Brading Roman Villa history

The first building constructed at Brading Roman Villa appeared in around 100 AD, not long after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD. This consisted of the South Range, which was soon followed by the larger North Range in 200 AD.

By the 4th century, the grand West Range was completed as a winged corridor villa, making up the main building of the family’s residence. Over time the interior of the West Range was changed, with walls moved and mosaics added to suit the changing times and fashions.

A number of neighbouring villas were situated around Brading, with the island’s location a perfect choice for reaching both mainland Britain and Gaul (modern France). Later in the 4th century however, Brading suffered heavily from pirate raids, eventually collapsing to ruin in the 5th century.

Brading Roman Villa today

Today Brading Roman Villa is housed in a museum built around the dramatic ruins of its West Range, in which visitors can explore what was once the grandest part of the Roman residence. In places, the Villa’s walls rise up to one metre in height, while aspects of its hypocaust – or underfloor heating system – can also be viewed.

The highlight of Brading Roman Villa is its mosaics however, the largest of which portrays a mixture of religious, nautical and farming imagery. One mosaic also features the image of Medusa, similar to the one found at Bignor Roman Villa, and was thought to ward off evil and protect the house.

Outside, the foundations of the North and South Ranges are marked in chalk, with a 3D recreation of the entire site helping visitors to visualise what it may have once looked like.

Getting to Brading Roman Villa

Brading Roman Villa is located in Brading on the Isle of Wight, just off the A3055. The Southern Vectis Bus Service 3 stops at the Villa, while Brading train station is short walk to the site following signposts through the village.

Carisbrooke Castle history

In around 1000 an Anglo-Saxon burh, or fortress, was likely situated at the site of Carisbrooke Castle, intended to protect the island from Viking raids.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the burh was converted into a castle by the Normans, and by 1100 the Isle of Wight was part of a powerful lordship owned by Baldwin de Redvers. One of Henry I’s key supporters, it was likely Baldwin who built the present motte-and-bailey castle in stone.

The castle stayed in the keeping of the de Redvers family until 1293, with its last member Isabella improving its defences and building the magnificent great hall with her chamber at one end and her chapel at the other. It was then sold to Edward I, and has remained largely in the property of the Crown ever since.

During Henry VIII‘s rule Carisbrooke Castle’s significance waned as he adopted a policy of coastal defence, however under Elizabeth I it again found prominence when she appointed her cousin George Carey as captain of the island. He renovated the castle and in 1596-7, as the threat of the Spanish Armada loomed on the horizon, it was transformed into a major artillery fort.

During the English Civil War, Carisbrooke Castle was in the hands of the Parliamentarians who used it as a prison for their most important Royalist prisoners – including King Charles I himself in 1647-8. Whilst imprisoned there, a section of land on the castle’s east side was converted to a bowling green for his use!

He made 2 escape attempts in 1648 before being moved to Newport and eventually back to the mainland, where he was executed the following year following a host of unsuccessful attempts at negotiation with Parliament.

In later years Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria‘s youngest daughter, was appointed governor of the Isle of Wight, undertaking a number of restorations at the castle. She then used it as a summer residence until 1938, and in 1944 she died at the age of 87.

Carisbrooke Castle today

Today Carisbrooke Castle is managed by English Heritage and is open for visitors to explore its fascinating story. A well-preserved stronghold, highlights include the Norman Keep and wall walk, which provide panoramic views over the site and out across the wider Isle of Wight.

Inside the 16th century guard house is an exhibition on the castle’s rich history, while inside the Great Hall, St Peter’s Chapel, and Constables Lodgings is housed the Carisbrooke Castle Museum. Here a host of Charles I memorabilia is on display, alongside a variety of regularly changing exhibitions.

The Princess Beatrice Garden is also a delight, and a visit to Carisbrooke would be incomplete without seeing its resident donkeys, who for centuries have been drawing up water for the castle in the well house. They give short demonstrations each day of how the well house operated, and spend the rest grazing on the 5-acre field behind the castle.

Getting to Carisbrooke Castle

Carisbrooke Castle is located on the Isle of Wight 1 1/4 miles southwest of Newport, and can be reached by following signs to Carisbrooke village and then to the castle. The nearest ferry port is West Cowes, 5 miles away, while the Southern Vectis 6, 7, 12, and 38 bus services pass near to the site.

History of Mottistone Manor and Gardens

The gardens of Mottistone may be a 20th century creation, but the Mottistone estate dates back a little earlier, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. The manor house in its current form, however, was largely built in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Disaster struck in the early 18th century, when a landslide effectively buried the back of the house in 1703. It remained in this state for over 200 years, even when purchased by a new owner in 1861, Charles Seely, a politician and later Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party. It wasn’t until Charles’s son, Jack, moved into the estate in 1926 and commissioned restoration work, that the landslide damage was repaired and the manor fully brought back to life.

The gardens were developed by Lady Vivien Nicholson in the 1960s (the site was previously used as farmland before the restoration in the 1920s) and emulate a Mediterranean style, reflecting Nicholson’s connection with Sicily (where she was brought up) and also taking advantage of the area’s warm climate.

Mottistone Manor and Gardens today

The manor is a National Trust property and is a popular tourist attraction on the island, primarily because of the extensive gardens. There are countless bright flowers lining the various herbaceous borders, and the gardens also contain a wildflower meadow, rose garden, olive grove, orchard, and much more. As well as the network of paths around the gardens themselves, there are numerous rural and coastal walks connected to – and nearby – the site.

Getting to Mottistone Manor and Gardens

You’ll need to get a ferry from the south coast of England across to the Isle of Wight. Several ferry services take a mix of foot passengers and vehicles from four ports: Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington all operate car ferries to the island, and foot passenger ferries run from Southampton and Portsmouth, plus a hovercraft service from Southsea.

Once on the Isle of Wight, make your way towards the south-west coast (most ferries arrive on the north or north-east of the island). Driving takes around 30-40 minutes, though it’s possible to make the journey on several buses, which takes between 1-2 hours depending on which port you arrive at.

Today the house contains a vast collection of their personal items, alongside countless rooms, gardens, and even a beach where they spent some of their most cherished memories.

Osborne House history

The Osborne estate was first bought by Victoria and Albert in 1845, following which they built the huge palatial mansion that is found today.

Albert had a large hand in the building’s Italianate design, which was thereafter known as the ‘Osborne style’ and inspired the construction of similar buildings throughout the British Empire. Much of the gardens and the wider estate also owe their picturesque designs to Prince Albert, who took a keen interest in their composition.

Intended as a hideaway from the stresses of court life at Windsor, the couple spent as much time as possible at Osborne and their Scottish holiday home of Balmoral, spending most of their birthdays and special events there.

When Albert died in 1861, the distraught Victoria found solace in Osborne’s peaceful surroundings and used it for the remaining 50 years of her life. There she continued to spend time with her vast family and entertain foreign dignitaries, including numerous kings and queens.

Osborne House today

Today Osborne House is managed by English Heritage and provides one of the best glimpses into the personal lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Lavishly decorated State Rooms feature throughout, including the Durbar Room with its elaborate Indian design, intended to reflect the Queen’s status as Empress of India. The family’s private rooms may also be explored, including the children’s nursery, Albert’s private suite, and the bedroom where Victoria died in 1901.

In the grounds of Osborne also lies the Swiss Cottage, where the royal children would play at being adults and acquire the skills their father believed would make them good rulers, while the glorious grounds themselves provide boundless scope for picturesque walks.

The family’s private beach may also be visited where the children learnt to swim, affording the same beautiful views over the Solent that reminded Albert of the Bay of Naples.

For those interested in Queen Victoria and her family’s life, there is no better place to explore than Osborne House.

Getting to Osborne House

Osborne House is located on the Isle of Wight, 1 mile southeast of East Cowes. Ryde Esplanade train station is 7 miles away, while East Cowes ferry port is 1.5 miles away. The Southern Vectis bus services 4 and 5 also stop near the site.

Princess Beatrice Garden history

Princess Beatrice became Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1896 following the death of her husband, Prince Henry of Battenberg, who had previously held the position.

As her mother Queen Victoria‘s favourite and faithful companion, she had spent many years at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, and following her appointment as Governor undertook a number of renovations at Carisbrooke Castle. This included in 1898 when she opened a museum in the gatehouse as a memorial to her husband.

In 1913 she moved into Carisbrooke Castle, the traditional residence of the Governors of the Isle of Wight, and began using it as a summer retreat, renovating it further to suit her needs. At this time she also cultivated her private garden, which since the 17th century had been used for leisure and as a kitchen garden.

Beatrice’s garden was the inspiration for its modern-day counterpart, which was created in 2009 by award-winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw. Using the colours of Beatrice’s heraldic crest – blue, red and yellow – and taking inspiration from her original geometric plans, Beardshaw created an Edwardian-themed garden in remembrance of the woman who dedicated much of her life to the castle and the island on which it sits.

Princess Beatrice Garden today

Today the Princess Beatrice Garden is a pleasant visit amongst Carisbrooke Castle’s many attractions. With a fountain at its centre, the garden is decorated with a host of herbaceous plants, flowers, and fruit trees, with gravel paths and benches weaved throughout.

The garden can be enjoyed both on the ground or from above on the wall walk, where its intriguing design may be viewed – look carefully, it matches the shape of the chapel’s windows! With various plants flowering over the different seasons, visits to the Princess Beatrice Garden may be enjoyed all year round, and each are labelled to give ideas for your own garden!

The equestrian statue found in the garden also provides a solemn moment of contemplation. It memorialises General Jack Seely and his war horse Warrior, who rode into battle together during the First World War.

Warrior was bred on the Isle of Wight and survived all 4 years on the Western Front between 1914-18, taking part in some of the War’s most deadly battles, including the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Ypres. Four years after his return he won the Lightweight Race at the Isle of Wight Point-to-Point, and lived to the ripe old age of 32.

Getting to Princess Beatrice Garden

The Princess Beatrice Garden is located at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight,1 1/4 miles southwest of Newport, and can be reached by following signs to Carisbrooke village and then to the castle. The nearest ferry port is West Cowes, 5 miles away, while the Southern Vectis 6, 7, 12, and 38 bus services pass near to the site.

St Catherine’s Oratory history

Completed in 1328, St Catherine’s Oratory was the project of Walter de Godeton, a local landowner who was condemned by the Church for stealing casks of wines after a shipwreck off Chale Bay in 1314. The ship had been carrying a large cargo of white wine for the monastery in Picardy.

For stealing, de Godeton was threatened with excommunication – not an idle threat for hell-fearing medieval folk. The only way de Godeton could be forgiven was if he built a lighthouse above the scene of the wreck to prevent it happening again.

Alongside the tower, de Godeton also built an oratory which would be housed by a priest, tending the light and saying mass for those lost at sea. This was the pattern of life at St Catherine’s Oratory until the Reformation during the 16th century, when the lighthouse was abandoned. A new lighthouse was built closer to the coast.

St Catherine’s Oratory today

Overlooking Chale Bay, today St Catherine’s Oratory continues to stand watch along the Isle of Wight’s coastline. The watchtower is open for visitors at any reasonable time during daylight hours without charge and offers spectacular views out to sea – on the occasion the hill is not shrouded in dense fog as it often is.

Getting to St Catherine’s Oratory

St Catherine’s Oratory is a 27 minute drive via A3055 from Yarmouth and 40 minutes from Fishbourne, where you can get the ferry across to Gosport. There is a car park opposite the path to the oratory which is about 400 metres across the fields or via a steep staircase.