Mount Bay is located below the village of St Lawrence, 1.5 miles west of Ventnor. It is a small bay with a shingle beach, and a natural spring which trickles on to the beach, one of many springs in the area. Access down to the beach is via an uneven footpath from the Isle of Wight Coastal Path on the cliff above.
As is with much of the Island's southern coastline, Mount Bay has a wonderful feeling of isolation. You will often have the beach to yourself so, other than a few ships on the horizon, you can feel like you're the only one on the planet.
DOGS ALLOWED: Yes, all year round
TOILETS: No
OTHER AMENITIES: None
LIFEGUARDS: No
ACCESS ON FOOT: The path down to the beach can be found off the Isle of Wight Coastal Path
ACCESS BY CAR: You cannot access this beach by road. The nearest place to park would be on Undercliff Drive, and walk there via the Isle of Wight Coastal Path.
AS WITH ALL BAYS ON THE SOUTH OF THE WIGHT, CARE MUST BE TAKEN DUE TO UNSTABLE CLIFFS. LANDSLIPS ARE NOT UNCOMMON IN THIS AREA.
HISTORY
Mount Bay is sometimes referred to as Battery Bay, due to a small battery that was built in the late 1790s on the cliff top overlooking Mount Bay. It was formerly mounted with canon guns that were said to have been cast from bells of churches in France. It is also sometimes called Sir Richard's Cove, names after the wealthy landowner who had the battery built.
