Armchair Adventurers Explore the

Ar Following this the sea flooded over the land cha eol ogy and the Lower and Upper Greensands were laid down. They are composed of sandstones Geo graphy and marine clays containing fossils of coral, ammonites, clams and lobsters from the y Geolog tropical seas of 109 million years ago. ry isto By the end of the Cretaceous period the H limestone we call chalk made from billions of The Isle of Wight is 13 miles long and 23 miles tiny plankton shells was laid down in the warm across. At its highest point it is 791 feet above water chalk sea. It also saw the extinction of the English Channel and roughly diamond the dinosaurs, ammonites and numerous shaped. It is the second most populous island in other plants and animals. .

The northern half of the island is part of the geological Wessex channel basin. A geological basin is a large low lying area, often below sea level that collects sediment in cycles over millions of years. These areas are of interest to oil prospectors [this area is known to be a mature oil Culver Chalk Cliffs [dinosaurisle.com] kitchen], hydrologists and palaeontologists.

The area’s geological history is well mapped and 56 million years ago the rock layers to the easily accessed. A really good summary can be north of the island were laid down in a warm found on the dinosaur isle web site. The English shallow sea, a home to over 500 different Channel was a large river valley that rose, sank types of shellfish plus sharks and sea rays. and rose again. Separation from the mainland They are the most brightly coloured crumbly occurred about 7,000 years ago due to rising sea muds and sandstones that form Alum Bay. levels that began about 10,000 years ago as ice Part of the chalk ridge was turned upright melted. The Wessex basin is known as a rift from pressure of global plate movement so basin likely to have been formed during the the layers now appear vertical. Permian to early Cretaceous period in response to movement in the African and Eurasian plates.

The oldest rocks are called the Wealden made

Alum Bay [dinosaurisle.com]

There then followed a period of shallow lagoons and swamps which silted up 32 The Wealden at Brook Bay [dinosaurisle.com] million years ago. More recent times have up of mudstones and sandstones containing seen numerous alternating warm and cold remains of dinosaurs, including some footprints spells each lasting tens of thousands of years. at Hanover Point from the Cretaceous period in This has given rise to extensive patches of this once swampy environment around 126 gravel, clay and peat. million years ago. Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [ 2 ] 1 Archaeology Also on site are a nymphaeum [sacred pool], agricultural buildings and the remains of a Evidence of early human occupation is hypocaust heating system. Finds also include known from flint axes and stone artefacts from the paleao-,meso-, and neolithic periods. Neolithic long barrows [4,000 – 2,400BC] are found at Afton Down and Mottistone. At Tennyson Down there is a mortuary enclosure where bodies would have been de-fleshed. Over 300 Bronze Age round barrows [2,300 – 700BC] have been located mainly on the chalk downlands. There is an Iron Age hill fort at Chillerton Down. Brading Villa [Historic England]

The Romans invaded in AD 43 and stayed coins, Samian ware, jewellery, games, window for 400 years. They named the island Vectis. glass and painted plaster. No Roman towns are known so it is believed that the island was used as an agricultural Newport Villa is a Romano – British farmhouse centre, including fishing, vines, wool, discovered in 1926 while excavating for a garage quarrying, tile and glass making. and dates from 280AD. It was probably built on an Iron Age site by a local landowner who adopted Sites of up to eight possible Roman Villas Roman ways. The foundations are still standing, have been identified. Two have been almost to their original height; they would have excavated, o been topped by timber frames with wattle and ne at Brading the other at Newport with daub. Excavations in the 1970s and 80s revealed numerous finds in each.

Brading Villa mosaics were found in1879 by a farmer digging post holes and dates

Newport Villa [British Express]

Brading Villa [Britain Express] that the villa was only in use for about 50 years. from the mid-1st century. Excavations by There is a fine bath suite with frigidarium, Oxford University were carried out in 2008. tepidarium, caladarium and hypocaust. The baths The villa is three sided around a courtyard probably had a domed roof of tufa, a lightweight with twelve ground floor rooms, 5 of which stone, which would have prevented condensation contain exceptional mosaics suggesting the dripping down. Other finds include mosaics, roof owner was wealthy and well educated. The tiles, window glass and brightly coloured plaster.

Brading Villa [British Express] Newport Villa [British Express] most famous of the numerous depictions is that of a cockerel headed man thought to be The site now has a reconstructed Roman kitchen a lampoon of the eastern emperor and garden. Constantius Gallus. 2 Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] History of settlements and industry Fear of another French invasion led to some landowners leaving the island in 1388. As previously explained the area was noted for its agriculture during Roman times, the Raids by the French in 1377 resulted in several light chalk soil making it easy to plough. A towns being burned so their fears were real. side effect of their presence was losing half the island’s natural woodland to Roman The population was further diminished by the furnaces. They also used sites at Binstead for Blackdeath in 1352 leaving villages deserted. quarrying and grew vines. The vineyard at 1528 saw a severe outbreak of the plague. Adgestone being one of the oldest in Britain. Larger farms and field enclosures further depleted the population. The cloth industry In 350AD the Anglo-Saxons invaded. The first began to decline. Brewing and leather recorded settlement was at Arreton in 885AD. production became the main town industries. Water wheels driving mills were in general use and at the time of the Domesday survey Henry VIII developed the Royal Navy and in 1086 24 were recorded. Calbourne Mill fortifications built at Sandown, Cowes and supplied flour and animal feed across the Yarmouth. In 1545 the last French invasion was island. repelled by local militia at the battle of Bonchurch with support from the English ‘men of The first recorded place for a Danish Viking war’. attack in England was on the Isle of Wight in 787AD. The islanders managed to repel this Between 1599 and 1771 the population rose by but by 981AD the Vikings were using the over 17,000. Newport harbour was being island as a base for their fleets. They settled developed along with Cowes shipbuilding. at Newtown. Pirates operated between the island and Poole. The islanders saw smuggling as a local right, Following the Norman conquest William from plundered French ships in the 100 years FitzOsbern became Lord of the Isle of Wight war to lighting ships to flounder on rocks. The and the fort of was Chines [deep cut ravines] provided shelter and founded and famously held Charles I as a cover for their work. To get around the imposed prisoner in 1647. Quarr Limestone was used Ship Wreck Act all people on board would be to build 126 properties. Various churches, killed. They used the lighthouse at Bembridge as Abbeys and Priories were also built between a sea marker.

Carisbrook Castle [Rail link] Bembridge lighthouse today [visit Isle of Wight]

1070 – 1100. The first fulling mill [ a step in The roads were still tracks in the late 1700s and the process of cloth making to remove the road between Newport and Yarmouth had 32 impurities and thicken the cloth] was built at gates. By1830 steamships were crossing the Heasley in 1129. Solent and the first railway on the island between Cowes and Newport was opened in The island remained semi independent until 1862, a major achievement as most of the 1293 when it came under the control of the materials needed would have been brought from English crown under Edward I. It was the mainland. producing 166 cheeses and 16 stone of butter from summer dairy production. The During Victorian times tourism rapidly grew as a fishing village ‘La Ride’ [Ryde] was recorded new industry making good use of the new rail around 1300. networks on the island. 3 Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] Industry - Farming With its unique microclimate the Isle of Wight is the perfect place to grow produce that The island has a strong agricultural heritage would not grow elsewhere in the UK, for including sheep, dairy and arable. Recent coastal example apricots. Boadicea hops are grown audits and archaeological work have revealed at Ventnor botanic gardens and are hand narrow ridge and furrow workings from the post picked. They produce their own range of Roman to late Medieval times. They are thought to ales. The Goddard brewery also uses the be lazy beds used for arable farming. They were hops in their White Trash Ale.

Tourism - The island hosts 121.611 overseas visitors a year along with 2.3million domestic visitors who spend in the region of £403 million making it the island’s largest industry. It is serviced by over 100 independent hotels and guest houses. Transport links are provided by ferries from Example of ridge and furrow working [Wikipedia] Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington plus a hovercraft service from Southsea found in the medieval borough of the Newtown along with air links from Southampton. There settlement. Some examples of strip lynchets [an are bus services to most parts of the island earth terrace cut into the side of a hill] have been and rail links as previously mentioned. located at Chillerton Down and village, St.Catherines Hill and St Martins Down. Wind energy - The Isle of Wight is at the forefront of this rapidly expanding sector. Blades of 80 metre plus in length are manufactured for the most powerful wind turbines in the world.

Maritime - Economic activities have included boat and successful hovercraft building. Sailcloth manufacture and flying boats. The heritage of commercial boat building can be Lynchets [Bob Gibbons Science] traced back to before 1832 when many naval Medieval deer parks have been identified and ships were built in the shipyards including boundary banks used to denote different manorial two of the finest super destroyers in the estates. The deer park at Watchinwell, recorded in world, the Grom and Blyskawica for the the Domesday survey, is one of the oldest known in Polish navy. Cross channel ferries and HMS England. Rabbits were encouraged to burrow in Arethusa were the last large scale projects, man made pillow mounds as well as warrens. the latter completed in 1965.Ship building and repairs continue on a smaller scale.

Soil level Aerospace – Space rocket components are Fencing to isolate the produced. Black Arrow and Black Knight mound space rockets used to be tested on the Rocky substrate rabbits unable to island before they moved to a site in dig Australia.

Soil drawn into heaps Pipelines to pump oil into Europe became Male and female rabbit active on 18th September 1944 and placed inside Pillow mound [www.blisworth.org.uk] continued to pump every day until March 1945, a total of 3,000 tonnes of oil. The Employment in the sector dropped slowly at first tracks are now used as cycle paths. then rapidly with the introduction of mechanisation. Today farmers have exploited specialist markets, growing crops undercover and their renowned garlic festival at Newchurch, plus growing lavender for its oil. 4 Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] Royal connections died at Osbourne House on 22.01.1901. The island has a long royal connection. King Arwald was the last Jutish pagan king who ruled in the 7th century. He died defending the Isle of Wight from a merciless Anglo-Saxon invasion, making it the last place to be converted to Christianity in England.

We have already mentioned the imprisonment Queen Victoria Prince Albert and family at Osborne of Charles 1. Queen Victoria [1837-1901] House 1854 [] spent holidays on the island with her mother the Duchess of at which Cowes saw the formation of the Royal Yacht was situated next to Osborne House. Squadron in 1815 and consequently became a yachting paradise for the wealthy patronised Along with her husband Prince Albert of Sax- by Royalty. George IV, then Prince Regent, Coburg and Gotha they demolished the became a member in 1817. Edward VII was original house building a summer home and commodore of the club and his son George V rural retreat in its place between 1845 -1851. was also a member. Prince Albert designed the house in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo using the When the German Kaiser brought his yacht skills of Thomas Cubitt, a London architect Thistle to Cowes in 1892 it spurred Edward and builder whose company they later used the VII to build the first Royal Yacht Britannia.

Thistle [Wikipedia]

Osborne House and Gardens to build the main facade of . Below the gardens of the house, It became a most successful racing yacht. His again designed by the Prince along with the son George V was so passionate about the woodlands and larger estate, is Osborne Bay. yacht that his dying wish was that it follow him This private beach is where Queen Victoria to the grave. So in July 1936 it was sunk in St could bathe in privacy form her private Catherine’s Deep by HMS Winchester. bathing machine.

An additional wing was added between 1890- 1891, the first floor being for the sole use of Princess Beatrice, the Queens youngest daughter and her family. The design for the new wing was by John Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyard Kipling.

During world war 1 the house was used as an officers’ convalescent home. Robert Graves, poet and historical novelist and A.A.Milne, HMY Britannia [pinecrest.com] writer and playwright were two famous patients. For a time the Royal Navy used the Today it has the Queen as patron and the house as a training college prior to their Duke of Edinburgh as Admiral. Princess Anne removal to Dartmouth. The Queen’s great- is a member along with others including the grandsons were students, the future Edward King of Norway, Prince Rainier of Monaco, the Vlll, George VI and George Duke of Kent. Aga Khan and King Constantine of Greece. 5 Armchair Adventurers Hontion U3A 2019 [2] Cowes the criminal class...The knowledge that the children are forever lost to their parents is The earliest recording of a village on the site at supposed to have a salutary effect….act as a the side of the Medina River is 1303.It was then deterrent from leading their children into a life known as East and West Shamblord. of crime.”

The town’s name has been a subject of dispute Between 1864-1869 it served as a female in the past and was sometimes known as West prison until they were moved to Woking. It Cowes. There is a 17th century milestone calling then became a male prison, for invalids at first the town Cowes but until the late 19th century then broadening its scope to several the council bore the name West Cowes. In categories. In 1912 Parkhurst prison labour 1895 the dispute was settled when permission was used to build HMP Camp Hill opened by was granted for the town to be called Cowes. Winston Churchill. The town’s architecture is heavily influenced by the ornate building Prince Albert popularised. In1968 it was graded as a top security prison [called ‘dispersals’ as they dispersed the most The seaport was the first stop on English soil troublesome prisoners rather than for German and Swiss passengers leaving concentrating them in one unit]. It was Rotterdam for the New World prior to crossing downgraded in in the 1990s. the Atlantic Ocean, their destination being Philadelphia, whence they would become British subjects under colonial rule.

Famous for the Cowes week sailing event stemming from a Royal Regatta in 1826 and HMP Parkhurst [theukdatabase.com] the Fastnet Race, it is less well known for its Parkhurst ‘enjoyed’ notoriety as one of the bizarre cricket match. The match takes place toughest jails in Britain housing the Kray twins, on the Brambles Bank in the middle of the Ian Brady, the Richardson brothers [known in Solent. The pitche’s undulating surface and the 60s as the torture gang from London] and large puddles present unique challenges as Graham Young the teacup poisoner who used does the incoming tide. None of this affects the science to his advantage killing at least three result as the two teams take in turns to win by people and poisoning members of his family. one run. On January 3rd 1995 two murderers and a Parkhurst Prison blackmailer escaped to enjoy 4 days of freedom prior to their recapture. One of their The building was originally a military hospital in number was an amateur pilot but the plan to 1778 and then turned into a children’s asylum steal a ‘plane from the local aero club failed. called Parkhurst. By 1838 it had been converted into a prison to house young The same year the prison was downgraded to offenders known as ‘Parkhurst apprentices’. a category B training establishment. Then in Almost 1500 boys aged between 12-18 years 2008 it was amalgamated with two other were sent to the new colonies of New Zealand prisons to become HMP Isle of Wight and the and Australia. Around 4000 boys passed name Parkhurst was lost. through Parkhurst. In WW1 many conscientious objectors were Queen Victoria’s journal reflects the moral detained at Parkhurst during which time they attitudes of the time to poverty in her journal built Sandown’s eastern sea wall. They left reflections following a visit in1845...” saw the graffiti in the concrete reflecting their ideology cells the where the boys are kept in solitary which goes largely unnoticed and is wearing confinement...without any look out...placed away over passing years. here for the first month or two after their arrival. They go to school and sit in their seats without seeing each other, and when they meet they dare not speak…painful impression of real criminals. Struck by the plainest set of boys...told this is the case with all children of 6 Sea wall graffiti [isleofwighthistory.org] Armchair Adventurers Hontion U3A 2019 [ 2] Yarmouth Castle searchlight built in 1899. Water for the battery was supplied from rain butts. Concussion from the The castle was built as an fort by firing of the guns caused the cliffs to start Henry VIII in 1547 to protect the harbour crumbling so a New Battery was built higher up from the threat of French attack. The fort was square and the first to have an arrow head in England. The arrow head provided flanking fire along the moat on the landward side. It had 15 guns and a 20 man garrison.

Needles Battery [bitaaboutbtritain.com]

the cliff in 1895. The 3 large guns installed remained until 1954. Plan of Yarmouth Castle showing arrow head bastion [Wikipedia] Both old and new batteries were manned in WWI It has been much altered over the centuries; and WW2 when 2 U-boats were sunk and German by during the war with Spain, by torpedo boats were fired on when attempting night Charles II in the 1670s after it had been held landings. Anti-aircraft guns were used to defend by Parliamentarians during the Civil war and the Isle of Wight in WW2 as troops trained for D - during the Napoleonic wars until 1885 when Day. it went out of use and became a coastguard signalling post. It was used again as a During the Cold War in the 1950s the New Battery was used for the secret testing of Blue Streak intercontinental ballistic missiles. Also tested were the satellite launch vehicles for Black Night and Black Arrow. The underground rooms used by the scientists are open to the public. The cafe on the Old Battery has the most spectacular views.

Needles Lighthouse

Yarmouth Castle The present lighthouse dates from 1859. A helipad was added in 1987 and it became fully automated on1994. The last vessel to sink there was the SS military post during WW1 and WW2. Varvassi in1947; all 34 crew were rescued. Currently it is in the hands of English Heritage and open to the public. Climate

The Needles Battery The island’s weather is affected by sea breezes and warm south westerly winds. Areas sheltered The Needles Old Battery was constructed by the large cliffs between Blackgang and between 1861-63 to defend against enemy Luccombe, including Ventnor, enjoy an extremely ships accessing . It was equipped mild climate. Between June and September there with 6x7inch rifle breech loading guns and is much sunny weather and the temperature 1-2 later with 4x7 inch and 2x9 inch filtered degrees higher than on mainland Hampshire. muzzle loaders, the latter each needing a Spring is mild although some days can be wet and team of 9 men to operate. They were windy. The sub climate on the south eastern side decommissioned in 1903 and then thrown of the island can be noticeably milder. Winter over the cliff! A deep ditch with a retractable brings a fall in temperature and are the wettest drawbridge protected the landward side from months. Snow is infrequent but the winds can be ground attack. In 1885 a tunnel was dug ferocious. Records appear to go back only to from the parade ground towards the cliff 2008. Less rain was recorded in 2011, 2017 and giving access to an observation post and 2018 with less sunlight in 2015. Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] 7 Flora Fauna

It’s variety of habitats make the island Many rare and endangered species identified remarkably rich in plants, some nationally as ‘National Priorities’ occur on the island. scarce. A detailed look is available at These include red squirrels,water voles, www.wildonwight.co.uk as there are too many skylarks, mantis shrimps, wasp spiders and to mention here. Of note is wood calamint wall lizards. Rare species of bats found such as found only in a chalk valley on the island. the Barbastelle and Bechstein have recently

Mantis Shrimp [pixabay]

Wasp spider [pixabay]

been discovered and areas of conservation set up. Wood Calamint [Dawn Nelson] The starlet sea anemone, whose Roman name When the leaves are crushed they give off a is ‘Vectis’ denoting where it was found, lives in minty aroma. saline coastal lagoons and is another endangered species. A coastal dwelling spider, Field cow-wheat is an endangered colourful the Theridiid lives in bushes on the undercliffs plant found in only 4 sites in the UK, the Isle near Ventnor. The Glanville Fritilliary and of Wight being one of them. The seeds of the orange patterned butterflies share the island habitats.

Adders and grass snakes can often be seen basking on the Downs or cliffs. Frogs, toads and common newts can be seen along with the rare great crested newt.

Badgers were introduced in the 19th century and have been protected from hunting since the 1992 Badger Act. They forage over long Field Cow-wheat [Colin Pope] distances but stay underground during the winter months but do not hibernate. plant give a bad taste to flour and devalue the price of of corn giving rise to a common name The island is important to indigenous and of ‘poverty weed’. migratory birds, peregrines, ravens,cormorants and guillemots. Winter sees sanderling and Another endangered plant found on the island bar-tailed godwits, red breasted mergansers is Early Gentian. It grows on grazed chalk and great crested grebes. grassland. Martin’s Ramping-fumitory is another rarity found on allotments on the east The Solent is important for overwintering of the island. wading birds and waterfowl such as, terns, widgeon, teal and Brent geese being on the Eastern Atlantic Fly Way between West coast of Africa and Western Europe. There is a year round population of mute swans and egrets.

Farmland birds include linnets, corn buntings, yellow hammers, barn owls, little owls,nightjars, long eared owls and Dartford warblers.

Martin’s Ramping-fumitory [Dig Peter]

Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] 8 Some interesting people linked to the Isle Sir Christopher Cockerell the inventor of the of Wight hovercraft spent two years from 1959 on the island developing his first prototype at East Alfred Edward Beken, a chemist, moved to Cowes. the island in 1888 buying a pharmacy in Cowes. The sight of yachts sailing past his bedroom window made such an impression on him he decided to capturing them on film. He soon discovered that the cameras of the time were not suitable to the rough seas Christopher Cockerell [madeupinbritain.uk] encountered. He designed and built a new style of camera and in place of the canvas John Keats visited twice. He stayed at bellows he used two wooden box frames. Carisbrooke and began work on Endymion in One enclosed a screw thread focusing 1817. He returned in 1819 for health reasons as system and shutter, the other housing a he was suffering from consumption, staying at viewfinder. It was the forerunner of the later Eglantine Cottage Shanklin. twin lens cameras. His was fired by biting a rubber ball held between his teeth. Using his the architect visited regularly from daylight powered enlarger he made saleable 1793. in 1798 he bought land in prints from his negatives which he sold and built a country retreat, East . alongside his medicines and perfumes. He retired here in1834, dying in1835 and is buried in St James’ Church. The tradition of photography continued with his son and grandson. When they decided to close the pharmacy and concentrate on John Nash [Wikipedia] photography they formed “Beken of Cowes” exclusively photographing afloat and selling marine images. Up until 1970 the photographs were signed Beken and son by hand in white ink and after that Beken of Cowes, again in white ink. The copyright of all their images, even if you own one, Deki Tsering is mother of the present Dalai remains with Beken and is only permitted Lama and known as ‘Amala’, meaning great under licence. They can be viewed at mother. Whilst in exile in India with her son, www.beken.co.uk . A wonderful image of following the Chinese invasion she developed Alfred with his camera is worthy of a look. health problems. A doctor diagnosed a throat Their sought after photographs are worth up polyp and arranged its removal at St Mary’s to £1,000. Hospital in London. Following the operation in 1960 she and her companion translator came to Guglielmo Marconi moved to England in the Isle of Wight where Sir Basil Gould’s [British 1896 after the Italian post office refused to Political Officer to Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet] test his new wireless equipment. His mother widow Cecily lived. was of the Jameson whisky family. John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough Was elected MP for Newtown near Yarmouth in 1678. he went on to build Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Winston’s parents became engaged in Cowes and he spent many summer holidays on the island. G.Marconi [sciencephoto.com] Charles Dickens rented a house in In 1897 he chose Alum Bay as one of the Winterbourne during 1849 writing two drafts of sites for his experiments on wireless his novel ‘David Copperfield’. telegraphy. He erected a 40 meter mast outside the Needles Hotel from where he Many other known people from history and transmitted to the Haven Hotel in Poole some current celebrities have links to, or live on the 20 miles away. Isle of Wight. 9 Armchair Adventurers Honiton U3A 2019 [2] The River Medina

The River Medina is the main river on the Isle of Wight. Its name is derived from the Saxon word medene, meaning middle river. In fact looking at a map the island is nearly cleaved in two centrally by the estuary of the river.

River Medina [Wikipedia]

Rising at St Catherine’s Down near Blackgang Chine on sandstone ground it follows a northward path through a gap in the chalk ridge that forms the backbone of the island, then onto Newport where it takes the form of a ria [a ria being a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an un-glaciated lake.] From here it flows into the Solent at Cowes, a length of 17km. It provides a safe harbour for yachts.

The river flows through Cridmore Bog SSSI which has extensive marshy grassland interspersed with rich flush [boggy land fed by ground water rich in minerals], valley bog with deep acid peat at the bottom and drainage ditches.

The salt marshes are essential to the estuary’s eco - system as they contain rare and vulnerable plants plus invertebrates that provide food for water birds. They are also, as described earlier, an important resting and feeding site for migratory birds. The marshes also help reduce bank erosion caused by boat wash.

The Armchair Adventurers are Around Newport the river has been heavily P.Briley, L.Etheridge, V.Frood, modified for flood defences and by historic M.Olive, M.Thomas, L.Martin, industrial uses such as milling. J.Powell and S.Unsworth Armchair Adventurers Hontion U3A 2019 [2] 10