Puckaster is part of the
Undercliff, a large coastal
landslide complex along the southern coastline of the Isle of Wight, and as such is subject to
coastal erosion concerns. It is also the home of some rare bees and other unique insects. Its unique climate allows the growth of some plants that are found nowhere else in the British Islands; this was even the subject of a publication by philosopher and economist
John Stuart Mill. To this end, Puckaster Farm was purchased in an effort to preserve this area. Puckaster Cove sits on the coastline beneath the hamlet, immediately east of
Reeth Bay and west of
Binnel Bay. It is a small remote cove that is now largely inaccessible and dangerous due to landslides. It has a narrow and rocky shoreline with a small shingle beach. The remains of several wooden structures and cleared sand channels can be seen offshore, these originate from the small fishing community that once existed at the cove, which was subsequently destroyed by landslides during the 20th century. As at Reeth Bay the cove is backed by in-situ cliffs of
Lower Greensand, with superficial mudflows and landslide debris from the Gault Clay (known locally as 'Blue Slipper') and
Upper Greensand. Puckaster has inspired several renowned paintings and drawings. For example, British painter
Edward William Cooke (1811–1880) made a watercolor of Puckaster Cove in 1831. The
Brigham Young University Museum of Art owns an anonymous drawn plan of a Puckaster dwelling and a watercolor of a Puckaster cottage. Mrs. W. Bartlett and W. Willis made a well known etching of Puckaster Cove that was published in "Barber's Picturesque Illustrations of the Isle of Wight" in 1845. The
Tate Collection includes a drawing by artist
Sir David Wilkie (1785–1841) titled, "
Sir Willoughby Gordon and his Daughter Julia, Cooking on a Griddle at Puckaster, near Niton, Isle of Wight 1822". Painters L. J. Wood and
Richard Henry Nibbs (1816–1893) have also produced notable paintings of Puckaster. ==Famous residents==