 The quartet (me behind camera) on Shanklin Beach by bluesmama | Reviews and photos of Isle of Wight attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Isle of Wight sightseeing. Map |
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 Early Arial postcard of
Yarmouth Harbour by budapest8, 2 more photos
Yarmouth Castle
Yarmouth Castle was built to defend the port of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, and originally was built as a square, walled enclosure surrounded by a ditch, with a triangular bastion on the south-eastern corner. It was expanded in the 1560s, but it is the earliest surviving angle-bastioned fortification in the British Isles and is open to the public. It costs £2.20 for adults, £1.10 for children. It is next to the Wightlink ferry in Yarmouth.
Yarmouth castle is quite a nice castle, but it has one feature which is outstanding, the roof. Whilst everyone else on the island was crammed on the coast, to see the America's Cup round the island race this summer, I was sitting on the battlements (think that's what they are called) with a perfect view. For only £2.20 or whatever I must have had one of the best views of the closing stages of the race. (I also got sunburned). There was the added advantage of the castle which had displays on the history of castles on the south coast and some very nice comparison paintings of now and 'olden times'. Leave a Comment
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 Inside No Mans Land Fort by budapest8
With the advances in steam propulsion, defence policy of old,
where warships could maintain a close blockade on enemy ports,
was no longer viable. Additionally, advances in ordnance manufacture
had improved range and accuracy, giving an enemy the chance of
bombarding coastlines from the sea and out of the range of coast defences.
The government set up a Royal Commission into the issues and their
conclusions were that a ring of new detached sea forts should be constructed.
The conclusions were debated in Parliament and the Fortifications
Act passed in 1860. However, two of the forts, including Spitbank were
struck from the plans but under pressure, they were re-instated two years later.
The forts were designed by Captain E H Steward, who was part
of the staff of the Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications,
Colonel W F D Jervois. The ironwork and shields were designed
separately by Captain Inglis and Lieutenant English.
The noted civil engineer, Sir John Hawkshaw advised on the provision
of foundations. Spitbank Fort was completed in June 1878, and St Helen's
shortly after. The two outer forts, Horse Sand and No Mans Land, although
started earlier, were completed in the spring of 1880. Horse Sands and
No Mans Land are identical, being 200 ft in diameter and fully armour plated;
the other two are only 150 ft diameter and iron plating on the front only.
The cost of building the forts was: (totals exclude armaments)
Horse Sand Fort - £424,694
No Mans Land Fort - £462,500
Spitbank Fort - £167,300
St Helen's Fort - £123, 311 Leave a Comment
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 View from Fort Victoria by budapest8
Forts on the Isle of Wight
In the late 1850s onwards, following the threatened invasion from France,
several forts were also built on the Isle of Wight. These include:
* Old Needles Battery - a museum owned by the National Trust.
* New Needles Battery - also owned by the National Trust,
but as it isn't a pretty cottage that can be used as a picture on the
front of a box of fudge they don't care about it.
* Hatherwood Point Battery
* Warden Point Battery
* Fort Albert - now flats.
* Cliff End Battery
* Fort Victoria - contains a planetarium, Britain's largest model railway,
an aquarium, sunken History Museum and a large country park.
* Golden Hill Fort - put up for sale in January 2002 - asking price: £1,000,000.
* Freshwater Redoubt - a very nice café.
* Bouldner Battery
* Sandown Barrack Battery - now part of the Battery Gardens park,
with the Barracks now part of the Heights swimming pool.
* Sandown Fort - part of the PLUTO pump network during the
Second World War, pumping petrol to France, now Sandown Zoo.
My Great Uncle Jack (Hutchings) was responsible for building PLUTO and I remember
visiting him at Osbourne House which one wing served
as a home for retired ex servicemen.
* Yaverland Battery - no longer exists.
* Redcliff Battery - very little remains.
* Bembridge Fort - owned by the National Trust but leased to industry.
* Culver Battery - still survives (just) despite being owned by the National Trust.
* Steynewood Battery
* Nodes Point Battery
* Puckpool Mortar Battery - a park, containing a radio museum
that contains some of Marconi's experimental equipment. Leave a Comment
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 Osbourne House by freya_heaven
There is an area in the house dedicated to the British Colonies of the time & a lot of Indian infulence. The most amazing banqueting hall designed by Rudyard Kipling's father with balconys in a very Indian style is stunning. Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside, this room needs to be seen to be believed! Leave a Comment Directions: East Cowes
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 The Palm Garden by freya_heaven
Originally called Steephill Pleasure Gardens, with the position of being under a huge cliff which created a warmer area Sir Harold Hillier decided it should be changed in to a Botanical Gardens. The gardens have not been without their problems, first with poor clay soil & then in the violent storm which hit Britain in 1987 & another in 1989 over 500 trees were lost. Which make what you see today even more of a wonder & achievement. Leave a Comment
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 Godshill Cottages by freya_heaven
There is a major road running right through the centre of the village & traffic comes thundering through, with the pavement not extending continuously throught, it can be quite hairy! Leave a Comment Directions: Centre of the island
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 The Needles by freya_heaven
The 80 foot light house was automated in 1994, with the lighthouse keeper & 3 assistants loosing their jobs. This area of the island is notorious for ship wrecks & being a dangerous shipping area. Leave a Comment Directions: South West of the island
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 Adgestone Vineyard by freya_heaven
Adgestone lays claim to being one of the oldest vineyards in Britain, & it is thought Romans used these hills for wine growing too.
There is a small cafe (great mural on the wall), shop of course, a few animals outside. You can also have a cellar tour, but the chap who was working here seemed very grumpy & as we were the only people there I doubted it was on offer when we visited.
Entrance is free but 20pence to use the loo! Leave a Comment
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These forts can be seen when you take a trip over to the
Island from Portsmouth or walk along the beaches close
to Ryde or on the 'Pompey' side. I used to hear stories as
a boy of how boats would go out the forts and use a horse
head as bait to catch conger eels. Fact or fiction these forts
always visible but steeped in mystery and had a very foreboding
look about them. Would be a great place to make a horror movie
alternatively, set the stage to write a ghost story.
Permission to use information given by the RN Museum in Portsmouth
and Country Life.
The Sea Forts
These sea forts were built to prevent any ship from entering
the Solent on the east without coming into range of their big guns.
* St Helen's Fort - privately owned.
* No Man's Land Fort - recently up for sale for £10,000,000.
* Horse Sand Fort - owned by the Ministry of Defence
* Spitbank Fort Leave a Comment
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The Ventnor Botanical Gardens
A lovely place, entry's free but if you want to park that costs.
22 acres of garden. There's a lovely fish pond, an Australian section, one for New Zealand, the Americas, the Med, Japan, a green house with tropical plants (entry £1) you can also buy plans here, they had a buy two get one free offer on when I was there.
There's a lizard wall where if you're lucky enough you might see a few.
You can go along some of the coastal path here too and get good cliff views.
The cafe is lovely, we had jacket potatoes for only £3 something and you get to choose your own salad from a big selection, they were properly cooked too not like some microwaved rubbish you sometimes get. Leave a Comment
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