Visit Isle of Wight Places

Welcome to Visit Isle of Wight Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Isle of Wight

  

Isle of Wight Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Isle of Wight

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Isle of Wight history

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Pre-Bronze Age

Neolithic occupation on the Isle of Wight is primarily attested to by flint tools and monuments . No major evidence of Upper Palaeolithic activity exists on the island . A submerged escarpment 11m below sea level off Bouldnor Cliff is home to an internationally significant mesolithic archaeological site .

Bronze and Iron Age

Bronze Age Britain had large reserves of tin in Cornwall and Devon and tin is necessary to smelt bronze . At that time the sea level was much lower and carts of tin were brought across the Solent at low tide for export, possibly on the Ferriby Boats .

Roman period

Julius Caesar reported that the Belgae took the Isle of Wight in about 85 BC . Julius Caesar recognised the culture of this general region as “Belgic”, but made no reference to Vectis . The Romans built no towns on the island, but the remains of at least seven Roman villas have been found .

Early Medieval period

Bede’s (731) Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum identifies the Jutes as the main settlers of the Isle of Wight . During the Dark Ages the island was settled as the pagan kingdom of Wihtwara under King Arwald . In 685 it was invaded by King Cædwalla of Wessex who tried to replace the inhabitants with his own followers . Wight was then added to Wessex and became part of England under King Alfred the Great .

Norman Conquest – 19th century

Norman Conquest of 1066 created the position of Lord of the Isle of Wight . Island was given by William the Conqueror to his kinsman William FitzOsbern . The Lordship was granted to the de Redvers family by Henry I, after his succession in 1100 . For nearly 200 years the island was a semi-independent feudal fiefdom . The final private owner was the Countess Isabella de Fortibus, who, on her deathbed in 1293, sold it to Edward I .

19th century – present

The future Queen Victoria spent childhood holidays on the island and became fond of it . When queen she made Osborne House her winter home, the island became a fashionable holiday resort . The world’s first radio station was set up by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897, during Victoria’s reign, at the Needles Battery .

Isle of Wight culture & places

Language and dialect

The local accent is similar to the traditional dialect of Hampshire . It features dropping of some consonants and an emphasis on longer vowels . The island has its own local and regional words, such as overner and caulkhead .

Identity

Isle of Wight was a part of Hampshire until 1890, when its distinct identity was recognised . It was recognised as a county until 1974 when it became a ceremonial county with its own Lord Lieutenant . Island residents are sometimes referred to as “Vectensians” or, if born on the island, “caulkheads” Island residents refer to the island as “The Island” as “North Island”

Sport

Sport plays a key part of culture on the Isle of Wight . Sports include golf, marathon, cycling and sailing . Sport is a big part of the island’s culture and culture .

Music

In 1970, Jimi Hendrix headlined the Isle of Wight festival in front of 600,000 people . It is the home of the bands The Bees, Trixie’s Big Red Motorbike, Level 42, and Wet Leg .

Isle of Wight economy & business

Socio-economic data

Island’s population of 138,625 lives in 61,085 households, giving an average household size of 2.27 people . Compared to South East England, the island has fewer children (19% aged 0–17 against 22% for the South East) and more elderly (24% aged 65+ against 16%)

Industry and agriculture

The largest industry is tourism, but the island also has a strong agricultural heritage . Garlic has been successfully grown in Newchurch for many years, and is even exported to France . A favourable climate supports two vineyards, including one of the oldest in the British Isles at Adgestone .

Services

In 1999, it hosted 2.7 million visitors, with 1.5 million staying overnight and 1.2 million day visits . Tourism is still the largest industry, and most island towns and villages offer hotels, hostels and camping sites . Blackgang Chine is the oldest theme park in Britain, opened in 1843 . The island has a local commercial radio station and a community radio station .

Isle of Wight toponymy

The Isle of Wight was called Vectis or Vecta in Latin, Iktis or Ouiktis in Greek. The modern Welsh name is Ynys Wyth (ynys = island) It may mean “place of the division”, because the island divides the two arms of the Solent.

Isle of Wight geography / climate

The Isle of Wight is situated between the Solent and the English Channel. It is roughly rhomboid in shape, and covers an area of 150 sq mi (380 km) The whole island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in June 2019. The highest point on the island is St Boniface Down in the south east, at 241 m (791 ft)

Geology

Isle of Wight is made up of a variety of rock types dating from early Cretaceous to middle of Palaeogene (around 30 million years ago) The northern half of the island is mainly composed of clays, with the southern half formed of the chalk of the central east–west downs . All the rocks found on the island are sedimentary, such as limestones, mudstones and sandstones . The island is one of the most important areas in Europe for dinosaur fossils . Dinosaur bones and fossilised footprints can be seen on the rocks exposed around the island’s beaches .

Climate

Lower Ventnor and the neighbouring Undercliff have a particular microclimate because of their sheltered position south of the downs . The island enjoys 1,800–2,100 hours of sunshine a year .

Flora and fauna

The Isle of Wight is one of the few places in England where the red squirrel is still flourishing . There are occasional sightings of wild deer, and there is a colony of wild goats on Ventnor’s downs . Protected species such as the dormouse and rare bats can be found .

Settlements

Newport is the centrally located county town with a population of about 25,000 . Ryde, Ryde is the largest town with the oldest seaside pier in England . Cowes hosts the annual Cowes Week and is an international sailing centre . Sandown is a popular seaside resort with miles of sandy beaches .

You can visit Isle of Wight places with Walkfo Isle of Wight to hear history at Isle of Wight’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Isle of Wight has 45 places to visit in our interactive Isle of Wight map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Isle of Wight, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Isle of Wight places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Isle of Wight & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 45 audio facts unique to Isle of Wight places in an interactive Isle of Wight map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Isle of Wight Places Map
45 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Isle of Wight historic spots	Isle of Wight tourist destinations	Isle of Wight plaques	Isle of Wight geographic features
Walkfo Isle of Wight tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Isle of Wight

  

Best Isle of Wight places to visit

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Isle of Wight has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Isle of Wight’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Isle of Wight’s information audio spots:

Whitecroft Hospital Whitecroft Hospital was a mental health facility near to Gatcombe on the Isle of Wight. The clock tower is a Grade II listed building.

Amazon World Zoo Park Amazon World Zoo Park is a medium-sized zoo located in Newchurch, Isle of Wight on the outskirts of Sandown, England. The collection is based around the animals of the Amazon rainforest and as such features a variety of exotic animals from South America, including Giant Anteaters, Ocelots and Sloths.

St George’s Church, Arreton St George’s Church, Arreton, is a parish church in the Church of England. It is located on the Isle of Wight.

St Olave’s Church, Gatcombe St Olave’s Church, Gatcombe is a parish church in the Church of England. It is located in Gatcombe, Isle of Wight.

Shide, Isle of Wight Shide Hill House was the home and workplace of John Milne (1850–1913), inventor of the horizontal pendulum seismograph. The Observatory, housed in the stable block, was dismantled and moved to Oxford in 1919. The Laboratory Block still exists and is the building facing into the fields towards Blackwater.

Visit Isle of Wight plaques