Isle of Wight Heritage

It was on this day 25 years ago that the Medina Movie Theatre - based at Medina Theatre - closed its doors for the last time. The reason given for the demise of the Movie Theatre was the opening of...

In the third and final instalment of our special Halloween heritage articles, Island Echo examines the story of the ghost ship HMS Eurydice. HMS Eurydice sank in a sudden snowstorm off the Isle of Wight on 24th March 1878, and...

In the second in our series of Halloween Heritage, Island Echo tells the tragic tale of Elizabeth Ruffin, who is said to haunt Carisbrooke Castle's well house. The ancient well at Carisbrooke Castle, now known for its donkeys, once witnessed...

In the first of our Halloween Heritage series for 2025, Island Echo recalls the tale of Annabelle Leigh, who is said to haunt Arreton Manor. Few ghost stories from the Isle of Wight capture both tragedy and haunting like that...

In the 1960s, Appley Park in Ryde was home to a small children’s zoo – a now-forgotten attraction known for exotic animals, basic enclosures and a dramatic bear escape. The zoo opened in 1961 under the name ‘Zoo and Pets...

A cliff path in Shanklin once led to a venue that defined a generation of Isle of Wight nightlife. Before the modern housing, before the quiet, leafy calm of Northcliffe Gardens, the edge of Shanklin’s cliffs once echoed with music,...

2 rare discoveries have been officially declared treasure following an inquest hearing at the Isle of Wight Coroner’s Court. The important finds on the Isle of Wight - 1 Saxon and the other Bronze Age - are helping to tell...

Newport Fire Brigade purchased its first ever motorised fire engine on this day some 100 years year, on 14th October 1925. The Stanley Fire Engine was supplied to Newport Town Council by Frank Cheverton, authorised Ford Dealer of Lower St...

Brickfields Horse Country was once a beloved family attraction on the outskirts of Ryde. Opened in 1983, Brickfields Horse Country quickly became one of the Isle of Wight’s most popular all-weather destinations for families, school groups and horse lovers. For...

2 aircraft collided in mid-air over Bembridge on this day 25 years ago, yet miraculously, both Isle of Wight pilots survived. Experienced aviators 51-year-old John Chape of Newport and 70-year-old John Pretty of Yarmouth narrowly escaped death on 8th October...