Visit Isle of Wight has collaborated with local author Anthony Churchill to produce a new ‘Churchill Trail’, which is scheduled to be launched this May.
The new trail visits 12 of the locations that have a connection with the famous family – the Churchills, Spencer-Churchills, Dukes of Marlborough, and American Jeromes – across the Island. These include Churchill Chine near the village of Brook so called because when here, Winston helped dig out a blocked lake allowing it to flow easily in to the sea, and the beach at Osborne where a 13-year old Winston swam in the sea with the sons of his mother’s friend, Anne, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Winston Churchill’s parents, Randolph and Jennie Jerome, met at a party on a yacht moored off of Cowes. Randolph proposed to her 2 days later in the garden of Rosetta Cottage on Cowes seafront. For Churchill himself, holidays meant summer stays in Ventnor with his brother Jack and their nanny. During World War Two, Churchill was asked about his first memories. He replied simply ‘I love Ventnor’. The brothers stayed in various boarding houses in the town and the 4-year old Winston was witness to the sinking of Eurydice, a key event in the history of Ventnor.
Local author Anthony Churchill (pictured left) has written an impressive coffee table book ‘Winston’s Island’ on the connections between the Churchill family’s ancestors and descendants and the Isle of Wight, leading to the collaboration with Visit Isle of Wight.
The Churchill Trail can be tackled on foot, by bike, by bus or in the car and is based on some of the landmark events in former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill’s life. It has been developed by Visit Isle of Wight to be an easy way for visitors to explore the Island and its stories.
David Thornton, CEO, Visit Isle of Wight said:
“The Churchill Trail forms part of our marketing efforts to bring the Island’s past alive and provide more ways for visitors to explore Island towns, villages and attractions.
Article continues below this advertisement “Not only will it drive more people to visit the Island, but encourage them to slow down and spend more time here. That’s great news for tourism activity, revenue and jobs in the local economy”.
Anthony Churchill said:
“It is a great privilege to uncover important aspects of the Island’s history and its relationship to Winston Churchill, his ancestors and now his descendants”.
More information about the Churchill Trail will soon be available on www.visitisleofwight.co.uk.
The new Churchill Trail will be available from Island tourist information points and Island bookshops and patrons featured in the new trail leaflet.
