Isle of Wight Heritage

In the 1st of our new series on Isle of Wight pubs past and present, Island Echo examines the rich history of 4 of the smugglers' pubs dotted along the Undercliff and the Back of the Wight. In the 18th...

A British warship returning from Jamaica - HMS Assurance - carrying a fortune in silver coins stuck Goose Rock off The Needles on 24th April 1753. The loss of the frigate was due to the foolhardy actions of  David Patterson...

Ahead of tonight’s penultimate episode of BBC's controversial adaptation of Great Expectations, Island Echo explores the real-life inspiration behind the character of Miss Havisham, portrayed in the new series by Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman. It is well known that Charles Dickens...

Ventnor railway stations around 1900 In the final part of our Isle of Wight Railways series, for now at least, Island Echo examines various plans for tramways and a funicular railway at Ventnor that unfortunately never came to pass. Did...

The Feast Day of St Arwald - the last Jutish King of the Isle of Wight and the last pagan king in Anglo-Saxon England - is celebrated today (22nd April). The pagan Jutes - a people who had migrated to...

Frank Linsly James The explorer, adventurer and wealthy businessman Frank Linsly James was gored to death by an elephant in Gabon, West Africa, 133 years ago today. Sadly, 21st April – the day of Frank James’s death – was his...

2nd battle of Gaza Sons of 3 well-known Isle of Wight families - Pittis, Ratsey and Seely - fell in battle during World War I at Palestine some 106 years ago. All served with the Isle of Wight battalion of...

The iconic Needles chairlift was officially opened on this day on 18th April 1973. In its half-a-century of operation, the chairlift has taken around 14million visitors from the top of the cliff to Alum Bay beach below. The chairlift, which...

In the last of our mini-series on Isle of Wight piers, Island Echo looks at the 2 substantial piers that stood at Alum Bay between 1869 and 1927. Since the start of the 18th century, visitors have been attracted the...

Alfred Ernest Nicholson's grave in New York Passenger Alfred Nicholson from Shanklin and steward Henry Fairall from Ryde both lost their lives when the Titanic - supposedly the most modern, luxurious and safest ship at that time - hit an...