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Having achieved county status after years of being lumped in with Hampshire, the Isle of Wight still has difficulty in shaking off its image as a mere adjunct of rural southern England - comfortably off, scrupulously tidy and desperately unadventurous. Yet the island, which measures less than 23 miles at its widest point, packs a surprising variety of landscapes and coastal scenery within its bounds. North of the chalk ridge that runs across its centre, the terrain is low-lying woodland and pasture, deeply cut by meandering rivers, while southwards is open chalky downland fringed by high cliffs. Two Heritage Coast paths follow the best of the shoreline, while several historic buildings and a splendid array of well-preserved Victoriana provide added interest. Chief of these is Osborne House , near Cowes, originally designed as a summer retreat for Victoria and the royal family, later the queen's permanent home after Albert died. Several other great Victorians also had close associations with the island: Tennyson lived at Freshwater, and Dickens stayed and wrote in Winterbourne House in Bonchurch - the town where Swinburne grew up and is now buried. If you're dependent upon public transport , pick up the Southern Vectis bus route map and timetable (50p) from the tourist office, ferry office or bus station at your point of arrival. The company's hourly Island Explorer buses (routes #7 and #7A) run all round the island in about four hours. A Rover Ticket allows you unlimited travel on the bus network, costing GBP6.70 for a Day Rover, GBP10.90 for a Two-Day Rover and GBP27.50 for a Weekly Rover. The rail line is a short east-coast stretch linking Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin. Cycling is a very popular way of getting around the Isle of Wight, especially as bikes are carried free on all ferry services, but beware that in summer the narrow lanes can get very busy. For information about the whole island, call 01983/813818 or consult .
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