Tag: osbornehouse

“It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot” is what Queen Victoria said of Isle of Wight and she subsequently built a summer vacation getaway for her family. The island was Victoria’s favourite and along with Prince Albert and her family, relished their summers in the spectacular scenery, peace and tranquility of the island. There are several landmarks and places which meant so much to the royal family. Some of these locations were regularly visited and loved by Queen Victoria.

Today, you can follow Queen Victoria’s footsteps and visit the key locations, attractions and beauty spots across Isle of Wight which Victoria loved. This article aims to bring to you these highlights of Isle of Wight along with the experiences and places which were part of the Victorian love affair with this beautiful island in England.

Isle of Wight and the Victorian Love Affair

Isle of Wight became a fashionable vacation destination in the 18^th Century and famously reflect Queen Victoria’s love affair with the island and Osborne House, which was the Royals getaway. Her love for the island goes beyond Osborne House. The are key locations across the island that were special to her throughout her reign as monarch. There was the hotel which Victoria endorsed following her afternoon tea, the yacht club that was built specially for her, the church where her youngest daughter married and the best view points in the island which Victoria loved.

Initially, the island was a getaway for summer vacations and later, during Queen Victoria’s later years, it became her permanent home until her death in 1901. The island is also popular for its castle, Carisbrooke Castle, where her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice lived.

Queen Victoria’s reign as monarch and the strong loving relationship between her and her husband, Prince Albert is fascinating. Their love so strong that Queen Victoria went into a long period of mourning and devoted herself to wearing only black after Prince Albert died.

Her later years on the island is beautifully captured in a recent movie, Victoria and Abdul, which depicts a story of friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian servant. It was filmed on location here and in Osborne House. You can watch the trailer ↓↓

Victoria & Abdul – Trailer

You will find Queen Victoria’s beloved island located at: Latitude: 50° 40′ 30.59″ N
Longitude: -1° 16′ 30.60″ W

Isle of Wight and the Victorian love affair | What did Victoria love about IOW

Isle of Wight’s natural environment brings together many experiences that may have been part of Queen Victoria’s love for the island. Here are the key locations where her presence were frequent and denotes the Victorian love affair of Isle of Wight.

1 | Osborne House Isle of Wight

Without a doubt, Osborne House in Isle of Wight was the Queen’s favourite and most cherished of palaces. You will find that what Queen Victoria once said “it would be impossible to imagine a prettier spot” – to be absolutely correct when visiting here.

The Royal couple cherished the peace and tranquillity of the island and it made a perfect getaway for their summer vacation. The Osborne House was built by the sea to make the most of the views afforded by the island. A private beach for her family, views of the beautiful cliffs and a direct view to mainland, England.

Prince Albert designed the building with the architect, embedding inspirations of their time in the Bay of Naples. The terraces and towers of Osborne House were Italian inspired and the House was built in 1845.

Today, you can walk in Victoria’s footsteps and enjoy the splendour and opulence of her home in her beloved island. As well, ensure you experience the captivating views across the Solent from the terraces of Osborne House. Afterwards, wander the extensive grounds. Take a moment and enjoy the “charming beach” which Queen Victoria passionately referred to in 1845.

Osborne House really is a beautiful place to explore and you can stroll easily for hours.

2 | St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham Isle of Wight

A key favourite of Queen Victoria was the island’s church, St Mildred’s which was a short carriage ride from Osborne House.

St Mildred’s Church is located in the heart of Whippingham, East Cowes and is said to be a place of worship since Norman times. Rich in royal history and heritage, St Mildred’s is a beautiful example of personal attention and loving care devoted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert that became a centre point of their Sunday family worships.

The royal family worshiped in St Mildred’s when they were in residence at Osborne House. Prince Albert even re-designed the church incorporating many beautiful features so it was more suitable for the royal family. Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice was married here. Beatrice and her husband are buried here also.

3 | Egypt Point West Cowes Isle of Wight

The Victorian love affair with Isle of Wight is perfectly captured by the panoramic views over the Solent from Egypt Point in West Cowes. The coastal viewpoint between Cowes and Gurnard was Queen Victoria’s favourite location to capture the sunsets over the Solent. Victoria was irresistibly romantic in nature!

4 | Blackgang Chine, Chale Isle of Wight

Opened in 1840, Blackgang Chine is the oldest amusement park in the UK. A land where you step out of the ordinary into a world of imagination, waiting to be explored. It is a world of dinos and cowboys, battleships in Pirate Cove, Underwater Kingdom, high speed rollercoasters and water slides – seamless classic adventure experiences alongside timeless excitement.

Blackgang Chine comes with its sister park, Robin Hill. Robin Hill offers eighty-eight acres of parkland and rolling countryside for great outdoors.

Queen Victoria gave her seal of approval to Blackgang Chine in 1853 when she visited the skeleton of the whale that was washed up near the Needles.

The whale’s skeleton was the very first attraction at Blackgang Chine and it is on view today.

5 | Shanklin Chine Shanklin Isle of Wight

Shanklin Chine is a fascinating geological feature and is a top tourist attraction in Isle of Wight, attracting millions each year. It boasts a tranquil and picturesque setting that one can only, but marvel at its natural beauty. It first opened its doors in 1817 and has since attracted not just visitors but renowned artists, photographers and royalties. You will be in total awe when you visit here and appreciate why this wonder is one of the Victorian love affair experience.

Queen Victoria first visited Shanklin Chine when she was Princess Victoria at the age of fourteen in 1833 with her mother. Legend has it that Princess Victoria helped herself to a prawn on her way in!

Shanklin Chine was one of Victoria’s favourite places to visit in her beloved island when she returned as Queen Victoria in the summers. She continued to visit with Prince Albert and is known to bring her guests as well, notably King Leopold and Queen Louise of Belgium.

6 | The Royal, Ventnor Isle of Wight

The Royal Hotel in Ventnor is one of Britain’s finest. It was known as Ventnor Hotel but was renamed The Royal Hotel after Queen Victoria endorsed it for afternoon tea following her visit in 1855. The Royal Hotel became a fashionable holiday and health retreat in Victorian times after receiving a firm recommendation of the health-giving properties of Ventnor’s climate from Queen Victoria’s surgeon.

Today, it is regarded as the ultimate in island experience. Surrounded by cliffs and nestled in an exotic south facing garden, overlooking Ventnor’s magnificent coastline. Afternoon tea is still served here.

7 | Ventnor Botanic Garden, St Lawrence Isle of Wight

Ventnor Botanic Garden lies in the southcoast of the island and has a unique microclimate of an average of 5 degrees warmer than the rest of UK. Surrounded by the chalk downs of Ventnor Undercliff, Ventnor Botanic Garden was and still is, a perfect base to grow rare and exotic plants and trees.

Once known as Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest during the Victorian era where patients were “taking the cure” at the seaside, the Ventnor Botanic Garden is home to several notable Victorian specimens.

The “Chusan Palm” Trachycarpus fortune are the oldest palms in the British Isles. These were collected in the 19th Century for Veitches Nursery and were presented to Queen Victoria who wanted them planted in the grounds of the hospital. These palms remain in the same spot today.

8 | Prince Consort building formerly the Royal Victoria Yacht Club

The Yacht Club was built by Prince Albert specially for Queen Victoria as a private place because the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes did not allow female visitors, not even the Queen! It was built at the western end of Ryde, overlooking the Solent. The building is now called the Prince Consort building and is a private residence.

9 | Carisbrooke Castle, Newport Isle of Wight

Carisbrooke Castle has a long history going back a thousand years. Carisbrooke was pivotal both as a place of power and defence. It was a Saxon fortress, a Norman conquest and a royal prison during the Civil War of 1642-1651. The most famous royal prisoner was Charles I.

Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria was appointed Governor of Isle of Wight succeeding her husband’s passing in 1896. She lived with Queen Victoria at Osborne. She was her mother’s lifelong companion and loyal assistant. In 1913, Princess Beatrice adapted and modernised the hall range and the Constable’s Lodgings. Carisbrooke became her residence until her death in 1944.

Princess Beatrice made many changes to the Castle and one significant change was the creation of a museum of local history as a memorial to her husband.

Today, Carisbrooke Castle is a tourist attraction – home to the Museum of Isle of Wight, incredible views across the land, a wealth of fun-packed activities for family days out throughout the year such as jousting. Above all, the famous and friendly Carisbrooke donkeys who operate the treadwheel in the Elizabethan wheelhouse.

10 | The Needles Alum Bay

The Needles Park and more precisely the Marconi Monument marks the location where Guglielmo Marconi undertook his pioneering efforts to successfully establish radio and telecommunications. In August 1898, Marconi was summoned to Osborne House to establish radio communication between Queen Victoria and Prince of Wales, her eldest son who was onboard the royal yacht. Queen Victoria is said to have been “delighted” of Marconi’s achievement

---

Practical information for when planning a trip to experience the Victorian Love Affair locations

1 | Map

All of the above key locations that encompasses the Victorian Love Affair are colour marked on the map below to give you an idea of where these are on the island to support your visit and to book your place to stay.

2 | How to get to Isle of Wight from mainland Britain

Visiting the Isle of Wight couldn’t be any easier. The island can be accessed in 45 minutes via a short sea crossing from southern England, across the Solent. There are regular services to the island from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington in the New Forest. You can check for schedules on the links below, which I hope you will find useful. Wightlink and Red Funnel ferries for pricing.

How to get around Isle of Wight

There are various options and convenient ways to get around the island:

By foot

Perhaps not the fastest way to get around the island but it undoubtedly is the best way to explore one of England’s stunning coastal paths, seascapes, rolling hills and enchanting villages.

Following are the recommended walks by Visit Isle of Wight which you could explore:

Public transport

The Isle of Wight Southern Vectis and the Island Line trains offer good transportations services which are convenient and regular. The services cover around the island and most of the villages.

Southern Vectis

The buses run a regular service to and from all major towns on the island. During the peak season (summer: Jun – Aug) they run 3 open-top bus tours which takes you on an amazing journey round the Island’s most spectacular sceneries. For further information and to plan your journey, learn more from Southern Vectis.

Island Line

The Island Line service connects the towns of Ryde, Brading Sandown and Shanklin. You can pick up the service from Ryde Pier. 

Learn more and plan your journey by navigating to Island Line by South Western Railway.

---

On a final note…

The Isle of Wight and Victorian love affair highlights the key places loved by Queen Victoria and her family. This list is by no means an exhaustive one. There are certain to be more places frequented by Victoria and the ten places suggested in this article makes a good start to exploring Queen Victoria’s beloved island.

To learn more about Queen Victoria, head to:

Victoria – An intimate look at the Woman behind the Crown and her Childhood

Victoria and her 200th Anniversary

Kensington Palace – Why you should visit this 18th century historical gem

Happy discovering England’s best island!

Georgina xx

March 2021, Update

---

---

---