Isle of Wight Heritage

In the 2nd in our series of Isle of Wight Sporting Legends, Island Echo examines the life of rugby star Sam Perry. Professor Sam Perry was a truly remarkable man: an eminent scientist, England rugby international and 3 times escapee...

Albert Midlane - one of the greatest hymn writers of the 19th century - was born in Newport on 23rd January 1825. The Isle of Wight lyricist was believed to have written around 1,100 hymns - he never kept count....

In the second of our series on historic Isle of Wight buildings, Island Echo examines the remarkable Steephill Castle to the west of Ventnor Town Centre. Steephill Castle - demolished in 1963 - had quite a history. During the 128...

Island Echo begins a new series of Isle of Wight Sporting Legends with the little-known Shanklin golfer, Horace Rawlins. Rawlins' main claim to fame is that he won the first ever United States Open Golf Tournament almost 130 years ago...

3 Parkhurst prisoners - 2 murderers and a bomber - who went on the run were recaptured at Whippingham on 8th January 1995. The deadly trio had gripped the Isle of Wight in a state of fear for 5 days...

In the first of our new series on historic Isle of Wight buildings, Island Echo examines East Cowes Castle - one of the finest gothic structures in Britain - which was sadly demolished in 1963. East Cowes Castle gained worldwide...

Brading The Experience - more fondly remembered as the Osborn-Smith Wax Works Museum - closed its doors for the last time on 3rd January 2010. It is sadly missed. The quirky tourist attraction had titillated and terrified both Islanders and...

The roll-on, roll-off car carrier MV Höegh Osaka came to grief on Brambles Bank in the Solent on 3rd January 2015 - 10 years ago today. Island Echo was the first news source in the world to report the grounding...

The Isle of Wight is famed for its music festivals attracting the greatest from across the world, but we have plenty of homegrown talent of our own. Musicians born, bred or resident on the Island have achieved world recognition in...

The Isle of Wight's coast is dotted with caves, many reputedly used to store contraband during smuggling times. However, possibly the most famous historical cave on the Isle of Wight - associated with a gruesome murder - was to be...