Wherever you stay, your Isle of Wight holiday home is sure to be near a piece of history either millions of years, or decades, old. Animals and people alike have left their mark across the island. The dinosaurs came first, leaving us fossilised footprints at Hanover Point and fossilised remains along the western coast. To learn about them, get transported back in time at Dinosaur Isle at Sandown, or join one of the number of organised tours along the beach.
The Stone Agers - or, if you’d prefer, the Devil and St. Catherine - were responsible for The Longstone, followed by the Romans (Brading Roman Villa), and then by a medieval man who stole monks’ wine and built the ’Pepperpot’ as atonement.
After Henry VIII built Yarmouth Castle, which offers picturesque views of the Solent, an unwilling Charles I stayed in Carisbrooke Castle, just outside Newport. Today, the partial ruins of the medieval castle offers wall walks, museum displays, and the rather interesting spectacle of watching donkeys draw water from a well.
Despite being just across the Solent in East Cowes, Queen Victoria’s family revelled in the privacy of Osbourne House, which combines beautiful interiors with insights into their family life. To blast back into the modern world, visit the Needles Old Battery and New Battery to learn about secret rockets and admire its sea views.
