The Three Bishops

One of the best known landmarks on the Isle of Wight are the Needles.  These white treacherous rocks, located on the western part of the island, shoot hundreds of feet out of the water and for hundreds of years have posed a hazard to passing ships.

To protect the passage, a lighthouse has been in operation at various locations since 1785.  

Outside of the beautiful geology of the area, the Needles and Alum Bay also have a rich military history.  The Needles housed a battery during World War I which today has been restored as a part of the National Trust.  

Even more interesting, was the top secret rocket facility in operation up until 1971.  Remains of gantries still stick out of the rugged rocky coast.  It's quite the sight.

As we left the Needles, we continued our way across Tennyson Down, named after the English poet and former island resident, Lord Alfred Tennyson.

The downs give one of the most beautiful views of the island.

As we worked our way around, we ended up in Freshwater and from there, a short car ride to The Bishops Pub in Brighstone.  We sort of had the name mixed up.  At first it was the Bishop's Three Fingers and then it was the Three Fingered Bishop. 

We were ultimately corrected: The Three Bishops.

Although it appears unassuming from the front, the pub is huge.  A large sign greeted us and established the "guidelines" for visits.

Seeing we (well really "I") were after real ale, we had a dog with relatively well behaved owners and had mud caked on our boots, everything fit the bill.

It was a pretty chilly day, so the large beer garden outside was relatively empty.  Inside, it was obvious the pub had undergone a fairly recent renovation.  It was quite nice, spacious and clean.  There were two large eating areas and two bars.  One bar towards the lower eating area and one up front at more of a "bar" area.  

I grabbed an Abbot Ale and everyone else took a tea service.  No surprise there.

Brighstone is a very, very small village.  There is a little convenience store, a library, an 800 year old church and the pub.  My kind of place.

Although we didn't touch the menu, it looked inviting.  On a warmer today, it would be great to sit outside and have a meal.  I saw several things with "sausage"…I'm easily pleased and look forward to a trip back.

The Three Bishops
Main Road
Brightstone, Isle of Wight
PO 030 4AH