About the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight related links | Island History | How to get to the Island

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Atherfield Ledge One of the most notorious shipwreck sites around the coast of the Isle of Wight.  
Bembridge Bembridge bases its claim to be the largest village in Europe on the definition of a village as being controlled by a Parish Council, and a town by a Town Council. Therfore larger so called villages are either towns, as they have a Town Council or are part of a larger Urban or Rural Local Authority.  
Blackgang Chine A chine is an Isle of Wight (and Dorset) word for a deep channel cut through cliffs by a river. Blackgang Chine is renowned for its "Theme Park", which was a popular children's attraction long before the idea of a "Theme Park" became established. Sadly large amounts of the coast around this area are subject to landslip.  
Brading A picturesque town, noted for its Bullring, Wax Museum and Roman Villa among other attractions. One time junction on the railway to Bembridge.  
Carisbrooke Carisbrooke is a village just to the west of Newport, and it snuggles at the bottom of the hill atop which Carisbrooke Castle is built. The castle, which dates from Norman times, once held King Charles I prisoner. The best known of its attractions is the Donkey Wheel, used to draw water from the castle well.  
Cowes Centre of the world famous Cowes week regatta, and terminal for the Red Funnel Redjet ferry to the Island.
Cowes Homepage
(external link)
East Cowes Terminal for the Red Funnel car ferry service to Southampton.  
Fishbourne Terminal for the Wight Link car ferry service between the Island and Portsmouth.  
Havenstreet: The Isle of Wight Steam Railway The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is based at Havenstreet near Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Follow the link to learn more about this preserved railway. logo
The Steam Railway
(external link)
The Needles & Alum Bay The Needles Rocks and lighthouse are one of the best known sights on the Island. The coloured sands of Alum Bay are well known and are often made into souveniers.  
Newport Newport is the County Town of The Isle of Wight. Market day is Tuesday.  
Newtown Creek Newtown Creek is a very pretty and popular destination for yachtsmen. As the ancient capital of the Island it was called Francheville, the town was sacked and burnt by the french in 1377 and was renamed Newtown when it was rebuilt. The town returned two MP's for several years until Parliament was reformed.  
Niton Site of a large and important second World War radar installation, and an important Marine Radio centre.  
Osbourne Osbourne was chosen by Queen Victoria as the site of a holiday home. Designed by her husband Prince Albert, Osbourne House became one of her favourite retreats, she died there in 1901. The house is open to the public at certain times of the year.  
Ryde    
Ryde Pier Ryde Pier is nearly half a mile long and is really two piers, one for the roadway and one for the railway. There used to be a third pier between them for an electric tramway. The pier serves as the Island terminal for the Wight Link FastCat ferry service between Portsmouth and Ryde, and for various pleasure cruises.

The first pier was started in 1812, the tramway pier was opened in 1864, and demolished in 1969. The railway pier was opened in 1880.

  
Sandown One of the best loved holiday destinations on the Island. amongst other attactions is the pier, which is the starting point for many pleasure cruises. The airport is suitable for light aircraft only.  
Seaview A favourite watering hole for the rich victorians, it still attracts the more well to do visitor.  
Shanklin Shanklin, along with Sandown, is among the most popular holiday towns on the Island. The pier was destroyed by the gales in 1987.  
St Catherine's Point The southernmost tip of the island and site of St. Catherine's Point lighthouse. On the downs behind St. Catherines is the town of Niton, and nearby is the famous Blackgang Chine.
Ventnor A town on the Southern coast of the island well known for its crab & lobster fishing.  
Yarmouth A favourite harbour for visiting yachtsmen, and also the Island terminal of the Wight Link car ferry service to Lymington.  
 

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How to get there

Passenger Ferries
Wight Link FastCat Portsmouth to Ryde Pier
Hovertravel Hovercraft Southsea to Ryde
Red Funnel RedJet Southampton to Cowes
Car Ferries  
Wight Link Portsmouth to Fishbourne
Wight Link Lymington to Yarmouth
Red Funnel Southampton to East Cowes
All the above links are external to this site
By Air  
  Sandown Airport No commercial services
  Bembridge Airport No commercial services
   

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Some Noteable (and not so noteable) Dates

c6000 BC The Channel and Solent Rivers flooded by the rising sea - due to the melting ice caps. The Isle of Wight comes into existence as an island.
c681 Earliest date for the conversion of the Island to Christianity, being the last area of England to be converted.
1225 First documentary mention of rabbits on the Isle of Wight. They were imported to Britain from mainland Europe by the Normans. Futhermore it is also documented that no foxes were in the Island until 1845.
1377 The capital Francheville (Later Newtown) sacked & burnt by the French. The Island was occupied by the French between 15th August and 10th September of that year.
1545 A fort constucted at Sandown by Henry VIII.
1584/5 The Island returns six MPs to Parliament (two each for Yarmouth, Newtown and Newport) out of a total of only 62 for the whole country. The Island has one MP today for a population of over 100,000 making it the most populated constituency in the United Kingdom.
1642 West Cowes fort (now the Royal Yacht Squadron) becomes the only Island fort to fire a gun in anger - at the outbreak of the Civil War.
1648 King Charles I imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle.
1814 The first Ryde pier finished at a length of 1740ft (530m), later extended to 2250ft (686m).
1829 The first church at Bembridge consencrated when the parish was seperated from Brading.
1845 The first foxes imported to the Island for hunting. Until then the (also imported) rabbits had had no natural enemies for over 600 years.
1859 Royal Commission into Solent Defences recommends the building of sea forts.
1862 The first railway trains ran on the Island, between Newport & Cowes on 16th June.
1862-7 Bembridge Fort constructed on culver down.
1867 Start of construction of St Helen's Fort.
1882 The railway line between St Helen's and Bembridge over the newly finished embankment across Brading Haven was opened on the 27th May. After many false starts Bembridge Harbour had come into existance.
1897 Marconi set up his wireless telegraphy station at Alum Bay in July.
1920 Nab Tower placed in present position as a lighthouse.
1922 Building of Bembridge Lifeboat Pier & Boathouse.
1981 The last occurance of Foot & Mouth disease on the Island. This was an isolated outbreak (The rest of England was not affected). The Isle of Wight was free of the disease throughout the recent outbreak in England.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive guide to the Isle of Wight, and I cannot guarantee the perfect accuracy of the information given - although it comes from respected sources. I would be grateful for any corrections and/or suggested additions - see the e-mail address on the Homepage.
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