The Shanklin Chine in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom | Attraction | Gorge

Welcome to The Shanklin Chine in Shanklin, United Kingdom. When you wander through the tranquil setting of this historic Gorge, take time to just sit and look and listen. You are in a magic world of natural beauty, a rich haven of rare plants, woodland, wildlife and an enchanting waterfall.
The story of the Chine encompasses subjects of interest to all age groups from geology to smuggling, shipwrecks to Pluto and of course the wondrous scenery.
Chine' is a local word and now used only in the Isle of Wight and Dorset. It is of Saxon origin and means a deep narrow ravine, formed by water cutting through soft sandstone leading to the sea. The Saxon name for Shanklin was "Scenc-hlinc" or "cup in the rising ground." Think, too, of the chine of a boat - the shape of a cup - or chine as in an animal's backbone - a deep scooped-out cut.
Formation of The Shanklin Chine has taken place over the last 10,000 years. The stream would originally have flowed into the River Eastern Yar when Sandown Bay was land. This stream is continually cutting its way back to the foot of the Downs from whence it springs. In the latter half of the last century, stones were laid at the top of the waterfall to arrest this progress. There are a continuous series of spring lines on the cliff faces in The Shanklin Chine.
The Island has a number of chines but the two largest are Blackgang, where very little of the original remains, due to erosion, and Shanklin, unique in the quality of its flora and fauna. With a drop of 105ft to sea level, and just over a quarter of a mile, the Chine covers an area of approximately three acres.