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The fortifications of the Isle of Wight provide an historic insight into the Island's strategic role throughout history.
Carisbrooke Castle dates from Norman times and brings history alive to many thousands of visitors each year.
Yarmouth Castle, the Needles Old Battery and Fort Victoria, will be of interest to the military historian as well as the casual visitor.
Hilltop monuments such as the Yarborough Monument on Culver Down and the Tennyson Monument on Tennyson Down await discovery by the walker.
Upon St Catherine's Down, you will find the imposing Russian-style Hoy Monument and St Catherines Oratory, the original 14th century lighthouse known locally as the "Pepperpot".
Osborne, on the north of the Isle of Wight, was the holiday residence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This royal stamp of approval brought many famous Victorians to visit and settle on the Island.
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll and John Keats are just a few of the historical greats who were inspired by this "Enchanted Isle".
There are a number of manor houses on the Island with fine furniture and beautiful artefacts that are open to the public. Some manor grounds are historic landscapes in their own right, many containing walled gardens, fine plant collections and buildings of local and national significance.
Overlooking Freshwater Bay lies an earthen long barrow (an ancient tomb), left to us by the Stone Age community which lived there.
Above the pretty village of Mottistone in West Wight lies the most ambitious of the prehistoric tombs.
At the eastern end of the long mound, facing a rising sun, is the Longstone. This great stone pillar is a lasting testimony of Stone Age engineering skills and as a statement of faith in the rising of new life.
Bronze Age Islanders crowned their hilltops with bold round burial mounds, now named tumuli. Each tumulus honoured a dead leader and proclaimed, from its position in the landscape, the family territory.
Strung out along the tops of the downs, barrows like those on Brook Down and Headon Warren are there for you to find.
Recently earning itself the title of Dinosaur Island, the Isle of Wight has long been renowned as one of Europe's finest sites for dinosaur remains.
There was no Isle of Wight 125 million years ago, it was landlocked and part of a large continent. In the muds and silts of ancient marshy environments, animals and plants were trapped and preserved as fossils. These can now be found in the cliffs and on the beaches around the Island's coast. The oldest rocks are the wealdon clays formed when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
The yellow, brown and grey rocks exposed in the bays of Compton, Brook and Brighstone contain fossilised tress and dinosaur bones! Giant casts of dinosaur footprints in stone are a famous feature at Hanover Point.
Today, geologists continue to examine the rocks to understand the complex processes which formed the present Isle of Wight. To help you enjoy and interpret this scenery, take part in one of the organised fossil hunting trips.
Isle of Wight museums, galleries and exhibitions offer the perfect window into the deep and varied history of the Island and its rich arts and culture.
From the Isle of Wight's maritime connections, shipwrecks and smugglers to its significant World War 2 contribution and Roman ruins there is a whole wealth of history to explore in our varied selection of museums.
Similarly the Island's inspiring surroundings, light and atmosphere has seen the creation of some fantastic art and photography over the years, some of which you can find housed in our great selection of galleries.
Number of results: 50
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Castle / Fort
NEWPORT
Visit Carisbrooke Castle and enjoy over 800 years of history!
Steam Railway
HAVENSTREET
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET ON-LINE (SAVE by booking online in advance of your visit).
Inspiring, Surprising and Award-Winning … Equally appealing to adults and families, your visit to The Isle of Wight Steam Railway will charm, engage and...
Historic House / Palace
EAST COWES
Designed by Prince Albert in an Italianate style, Osborne was the much-loved seaside home of Queen Victoria, her husband and their nine children. Osborne was a regal dwelling but also very much a private family home that reflected the royal family’s...
Historic Site
SHANKLIN
Historic gorge with dramatic waterfalls and nature trail.
Historic House / Palace
EAST COWES
Step into Queen Victoria’s favourite country home and experience a world unchanged since the country's longest reigning monarch died here just over 100 years ago.
Church / Chapel
EAST COWES
Just a short carriage ride from Osborne, St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham was redesigned by Prince Albert, and rebuilt in a style considered to be more suitable for the royal family. The family worshipped at St Mildred’s when in residence at Osborne...
Church / Chapel
NEWPORT
Newport Minster is the principal church of the Isle of Wight and an Island venue for concerts, exhibitions and civic events. Rebuilt by Queen Victoria it houses Princess Elizabeth’s grave and other important memorials.
Historic Site
BRADING
Have a day out with a difference at Brading Roman Villa. Visit one of the finest Roman sites in the UK, the award winning Visitor Centre and Museum offers a unique insight into Roman life in Britain.
Special Interest
FRESHWATER BAY
The Isle of Wight retreat of Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Farringford was the centre of the Freshwater Circle group of writers, artists and intellectuals.Tennyson was a regular guest at Osborne. Prince Albert visited Farringford in 1856,...
Historic Site
YARMOUTH
Sir Robert Holmes, an adventurer with a record of overseas exploits, was a prominent local figure; he became Captain (Governor) of the Island in 1668. The present George Hotel in Yarmouth was probably his house at the time of his death in 1692...
Family Fun & Activities
ALUM BAY
The Marconi Monument at The Needles Landmark Attraction commemorates the spot where Guglielmo Marconi set up his revolutionary wireless equipment and sent the very first wireless transmission. In August 1898, Queen Victoria was said to be...
Historic Site
ALUM BAY
A spectacularly sited, cliff top fort overlooking The Needles Rocks, in the care of the National Trust.
Historic Site
WEST COWES
You cannot miss this massive dockyard crane at the mouth of the River Medina at Cowes. You can see it as you walk out of Cowes along the Birmingham Road, as you approach the chain ferry from East Cowes, and as you come into Cowes from the sea. ...
Historic Site
BRIGHSTONE
The Dinosaur Expeditions, Conservation & Palaeoart Centre is run by local fossil enthusiasts. In addition to displays of fossils and palaeoart, the centre has children's activities and a fossil giftshop.
Special Interest
WEST COWES
Bought 1793, and extensively renovated in 1837, Northwood House was part of a huge estate owned by the Ward family. The manor house was the venue for Victorian high society balls and parties, many of which were attended by Queen Victoria, Prince
Heritage / Visitor Centre
BRADING
BRADING STATION HERITAGE EXHIBITION & VISITOR CENTRE: Brading station forms the gateway to the wonderful historic town of Brading. It remains an operational railway station on the Island Line Railway with direct connections to the Wightlink ferry...
Historic Site
NEWPORT
Earl Mountbatten of Burma was the last Governor of the Isle of Wight. He held the position from 1965 until his death in 1979. He was killed by a bomb planted by the IRA that exploded on the boat he was sailing off the coast of the Republic of...
Heritage / Visitor Centre
VENTNOR
Open the door to the Victorian and Edwardian past and meet the islanders and the landscape they shaped.
Observatory / Planetarium
YARMOUTH
The Island Planetarium has been "Reaching for the Stars" for over 20 years, offering a fascinating journey through time & space; stimulating your imagination & mind, in our astrodome theatre & exhibition.
Special Interest
RYDE
Now a private residence, the Prince Consort building was previously known as the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and overlooks the Solent from the western end of the esplanade at Ryde. It was built as a private place for the Queen, because the Royal Yacht...
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Isle of Wight Literary Festival Youth Zone
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