Brook, Isle of Wight

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brook is a village on the Isle of Wight, England.

It is situated on the south west coast of the island and borders a fine section of rugged coastline facing into the English Channel towards the famous Needles and west Wight cliffs. The village is very small and has no amenities. There is no shop, hotel or school, which some regard as contributing to its charm of being unspoilt.^{[citation needed]}

Brook's principal asset is its proximity to a very fine section of coast which is renowned for excellent walking, fossil hunting and kitesurfing and windsurfing. There is a small 'green' by the beach and a National Trust-owned section of land with a small car park. There are no toilets, no cafe and no souvenir shops. A chine leads down to Brook Bay which is a semi-circular sweep of semi-rocky beach facing south west. The beach is swept by strong tides and can vary enormously from one day to another.

The prevailing south-westerlies scour the beach and alternately either pile up sand from the Dorset coast, or strip it bare, exposing rocks and sometimes fossils. Sunbathers and hardy families brave it in the summer with their picnic rugs and windbreaks, but this is not a family-friendly beach.^{[citation needed]}

There is a section of reef extending from the shoreline for about half a mile into the English Channel. Consequently there can be excellent waves along this section of coastline and Brook is the major kitesurfing and windsurfing venue on the Island.^{[citation needed]} The hinterland of Brook rises steeply from the coastal road to join the chalk spine which stretches from one end of the Island to the other. There are miles of trails and bridleways which are empty and perfect for walking, cycling and riding.

Finally, Brook has a picture-postcard Norman church perched impossibly on a small hillock at the top of the village.