Isle of Wight Heritage

It was 10 years ago today - 17th January 2013 - that snow started to fall across the Isle of Wight, which soon became the Isle of White as heavy snowfall created a blanket across towns and villages. Families took...

In the 2nd of our series on Isle of Wight railways, we look at the hamlet of Ashey that has played a significant role in the development of the Island railway network. Did you know that Ashey once boasted of...

All Saints Church in Godshill was struck by lightning during a terrible storm on the morning of 14th January 1904, causing extensive damage to the House of God. Godshill church, which stands on the top of a hill - thus...

The Saunders-Roe Nautical 4 hovercraft - more commonly known as the SR.N4 - provided a cross-Channel service between 1968 and 2000 and even featured in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever. But did you know that it was built...

Thousands of Ryde citizens lined the streets of the town to pay their respects at the funeral of 2 lifeboatmen ‒ Frank Haynes and Henry Heward ‒ on 7th January 1907. The lifeboatman had tragically died on New Year’s Day....

Isle of Wight locals on board the Varvassi The Greek cargo ship S.S. Varvassi ‒ conveying 438 barrels of wine and 200 tons of tangerines from Algiers to Southampton ‒ hit The Needles on 5th January 1947. As well as...

In the 1st of our series on Isle of Wight Railways, we look at the railway at St Helens, which was the main commercial docks on the Island until Medina Wharf was rebuilt in 1928. Since the 17th century, there...

1947 ended on a positive note when a retriever dog called Laddie was awarded a People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals silver medal on 31st December for the rescue of 2 young boys. The PDSA medal was instituted in 1943 to...

In the 4th part of Made on the Isle of Wight, we look at the contribution Ryde designer John Ackroyd and Isle of Wight engineers made to a series of world-beating balloons. John ‘Ackers’ Ackroyd had already designed the world’s...

Former location of Seaview pier On 27th December 1951, the residents of Seaview woke up to discover 100 feet of the decking of the beautiful Seaview Pier had been washed away by the sea. Most of us know that Shanklin...