Isle of Wight Heritage
Island Echo dives into the Isle of Wight's history, exploring all manner of topics from the railways to famous faces, local inventions to natural wonders and plenty more in between. You can expect a new heritage article every Sunday.
PRINCESS BEATRICE – GOVERNOR OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT AND VICTORIA’S YOUNGEST CHILD – DIED
Princess Beatrice in 1868 On this day in 1944, Princess Beatrice - the youngest child of Queen Victoria and Governor of the Isle of Wight - died at Bantridge Park, Sussex, at the age of 87. As the last of...
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THE GERMAN WWII RAID ON ST LAWRENCE THAT OFFICIALLY NEVER WAS
St Lawrence Radar Station in 1945 Island Echo examines the rumours of a German raid on the radar station at St Lawrence in 1943 in which prisoners and valuable equipment were taken - or so it's claimed. It was the...
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MAURICE HOLBROOK THE MAD CHILD MURDERER OF PARKHURST
Island Echo examines the strange tale of Maurice Holbrook, who inexplicably murdered a child at Barrack Field Parkhurst in a case that shocked and horrified the Isle of Wight over a century ago. On 26th August 1898, the gaunt figure...
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THE GREAT STORM OF 1987 LEFT A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE ISLE OF WIGHT
35 years ago, on the night of 15th/16th October 1987, Islanders awoke to a scene of devastation after a once in every 200-year storm event struck the coast, sending Shanklin Pier crashing into the sea. Do you remember the Great...
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ISLE OF WIGHT LORRY DRIVER PICKED UP LUFTWAFFE PILOT AND TOOK HIM TO THE PUB
82 years ago today, during the height of World War II, shocked Isle of Wight lorry driver Harold Blow was amazed to be flagged down by a German Luftwaffe airman in military uniform on Bowcombe Road. He was even more...
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QUEEN VICTORIA WAS USING TEXTSPEAK WELL AHEAD OF HER TIME – PLUS SHE LIKED A CHICKEN CURRY!
Queen Victoria was using textspeak ahead of her time – such as ‘q’ for queen – and may have penned a letter while tipsy, it has been revealed. A rich haul of Royal finds connected to the monarch – all...
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300-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY OF APPULDURCOMBE PRIORY SEEMINGLY SOLVED BY FORMER SCHOOLBOY GUIDE
The location of the old priory house at Appuldurcombe near Wroxall has been a mystery for 300 years, until now... Chris Gardner, a communications manager come historian, has waded into a data lake - a centralised raw data storage repository...
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THE LONGSTONE: THE WIGHT’S MYSTERIOUS NEOLITHIC MONUMENT
Island Echo examines the myths, legends and history surrounding the iconic standing stones located above the hamlet of Mottistone. The Longstone gives its name its name to the nearby hamlet, which is a combination of moot (Anglo Saxon meeting place)...
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40FT WHALE BLOCKED CROSS-SOLENT STEAMER OFF SEAVIEW IN 1888
On this day in 1888, a 40ft-long whale prevented the departure of the passenger steamer Bembridge - bound for Portsmouth - from Seaview as reported by Reynolds Newspaper. The vessel was followed by the whale, which kept close to the...
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OLYMPIC LINER COLLIDED OFF RYDE 6 MONTHS BEFORE SISTER SHIP TITANIC HIT ICEBERG
Captain Edward Smith On this day in 1911, the White Star Liner Olympic - sister ship to the Titanic and the most gigantic vessel then afloat - crashed into the warship HMS Hawke in the Solent off Ryde. The Olympic...
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