Andrew Powell-Thomas

Lying just a few miles of the Hampshire Coast, the Isle of Wight is famous for its attractive landscape and historical connections. Its coastal scenery is varied, dotted with towns and fortifications built through the centuries to repel invaders, with a chalk downland spine to the island. Carisbrooke Castle held King Charles I during the English Civil War and royal connections continued with Queen Victoria who made her home on the island at Osborne House. Other eminent Victorians followed including the poet Tennyson and the island became popular with tourists and holidaymakers. Cowes became synomynous with yacht racing and other attractions have been developed in the last century. The Needles Battery was the site of the world’s first radio station and later was the testing site for Britain’s nuclear deterrent Blue Streak and independent rocket-building programme in the 1960s.50 Gems of the Isle of Wight explores the many places and their history that make this unique island so special, including natural features, towns and villages, buildings and places of historical interest. Alongside justly famous attractions, others will be relatively unknown but all have an interesting story to tell.

The Isle of Wight has been a popular holiday destination since the Victorian times, with the island known for its mild climate, beautiful scenery and historic connections. It also sits right at the entrance to the important Southampton and Portsmouth docks and because of this, there are a number of impressive castles and fortifications located on the island, including Carisbrooke Castle. Throughout history, the importance of the Isle of Wight has been recognised by invaders, and the island was attacked by the Vikings, the Normans, the French and most recently the Germans during the Second World War. Cowes was the home of Saunders-Roe, the military aircraft and vehicle manufacturer and in the Cold War, the Needles Battery was the testing site for Britain’s Blue Streak nuclear deterrent missile.This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about the Isle of Wight’s remarkable military history.