Nine historic Island locations to visit on a beautiful summer day

Liam Chorley

29 June 2024 at 0:00 am·2-min read

WITH the sun rearing its lovely head, here’s a list of historic and storied places to visit on the Isle of Wight this summer.

Carisbrooke Castle

Over the years, Carisbrooke Castle has been an artillery fortress, a king's prison and a royal summer residence.

You can explore the castle, climb the Norman keep, and see the famous Carisbrooke donkeys at work.

Carisbrooke Castle. (Image: Pamela Parker)

Yarmouth Castle

A Tudor castle in the beautiful seaside town of Yarmouth, visitors can climb the battlements and enjoy stunning views.

Commanding the mouth of the Solent since 1547, it was Henry VIII’s final fortress, and now you can picnic on the rampart lawns.

Yarmouth Castle. (Image: Pamela Parker)

Newtown Old Town Hall

You can explore a quiet backwater with a medieval past at the National Trust's Newtown National Nature Reserve.

The ancient Old Town Hall dates from around 1699, with alterations in 1813, and stands in a grassy space that was once a wide street.

Newtown Old Town Hall. (Image: Contributed.)

Mottistone Manor

You can take in the exterior of Mottistone Manor from the gardens and a network of paths cross the estate.

You can explore the sheltered valley surrounded by rolling downland.

Mottistone Manor. (Image: Pamela Parker)

Appuldurcombe House

Appuldurcombe began in the early 18th century as the seat of the Worsley family, and was once the grandest house on the Island.

Now a graceful shell, the site still retains more than a ghost of its former dignity, and many architectural details.

Appuldurcombe House at night. (Image: Island Visions Photography)

Needles Old Battery

A Victorian coastal defence and secret rocket testing site perched high above the Needles Rocks, Needles Old Battery has some of the best views you can get of the iconic geological formation.

You can see the original dress uniform jacket worn by Master Gunner Robert Lakeman who worked at the Battery, and head through the underground tunnel which takes you deep through the cliffs.

Needles Old Battery (Image: Contributed.)

Puckpool Battery

Puckpool Battery was one of the many forts built on the Island to protect it in the event of a French invasion.

Completed in 1865, it went on to see use during both the First and Second World Wars and is now a recreational space with wonderful views.

Puckpool Park (Image: Contributed.)

St Catherine’s Lighthouse

The distinctive octagonal tower provides a waymark for vessels navigating the English Channel and a guide to vessels approaching the Solent.

It is one of the oldest lighthouse locations in the country.

St Catherine’s Lighthouse. (Image: Contributed.)

Brading and Newport Roman Villas

The Isle of Wight’s two Roman villas offer unique insights into Roman life on our shores.

In Brading, the site was Roman courtyard villa, while in Newport, the site was a Romano-British farmhouse, but both have plenty to sink your teeth into.

Nipper The Crab at Brading Roman Villa. (Image: Isle of Wight Day)

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