisations 
• Local History
• Safer Neighbourhoods Team
• Events Guide
• Lake Methodist Church
• Shanklin Theatre

About Lake

Lake is a village and civil parish located on Sandown Bay, on the Isle of Wight, England.

Lake is named after the Old English "Lacu" referring to the creek that ran along what is now Scotchells Brook, which is between the Isle of Wight Airport and the Morrisons Superstore and the Spithead Industrial Park - the former "Temperatures" air conditioning factory.

Having opened in 1987, Lake railway station was the newest on the island until the construction of a station at Smallbrook Junction in 1994.

There is a Primary School at Blackpan and a Comprehensive (Sandown High) and Lake Middle School. There are several pubs; The Stag and the Old Manor House, plus Lake Working Men's Club (room hire available) and a Townswomens' Guild. The Lions have a centre in the car park (first 1/2 hour free), behind the Co - Op stores.

There is a Methodist Chapel, a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and a Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. Local businesses include Downer & White undertakers, Swinton Insurance, Careless & Kemp solicitors, Allegri accountants, Weekly Ad newspaper office, and a newsagent, Rite-Price Hardware Store, the Co-Op Stores (open 6.30.am to 10pm.) and Karen Denley Chiropodist. The village also features an Indian and two Chinese takeaways, a kebab shop and Lake Fish Bar. A doctor's surgery is near the Co - Op. There is a public phone box between the Co Op and the public toilets and another set of toilets on the Revetment.

Lake or Welcome Beach is reached by a steep path down the sandstone cliffs to the Revetment, which contains two cafes (Hinks and Strollers), beach huts, a Sea Scout hut and inshore lifeboat.

The village war memorial has been relocated behind the Fairway Bus Shelter due to having been run down twice by carelessly driven lorries. There is a large public park called Fairway Park which has been leased to Lake and Sandown youth football club.

Local wildlife includes Pipstrelle bats at Los Altos, kestrels along the Cliff Path and Common Toads which spawn in the disused reservoir behind the Mall. Sandown & Shanklin Golf Course is behind the High School and the Rugby Club in front.

The wetlands of the River Yar are an SSSI supporting newts, voles and wildfowl. Recent improvements have overcome the problem of persistent flooding near the Co-Op caused by rainwater run-off from Lake Hill and the Mall.