Fort Victoria, near Yarmouth, has achieved Accredited Country Park Status from Natural England.
Accreditation shows potential visitors that the country park has essential facilities and services that you would expect to see in a good country park. The accreditation criteria demonstrate what a good country park should offer.
Fort Victoria is the only accredited Country Park on the Isle of Wight and 1 of only a handful in the South of England
Accreditation for the country park was obtained by the Fort Victoria Business Association, which formed a Friends Group to gain accreditation for the park. The Friends Group had been dismayed by the lack of investment in the park due to ongoing budget pressures at County Hall.
In order to obtain accreditation from Natural England as an Accredited Country Park, Fort Victoria met the following essential criteria:
- at least 10 hectares in size
- defined by a clear boundary
- accessible – less than 10 miles from a residential area
- free to enter
- inclusive and accessible – meeting equality and disability needs
- predominantly natural or semi-natural landscape – woodland, grassland, wetland, heathland or parkland – with no more than 5% of the area built upon
- signposted and easy to navigate – visitors know where they can go and which footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes to use
- visibly staffed with litter collection and maintenance
- available for public or educational events
- near public toilets
- the public has influence over the management and development of the site
Mores the pity that the developers have it in their sights with proposed 6 multi million pound houses, literally on the beach, which are set to be taller than the Fort itself. Along with the top end restaurant with moorings and pick up collection for the rich folk in their boats…
I hope this means it’s protected from that horrendous building proposal?
The land proposed for building does not form part of the Country park, so this will make no difference, it may however go someway to showing that the country park is not the dilapidated rundown area that developers are painting it as ?
The story appears to have missed out that the car park is lived in by mobile home dwellers, except that the homes are not mobile, they are static.
At least two or three campers have been parked in the car park for several years slowly rusting away, old trailer and car parts dumped in the corner too, it’s the first thing people see on the approach to Fort Victoria and this eyesore does stop people parking near them as they attract other static dwellers who aren’t friendly.
There’s also one homeless man living in one of the buildings near the Leftorium. Taxpayers pay for the free water supply they use plus the toilets that are used for washing clothes, pots and pans and bathing.
How are the council allowing it to continue.?
There are no car parts dumped in the car park, the homeless person dwelling in the tunnel has been housed elsewhere, there is a small number of camper vans that come and go, we have one that has taken root, There is a byelaw that prevents overnight camping at the fort in tent or vehicle, the problem is getting it enforced,
There is more than one person living at Fort Victoria. The scruffy van without tax or mot or insurance has been there for around 5 years. This is the vehicle that is first seen on the approach to the site as it is next to the open ground where the development is planned. There is a trailer and car parts dumped in the corner, this can be seen from the roadway in.
The corner of the car park is an eye sore, why should taxpayers fund their life style with free water and washing facilities.?
Byelaws are meaningless. The council have large lorries, tow the campers out at 5pm and put up gates with a height restriction.
Are you a representative of the council department that runs Fort Victoria.? Or do you run one of the attractions.?
If Southern Vectis would reroute their breezer buses into Yarmouth via Fort Victoria the people providing the attractions would be better able to make a living, they went that way up until a few years ago but have said they cannot go there now as it disrupts their timetables but they are quick enough to provide a service to Tapnell farm.
Now that is a great idea why hasn’t that been discussed and put forward before?
The idea to reinstate Fort Victoria onto the breezer bus route was put to southern vectis by the Fort Victoria Business association, we had a meeting with them, they said it was not possible as they would have to buy a new bus to service the route and that was not viable, a week later they announced a new bus and route servicing tapnell farm, we can only assume they have no interest in servicing Fort Victoria directly by bus ever again.
Like it or not, Its a dump.
An eye sore.
Dirty toilet.
Depressing place.
The walks ok.
True, I am confused as it says free entry.?
You have to pay a fortune to go into each of the {attractions} so how can that be free.?
Reg Dennis and Island Sam surely you can not be serious about proposing that a double deck bus runs up and down this narrow road.?
That’s just an accident waiting to happen.
A double deck bus used to run up and down that road perfectly ok until not that many years ago and as for “having to buy a by a new bus” what a load of crap, the existing breezers go past the road to and from Yarmouth and it would just be a short diversion as the breezer finishes at Yarmouth anyway.
Do you have the slightest idea how much it costs the “attractions” you deride for their utilities bills alone never mind the costs of purchasing stock to use or sell so why should they be free, the entry prices are comparable with mainland attractions of a similar size, the “free entry” means the free car park and walks.
Thanks for the positive feedback, have you been lately? I find comments like this seem to feed into the narrative that the place is run down and in need of building on?
I was there this morning and it is exactly as “free speech” states.
I had the same cliched reply from “Fort Victoria” when I made exactly the same comments about the place on an Echo newsfeed a while back.