History
 Osborne house © IW Tourism
The story of the Isle of Wight reflects national history and also illustrates something of the Island's unique character. It was conquered or settled by various peoples just as the mainland was.
Its vulnerability to invasion gave it a national strategic importance and it achieved national fame as the prison of a King and the home of a Queen. At the same time (at any rate for the last 7000 years or so) it has been separate and different, with both sea and land playing a significant part in people's lives.
You'll be amazed at the treasures waiting to be explored from the Island's rich and varied history. There are excavation sites where dinosaur bones dating back over 120 million years have been uncovered. You can follow in the footsteps of the ancient Island peoples and explore remains left by Stone, Bronze and Iron Age communities.
Evidence of Roman occupation can be found in several locations including the remains of two villas featuring well preserved baths and the famous Medusa Mosaic floor.
The Isle of Wight is like a condensed chronicle of England. Key moments in history are brought vividly to life through a wealth of historic buildings. In Carisbrooke Castle you can almost feel the despair of an imprisoned Charles I, rounding the battlements on his daily constitutional. You can see the strategic role the Island had to play in the defence of England by its fortifications by Henry VIII through to Lord Palmerston.
There are also centuries old manor houses, working water mills and a wealth of religious buildings. There are many place where Tennyson wrote poems, Capability Brown created spectacular gardens or Marconi worked on his inventions. And, of course, no trip would be complete without seeing Queen Victoria's favourite residence, the magnificent Osborne House.
As a result of this royal approval, many artists poets and writers lived on or visited the Island during the 19th Century including Joseph Turner, Julia Margaret Cameron, Tennyson, Keats and J.B. Priestley.
Select a period below to discover more about the history of the Island.
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