Isle of Wight Rifles [SEP] military branch
Drill Hall Road Army Reserve Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight


The Drill Hall Road Army Reserve Centre is a military installation in Newport, Isle of Wight. The building was designed as the headquarters of the Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers in 1860. This unit evolved to become the 5th (Isle of Wight, Princess Beatrice's) Volunteer Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment in 1885 and the 8th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India. The regiment converted to the Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles
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Isle of Wight Rifles


The 8th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment, Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles, known informally as the "Isle of Wight Rifles" was formed to defend the Isle of Wight after a 19th-century invasion scare. The unit served as infantry during World War I, and as coastal defence artillery during World War II. Postwar it converted to the air defence role. The Isle of Wight had long been fortified against invasion, due to its strategic position. It had also had numerous troops billeted in the Napoleonic Wars.
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Isle of Wight Rifles


was consolidated as the 1st Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers, organised as follows: In September 1885 the unit became the 5th (Isle of Wight 'Princess Beatrice's) Volunteer Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, Princess Beatrice being Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, married to Prince Henry of Battenberg, who was appointed Honorary Colonel of the battalion. When volunteers were asked for in 1899 for South Africa only twenty riflemen were accepted as the "1st Active Service Section of the Isle of Wight Rifles". They served with other Hampshire volunteers
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Drill Hall Road Army Reserve Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight


) Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1938, a unit which evolved to become the 530th The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940 and the 428th The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947. The presence at the drill hall was reduced to one battery, P (Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight) Battery, 457th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1955, and to one platoon, 6 Platoon, B Company
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Isle of Wight Rifles


into 17 Coast Regiment – a number being captured when it fell to Rommel on 21 June 1942. Another contingent was sent to Gibraltar aboard the SS "Aquila" to prepare defences against Franco's Spain. Another battery served with General Alexander in Burma. In 1947 the regiment was reformed as 428 The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) Coast Regiment, RA, but in 1949 it was converted as 428 The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA,
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Bouldnor Battery


Bouldnor Battery is a military battery located in Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight. It saw active service in World War II and was fully decommissioned in 1956. Today, it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The battery was built from 1937 to 1938 to protect an anchorage on the east side of Yarmouth. It was equipped with two 6-inch Mk VII guns, electric ammunition hoists and two searchlight emplacements nearby. A pillbox was also built to protect the access road, and the battery was manned by the Isle of Wight Rifles.
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Isle of Wight Rifles


for their own kit and expense; Newtown ranges were set aside for their training. They were soon 3,000 strong. With another 4,000 troops from the mainland, soldiers comprised 1 in 4 of the local population. By this time Queen Victoria had moved to the Isle of Wight at Osborne House. The separate RVCs were brought under the umbrella of the 1st Administrative Battalion of Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers, formed on 5 July 1860 with headquarters at Newport, under Colonel Dunsmore formerly of the 42nd Highlanders. In 1880 the Administrative Battalion
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Culture of the Isle of Wight


island maintains this image, while also being seen nationally as a destination for the 'sea and sandcastles' style of family holiday. In an episode of the TV panel game QI, Alan Davies described the Isle of Wight as still stuck in the 1950s. The Isle of Wight has an active branch of the Pagan Federation (many of whom style themselves as "Druids" and of inmates in Parkhurst Prison, paganism makes up the third most popular religion (according to the Isle of Wight County Press. The Isle of Wight
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Isle of Wight Rifles


of 6/7PWRR. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review reorganised the TA infantry along brigade lines, and the Isle of Wight Rifles became 9 (Princess Beatrice) Platoon, D Company of a new battalion, 3rd PWRR (The Royal Rifle Volunteers) formed by all the TA infantry in 145 Brigade in 1999. Despite the Royal Rifle Volunteer designation the unit continued to be badged to the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. Under the Strategic Defence Review New Chapter 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps agreed to take the Island's
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Isle of Wight Rifles


Rifles Heavy Regiment, with 189 Battery at Cowes and 190 Battery at Ryde. The regiment was retitled 530th (The Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940. The regiment was mobilised on 25 August 1939, with four batteries: Although it was employed manning the extensive coastal defences many personnel were drafted to service in other units. A contingent sailed to Alexandria on the "Empress of Canada" in 1941 and sent to reinforce Tobruk, aboard HMAS "Voyager". There they were formed
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Isle of Wight Rifles


IoW Rifles) Battery in 457 (Wessex) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, equipped with mobile 3.7 guns. When the regiment te-equipped with Thunderbird SAMs the battery became P HQ Bty 457 Heavy Air Defence Regt RA TA (The IoW Rifles) The Hampshire Caribineers Yeomanry. The main element of the battery was the Regimental Surveillance Troop with 4 mk 7 & height finding radars. They had received two Distinguished Service Orders, a Distinguished Conduct Medal, four Military Crosses, seven Military Medals and various mentions in despatches
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Isle of Wight Rifles


war but was later reformed as the Territorial Army. The Rifles were stood down, but were not disbanded due to Princess Beatrice's (Governess of the IOW) intervention. They were mobilised at Albany Barracks during a coal-strike in 1921. In 1923 the battalion was transferred to the 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Brigade, part of 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, alongside the 4th, 5th/7th and 6th battalions, Hampshire Regiment. They were transferred to the Royal Artillery in 1937 as The Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight
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Isle of Wight Rifles


including 6 platoon) was moved to the 2nd Battalion and the mobilisation role was changed to home defence in 43 (Wessex) Infantry Brigade. Under the 1992 drawdown ("Options for Change"), The Queen's Regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Hampshire Regiment to create the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire's). A and B companies of 2 Wessex were amalgamated as C (Duke of Connaught's) Company, 6th/7th Battalion PWRR, and the Isle of Wight Rifles became 9 (
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128th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)


) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. In 1937 the 8th (Isle of Wight Rifles) Battalion was converted to the Royal Artillery role as The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) Heavy Regiment. The following year, in 1938, all infantry brigades of the British Army were reduced from four infantry battalions to three. As a consequence of this, the 6th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment was, like the 8th Battalion, transferred to the Royal Artillery and redesignated the 59th (Duke of Connaught
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Newport, Isle of Wight


larger Borough of Medina, which was itself superseded in 1995 by a single unitary authority covering the whole of the Isle of Wight. The Drill hall in Newport opened as the headquarters of the Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers in 1860. Newport since the 1960s has acquired new shopping facilities, a pedestrianised central square, and through road traffic redirected off many of the narrow streets. Newport Quay has been redeveloped with art galleries such as the Quay Arts Centre and new flats converted from old warehouses. The Queen Victoria Memorial was designed by
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Carey Morris


Herbert Herkomer. During the First World War, he enlisted in the South Wales Borderers. He was on the Isle of Wight serving with the Isle of Wight Rifles from 1915-1917 and found some time during the war to paint. In the trenches of Flanders he suffered from poison gas which left him with lifelong health issues. He spent twelve months in hospitals in the Isle of Wight and Liverpool. After the war Morris had a studio in Chelsea and the couple lived in London. Although Morris concentrated primarily on portraits,
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Isle of Wight Rifles


In 1859, Artillery and infantry Rifle Volunteer Corps were raised in response to an invasion scare following the perceived resurgence of French naval power under Louis Napoleon III. On the Isle of Wight there was a major programme of fortification, including Forts Victoria, Albert, Golden Hill, and Culver Fort and batteries at Sandown, Puckpool, Bouldnor and the Needles. Infantry support was provided by eight RVCs formed at various locations around the island (dates given are those of first officers' commissions): Those who served in the Corps paid
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Isle of Wight Rifles


during their wartime service. In 1967 457 Regiment RA was disbanded and reconstituted as C (Wessex Royal Artillery, Princess Beatrice's) Company, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Territorials in TAVR III before being reduced to cadre in 1969. In 1971 the cadre was reconstituted as 6 Platoon, B Company (Hampshire), 1st Battalion, Wessex Regiment (The Rifle Volunteers) in TAVR II - a mobilisation component of 1 (Guards) Infantry Brigade (the Guards title being dropped during the 1970s). In 1986 the company (
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Isle of Wight Rifles


Princess Beatrice's) Platoon, awkwardly placing C company in 145 (Home Counties) Brigade district (re-designated 145 (South) Brigade in 1994) whilst the remainder of the battalion (and the sister 5th Battalion) were in 2 (South East) Brigade district. It also gave the unit the distinction of having the longest name of any unit in the British Army of the time and due to the platoon's continued connection to Princess Beatrice its members were nicknamed "The Isle of Wight Rifles" throughout the rest
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Isle of Wight Rifles


had been employed on coast defence, but now it was preparing to go overseas, completing its training at Bury St. Edmunds and Watford. On 30 July 1915 the Isle of Wight Rifles sailed from Liverpool aboard the RMS "Aquitania" (some wood of which now forms a bar in Sandown Broadway), to join the fighting at Gallipoli. An Allied force under Lieutenant General Frederick Stopford had landed at Suvla Bay on 7 and 8 August 1915. The beach led to a plain overlooked by a range of hills. Stopford (
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Drill Hall Road Army Reserve Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight


(Hampshire), 1st Battalion, Wessex Volunteers in 1971. This unit evolved to become 9 (Princess Beatrice's) Platoon, C (Duke of Connaught's) Company, 6th/7th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in 1992 and 9 (Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles) Platoon, C (Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment) Company, The Royal Rifle Volunteers in 1999 before converting to become 266 (Princess Beatrice's) Port Support Squadron, 165th Port Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
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Isle of Wight Rifles


Wight in 1920. In August 1916 the 2/8th Battalion, manning the forts on the Isle of Wight, was absorbed by the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Hampshires at Romsey. In September a draft of 250 men was shipped to India. From here they were landed at Basra with the Indian Army. They fought no major battles but were involved in constant skirmishing through Amarah, Kut, Ctesiphon, Persia, Turkestan, Constantinople, Salonika, Italy and France, returning home in 1919. The Territorial Force disbanded after the
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Ventnor West Branch


The Ventnor West Branch was the final addition to the Isle of Wight railway network, and used an earlier scheme to run a railway from Shanklin to the railwayless south-west part of the island. The branch was opened by the Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway between Merstone and St. Lawrence on 20 July 1897. From the day of opening, the branch was operated by the Isle of Wight Central Railway. A temporary terminus was provided at St Lawrence until the extension was opened to Ventnor Town on 1 June 1900.
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Newport railway station (Isle of Wight Central Railway)


until January 1971, when it was demolished. Newport railway station was a pivotal station within the unique railway network on the Isle of Wight, that began in 1862 when the Cowes and Newport Railway opened for business. Situated in the centre of the town. The station was enlarged in 1875 with the opening of the Ryde and Newport Railway in December 1875, which also connected the station to Ventnor. Traffic was also increased with the opening of the branch to Sandown in 1879, by the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction)
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Isle of Wight


's National Rail network, running a little under from to , where there is a connecting ferry service to station on the mainland network. The line was opened by the Isle of Wight Railway in 1864, and from 1996 to 2007 was run by the smallest train operating company on the network, Island Line Trains. It is notable for utilising old ex-London Underground rolling stock, due to the small size of its tunnels and unmodernised signalling. Branching off the Island Line at is the heritage Isle of Wight Steam Railway,
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Isle of Wight Railway


the railway carryings were far surpassed by the use of buses (3 million and 17 million respectively in 1951). The Bembridge branch was lightly patronised and was closed on 21 September 1953. The harbour at Bembridge (Brading Harbour) was of course still extant, and a toll road across the harbour mouth continued to be operated by British Railways. The Isle of Wight Central Railway had taken over the Ryde and Newport Railway and the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway in 1887, and it too had been absorbed into
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Whitwell, Isle of Wight


in recent years, the Old Rectory grounds and Whitwell Manor Farm. Whitwell Station, on the Ventnor West branch of the Isle of Wight Central Railway, was opened along with the other stations on the branch on 20 July 1897. It was equipped with a passing loop, two platforms, a signal box and a substantial station building. Located at the top of Nettlecombe Lane, the station is located close to the village and the community it was intended to serve, unlike any other stations on the line. However the track
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Brading railway station


Brading railway station is a Grade II listed railway station serving Brading on the Isle of Wight. It is located on the Island Line from Ryde to Shanklin. Owing to its secluded location and single operational platform, it is one of the quietest stations on the Island. The station was opened in 1864 by the Isle of Wight Railway on the Ryde-Shanklin-Ventnor line. In 1882 it became a junction station, when the Brading-Bembridge branch line as part of the Brading Haven reclamation scheme. The branch line closed
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Shepherd's Chine


Shepherd's Chine is a geological feature on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies to the west of the village of Little Atherfield. This chine is one of the largest on the Isle of Wight. It starts at the side of the A3055 Military Road and runs west for about 500m to reach the beach at Brighstone Bay just to the north of Atherfield Point. This chine has much shallower sides than other chines on the Isle of Wight and is extensively covered with hardy bushes, scrub
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Isle of Wight Rifles


against the Gaza-Beersheba Line saw the Rifles attacking the trenches to the south of Gaza. Carrying out this task cost the Battalion 2 officers and 51 other ranks killed. The Rifles then fought their way into Palestine, fighting in the Judaean Hills as Allenby entered Jerusalem. They remained in Palestine until the final defeat of the Turks in September 1918 when they sailed from Beirut to Alexandria and were demobbed in Cairo. When rioting broke out a cadre joined the Army of Occupation in the Sudan, eventually returning to the Isle of
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King's Dutch Brigade


; the 4th Regiment and the Jäger/Rifle Regiment went into special encampments on the Isle of Wight and were joined from Lymington by the Artillery companies who were in Newport. In the October these units were removed from the Isle of Wight and went back to Lymington. In the Treaty of Amiens in which the British concluded peace with the First French Republic and the Batavian Republic, among others, it was agreed that the brigade would be disbanded. The final parade of the 4th Regiment, the Jägers and the Artillery Regiment was
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Bonchurch


Isle of Wight by French soldiers. 300 Isle of Wight militiamen engaged the French forces, and the militiamen won the engagement. Some accounts state that local women participated in the battle by firing arrows at the French soldiers. The victory is considered to have decisively stopped the French invasion of the Isle of Wight. Soon after the battle, a number of men from the French fleet which had retreated from the Solent after the Battle of the Solent landed on the coast near Bonchurch. The men were engaged in a military action by
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Fortifications of the Isle of Wight


7-inch and 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders on barbette mountings. In use until 1936. Yarmouth Castle is a small off-square blockhouse built by Henry VIII in 1547, to guard Yarmouth, Isle of Wight harbour. It was built as part of Henry's second device programme to fortify the English coast with a chain of coastal defences known as Device Forts or Henrician Castles. These were built to guard against the threat of foreign invasion. As it is a later fortification it did not have the earlier rounded or concentric shape but a
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1st Wessex Artillery


war. 57 (Wessex) HAA was placed in suspended animation in 1946. On the reconstitution of the TA in 1947, the regiment was designated 457 (Wessex) HAA Regiment RA. In the 10-year plan for the TA the regiment was to form part of 73 AA Bde in 2 AA Group, but that only lasted a short while. In 1955 the regiment absorbed 428 HAA Regiment, formerly Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles, which formed P (Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight) Battery alongside Q (Portsmouth
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Culture of the Isle of Wight


Isle of Wight, with the exception of a few exterior shots. Prominent locations featured in the film include Ryde's Union Street, the Military Road at Compton Bay, Ryde Pier and Red Funnel's Red Osprey car ferry. The "Isle of Wight School" of Romantic painters specialised in views of the South West Coast; prominent were George Morland and J.M.W. Turner. Julia Margaret Cameron was a prominent early photographer, who has a museum dedicated to her at Dimbola Lodge in Freshwater. She specialised in portraits of the celebrities who
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ParcAberporth


and trial unmanned aircraft, for both military and civilian use. Aberporth Rocket Projectile Establishment began operation on the site in 1941 during the Second World War. It remained the principal UK live firing testing site for surface-to-air missile development for all branches of the UK military, in addition to the use of other rocket test sites such as Woomera in Australia, and High Down, Isle of Wight and at Spadeadam in Cumbria - the largest RAF base in the UK. It is currently the only site in the UK
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Selborne-Fisher scheme


would enter the service between the ages of 12 and 13 under the same conditions, would be trained together under the same system until they passed the rank of sub-lieutenant when they would be distributed between the military branch, the engineering branch, and the Royal Marines, although ultimately the Royal Marines did not participate in the scheme. Three months after the scheme was announced, a new Royal Naval College, Osborne, was created at Osborne House, Queen Victoria's old home on the Isle of Wight. A new facility
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Isle of Wight ferry services


South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) and the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) jointly formed the South Western and Brighton Railway Companies Steam Packet Service (SW&BRCSPS). This new company bought out the PP&RUSPC and the era of railway ownership of the Ryde Portsmouth route began. In 1884 the Isle of Wight Marine Transit Company started a rail freight ferry link between the Hayling Island Branch line at Langstone and the Bembridge branch line at St Helens quay. To provide the link the rail ferry PS "Carrier" was moved from Scotland
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Blackgang


English Channel and the south-western Isle of Wight coast (the Back of the Wight). Blackgang is also notable for dinosaur fossils (see Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight) and the nudist Blackgang Beach. Blackgang was the birthplace of the actress and comedian Sheila Hancock. Southern Vectis operates bus route 6 to Newport and Ventnor through the village. On the military road near Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park is an old pub called "the Coach House" and latterly called Merlin's Bistro - now a private house. The road
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Isle of Wight Railway


generated in Ryde over the adverse effect on amenity in the area, and the Company decided on 12 March 1863 to abandon the attempt to extend to Melville Street. Discussions took place with the Ryde Pier Company with a view to joint construction of a railway to the pier, but the talks broke down and in 1864 the idea was dropped. The Sandown Bay branch, also authorised in 1860, was abandoned. The company name was changed to the "Isle of Wight Railway" by Act of Parliament of 28 July 1863.
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Politics of the Isle of Wight


. The Isle of Wight is a part of the South East England region for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections. The results of the 2014 European Parliament election on the Isle of Wight were as follows. "The following results are exclusively for the Isle of Wight; results are collated regionally prior to MEPs being assigned under the closed list proportional representation system." Turnout on the Isle of Wight was 35,600 out of an electorate of 111,879 (31.82%) The results of the 2009 European election on the Isle of Wight were
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Isle of Wight official football team


The Isle of Wight football team represents the Isle of Wight at the biannual Island Games, which it won in 1995 and 2011. The Isle of Wight is not a member of FIFA or UEFA, it is an island within England and plays under the auspices of the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. The Isle of Wight plays separately in St George's Park which has a capacity of 3,200 and has 200 seats, however the Isle of Wight is divisional FA of The Hampshire Football Association, which is
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Isle of Wight NHS Trust


The Isle of Wight NHS Trust is unique in England as it provides physical, mental and ambulance services for the Isle of Wight within the same organisation. It was created in April 2012 following the separation of the provider and commissioner functions within the Isle of Wight PCT. It runs St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight and the Sevenacres mental health unit. Specialised services, such as neurology, are not available on the island. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight formed a sustainability and transformation plan area in March 2016 with Richard
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Sandown Castle, Isle of Wight


Sandown Castle was a Device Fort built at Sandown on the Isle of Wight by Henry VIII in 1545 to protect against the threat of French attack. Constructed from stone with angular bastions, its design was a hybrid of Italian military architectural thinking with traditional English military design. The site was raided by a French force that summer while the fortification was still being constructed. The site suffered from coastal erosion and the castle was demolished in 1631. Sandown Castle was built as a consequence of international tensions between England, France and the Holy
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Isle of Wight Festival 2010


The Isle of Wight Festival 2010 was the ninth revived Isle of Wight Festival to be held at Seaclose Park in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The event ran from 11 until 13 June 2010. Tickets were released on Friday 4 December 2009. The 2010 event was the last in the current contract with the Isle of Wight Council to take place, tying in with the last event for Festival First, guaranteeing festival-goers a ticket for three years. Event organisers Solo are in discussion with the Isle of Wight Council to
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Isle of Wight County, Virginia


Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was named after the Isle of Wight, in the Solent, from where many of its early colonists had come. As of the 2010 census, the population was 35,270. Its county seat is Isle of Wight. Isle of Wight County is located in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its northeastern boundary is on the coast of Hampton Roads waterway. Isle of Wight
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London Waterloo station


station. In 1934, the SR planned to invest £500,000 (£ million as of ) to improve the signalling and track layout to allow better use of all platforms. A full electric service to Woking, Guildford and (for the Isle of Wight) opened on 4 July 1937, as did connecting services to and . On 1 January, an electric service opened between Waterloo and Reading, with a branch to and Aldershot, which was designed equally for the anticipated increase in military traffic in the area as well as commuters
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Isle of Wight Railway


offered to sell the railway and quays to the IoWR. A price was agreed and the Isle of Wight (Brading Harbour and Railway) Act of 2 August 1898 session authorised the transfer. The IoWR had to expend considerable sums on improving the poor state of its branch line. A steam crane, station improvements, and extensive track modernisation were all on the list of work to be done. Later dredging too was added to the list. Golf became a popular pastime in the twentieth century, and several courses were established adjacent
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Isle of Wight Railway


to the branch railway, bringing in significant passenger income. The Bembridge steamers continued to work during the summer months, but they were never financially successful, and the outbreak of World War I resulted in the end of the service. The pier at Bembridge was condemned and removed in 1928. In the first years of the twentieth century, railway companies sought for cheaper means of carrying passengers on lightly used lines. One solution was the railmotor, a combined small steam engine and passenger coach. The Isle of Wight Central Railway introduced
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Transport on the Isle of Wight


steam-operated heritage railway, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. This connects with the Island Line at Smallbrook Junction, and was part of the former Ryde to Newport line. In the 1950s and 1960s, and before the Beeching Report, the island enjoyed a comprehensive network based on a triangle of lines connecting Ryde, Newport, Sandown and Ventnor. Lines ran from Ryde to Cowes via Newport and from Ryde to Ventnor via Brading, Sandown and Shanklin. Branch lines led from Brading to Bembridge, Sandown to Newport and west
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Railways on the Isle of Wight


Cowes & Newport/Ryde & Newport company, who were legally renamed as the Isle of Wight Central Railway. In 1877 the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and London and South Western Railway were granted an Act of Parliament to extend Ryde Pier, building a railway line from the pier head to St John's Road. This was completed in 1880, and at this point the Ryde tramway was shortened to simply run along the pier. In 1882, the IWR opened a branch line from Brading to Bembridge, serving a
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Railways on the Isle of Wight


Junction. A new named train called The Tourist was set up, running from Ventnor to Freshwater via Sandown, Merstone and Newport. It was the only named train on the island, and travelled on lines from all the former Isle of Wight railway companies. In 1948, the railways of the United Kingdom, including those on the island, were nationalised as British Railways. Under separate modernisation schemes, the FYN line, Ventnor West line, Bembridge branch and Sandown to Newport line had closed by the end of 1956. In
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St Lawrence railway station (Isle of Wight)


St Lawrence railway station is a former railway station in the village of St Lawrence on the Isle of Wight. It opened in 1897 and was the original terminus of the branch line from Merstone until the 1½ mile extension to Ventnor was completed in June 1900. From 1927 the station was downgraded to the status of an unstaffed halt. The station was located between a steep cliff face and a public road. During the early years of the line's operation, rock falls were common. This problem was alleviated when the undergrowth took
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Message to Love


("The Birth Of A Band: Isle of Wight 1970"), The Moody Blues ("Threshold of a Dream: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970"), Leonard Cohen ("Leonard Cohen Live at The Isle of Wight 1970"), Free ("Free Forever DVD"), Taste ("What's Going On Live At The Isle of Wight 1970"), The Doors ("Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970") and Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides Now
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Isle of Wight Rifles


. As the two leading battalions melted away the Rifles found themselves leading the attack. Eventually the redoubt was captured following a last charge by the other supporting tank, a Mark I female, "Nutty". Sihan or Tank redoubt was briefly held by a handful of Norfolks, Rifles and Australians, until they were forced to retire through lack of ammunition and water. The Rifles sustained major casualties during the days attack. Two hundred were kept in reserve but out of 800 who went into action only two officers and ninety men
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Isle of Wight Rifles


Mazar and in February marched across the Sinai Desert 145 miles in 12 days to El Arish. On the night of 17 April 1917 the offensive against the Turkish line at Gaza began, supported by tanks. The first phase of the Rifles operation to capture the Sheik Abbas ridge went well, but one of the tanks, a Mark I male, "Sir Archibald", was destroyed by artillery. On the morning of the 19th the attack against the Sihan Redoubt commenced with the Rifles in support of the 4th & 5th Norfolks
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Old Isle of Wight Courthouse


The Old Isle of Wight Courthouse was built in 1750-51 and was used as the main courthouse for Isle of Wight County, Virginia until a new courthouse was built at Isle of Wight, Virginia in 1800. It is located in the Historic District in the town of Smithfield. During its 50 years of use as the county courthouse, it was considered the center of life in Isle of Wight and in the town of Smithfield, which was incorporated in 1752. It was constructed by William Rand, and featured a distinctive
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Isle of Wight Railway


, 4w 3-comp first no. 21, built 1864, is awaiting restoration on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, 4w second no. 35 built in 1875 is awaiting restoration on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, 4w composite no. 38, built 1882, is awaiting restoration on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in their exhibition shed and 4w 4-comp second no. 39, built 1882, is also awaiting restoration on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. These carriages are considered to be of the greatest significance for the IoWSR
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Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)


Isle of Wight () is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Bob Seely of the Conservative Party. Created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election it covers the whole of the Isle of Wight. It has the largest electorate of a constituency, since 1983. The Isle of Wight has since 1832 been a single seat of the House of Commons. It covers the same land as the ceremonial county of the Isle of Wight and the area administered by the unitary authority
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Politics of the Isle of Wight


as follows. "The following results are exclusively for the Isle of Wight; results are collated regionally prior to MEPs being assigned under the closed list proportional representation system." Turnout on the Isle of Wight was 43,709 on an electorate of 109,796 (39.81%) The results of the 2004 European election on the Isle of Wight were as follows. "The following results are exclusively for the Isle of Wight; results are collated regionally prior to MEPs being assigned under the closed list proportional representation system." Regionally, turnout was
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Isle of Wight Festival 2005


The Isle of Wight Festival 2005 is the fourth revived Isle of Wight Festival on the Seaclose Park site in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The attendance of this festival was around 50,000, a 15,000 increase on sales of the year before, which was testament to its growing success as a British music festival. It was the second year of Nokia sponsorship, which saw the likes of The Who, David Bowie and R.E.M. grace the Island stage. In this year the Isle of Wight festival began to seriously stake its claim as
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Isle of Wight ferry services


(PP&RUSPC). In 1873 the Southsea and Isle of Wight Steam Ferry Company (S&IWSFC) began operating between Clarence Pier, Southsea and Ryde but was quickly taken over by the PP&RUSPC in 1876. On the Southampton – Cowes route the Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IWRMSPC) was formed in 1820 and the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company (IWSPC) in 1826. These merged in 1861, becoming the Southampton, Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IW&SERMSPC). This
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Isle of Wight County Museum


The Isle of Wight County Museum is located in Smithfield, Virginia. The Isle of Wight County Museum was founded in 1976. Nearly two years before the 1976 United States Bicentennial commemoration, a number of heritage-minded Isle of Wight County citizens believed that the county needed a place where its history could be preserved. As a result of their efforts, the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors appointed a multi-talented group of county residents to a commission whose task was to collect, catalog and display artifacts for a new
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2005 Isle of Wight Council election


The 2005 Isle of Wight Council elections were held on the Isle of Wight, England, on 5 May 2005. The result led to a landslide Conservative victory gaining 22 councillors, leading the Isle of Wight to Conservative control from no overall control previously. The party standings following the election: The outcome of the election led to a significant change in composition of the Isle of Wight Council. Prior to the election, the Liberal Democrats were the largest group overall but still didn't hold a majority, leading to a coalition known
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Isle of Wight Railway


's collection, along with other carriages that previously ran on the original Isle of Wight Railway. Three goods vans, nos. 57, 86 and 87 on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. It is also planned that these will be restored. No. 57 is currently inside the IoWSR's exhibition shed. Many carriages that also ran on the Isle of Wight Railway that were purchased from previous railways also survive on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway; multiple LCDR & LB&SCR, SECR, one MSJAR, etc. Many of
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Parliamentary representation from Isle of Wight


from Isle of Wight. In 1890 the Isle of Wight became an administrative county. In 1974 it became a new non-metropolitan county and in 1995 a ceremonial county and unitary authority (with unchanged boundaries). The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly within the area of the Isle of Wight. The second part refers to the constituency of Hampshire, which included some territory from the Isle of Wight 1290–1654 and 1659–1832. The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list
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Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service


Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. In March 2007, the Isle of Wight Council voted to maintain the independence of the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue service, instead of a merger with the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. Later in February 2009, plans were announced for a three-year £8 million replacement programme changing part-time stations to full-time. The move would be done in an attempt to reduce
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Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum


The Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum, also referred to as The Isle of Wight Bus Museum, was founded in 1997 in Newport on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The museum is a registered charity and run completely by volunteers. The vehicle collection is currently housed in the former bus depot at Ryde, Isle of Wight. The museum hosts two bus rallies of its own. There is one event in May, running day. and another in October which features many buses from around the country. The
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Isle of Wight Academy


Isle of Wight Academy (IWA) is a private non-profit day school located in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The school has students from Pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and is non-sectarian and coeducational. Isle of Wight Academy started in the space previously occupied by the Isle of Wight Elementary School, as a segregation academy. It was open for one year until, in the fall of 1968, a fire completely destroyed the school building, leaving only the original gymnasium (which remains the only building standing
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Coat of arms of the Isle of Wight


The coat of arms of the Isle of Wight was granted to the former Isle of Wight County Council in 1938. The arms were transferred to the new unitary Isle of Wight Council when the county council along with Medina and South Wight district councils were abolished in 1995. The shield contains an image of Carisbrooke Castle, the historical seat of many former governors of the island, and three gold anchors. The azure (blue) field and anchors are representative of Wight's island status and maritime history. The shield is also the
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Isle of Wight Radio


Isle of Wight Radio (occasionally shortened to IW Radio) is an independent local radio station in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The station began transmitting from Briddlesford Farm AM transmitter on 15 April 1990. Isle of Wight Radio switched to FM in March 1998, its main transmitter is at Chillerton Down on 107FM, with three low power relays on 102FM in Cowes, Ventnor and Ryde. Isle of Wight Radio was independently-owned for two years before being purchased by GWR (now Global Radio) and then by The Local
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Isle of Wight Wildlife Management Area


Isle of Wight Wildlife Management Area is a state wildlife management area (WMA) of Maryland located on the Isle of Wight, a small peninsula between the St. Martin's River and Isle of Wight Bay in Worcester County. Although called Isle of Wight, a small strip of marsh and road connects it with the mainland. The WMA is bisected by Maryland Route 90, one of the two principal highway routes into Ocean City. Despite this, the WMA attracts many birds, especially those dependent upon tidal marshes and bays, including
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Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight


Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight is a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix released on November 12, 2002. The album documents Hendrix's last U.K. live performance at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1970, three weeks before his death. The set list for the concert contained songs from the original Experience albums, as well as new songs. Some were previously available on "Isle of Wight" (1971) and "Live Isle of Wight '70" (1991). Included in
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Isle of Wight Constabulary


. In 1943 the Isle of Wight Constabulary was amalgamated with Hampshire Constabulary as a war time measure. At that time there were 79 police officers in the Isle of Wight Constabulary. With the Police Act 1946 in 1948 the Isle of Wight Constabulary was absorbed into the Hampshire Constabulary to become the Hampshire Joint Police Force, so once again policing of the island was by Hampshire even though the Isle of Wight remained an independent county. Retired army Captain Harry George Adams-Connor was Chief Constable from 1899 until 1935. Captain Adams-
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Isle of Wight Festival 2012


The Isle of Wight Festival 2012 was the eleventh revived Isle of Wight Festival, held at Seaclose Park in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The event ran from 21–24 June 2012. The 2012 event was the second under a ten-year deal between the Isle of Wight Council and the promoters Solos. Dubbed the "American Trilogy" by festival organiser John Giddings, it was headlined by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Overnight heavy rain on 21 and 22 June waterlogged
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Isle of Wight/Sandown Airport


Isle of Wight/Sandown Airport is an unlicensed aerodrome located west of Sandown, Isle of Wight, England. Isle of Wight Sandown Aerodrome formerly had a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P883) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Isle of Wight Aviation Limited). On 8 October 2006 at 13:15 GMT, a major fire started in a hangar containing highly flammable materials. One year later, during the early hours of 31 December 2007, a fire started in the
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Harry Patch


. Patch referred to 22 September as his personal Remembrance Day. He was still convalescing on the Isle of Wight when the Armistice with Germany was declared the following November. After the war, Patch returned to work as a plumber, during which time he spent four years working on the Wills Memorial Building in Bristol, before becoming manager of the plumbing company's branch in Bristol. A year above the age to be called up for military service at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, he became a part-
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RAF Ventnor


. In the 1960s, the Linesman radar programme was established with the intention of combining military and civil aviation control, known as Linesman/Mediator. The programme refurbished and improved radar defences at Ventnor. Until the 1990s, the site was involved in the detection and interception of intruding Warsaw Pact aircraft, using the Marconi Type 264A radar and secondary surveillance radars. The operations bunker was refurbished as the Isle of Wight Council's Control Centre and remained in operation until 1991 as the Isle of Wight Emergency Command Centre for command and control
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Fortifications of the Isle of Wight


Many forts and fortifications have been built to protect the Isle of Wight (South England) from foreign invasion. Throughout history the island has been a site of key military importance. Controlling both entrances to the Solent and the home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth. This is a list of most of the fortifications on the island. The Palmerston Forts are forts built during the Victorian era. The name comes from their association with Lord Palmerston, who was the Prime Minister of the time and promoted the idea. The structures were
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Fort Victoria (Isle of Wight)


Fort Victoria is a former military fort on the Isle of Wight, England (), built to guard the Solent. The earliest fort on the site was a coastal fort known as Sharpenode Bulwark built in 1545-7 by Henry VIII, but these defences had fallen into disrepair by the 17th century. Fort Victoria was built in the 1850s. It was a brick-built triangular fort with two seaward batteries meeting at a right angle. It remained in use until 1962. Parts of the fort were subsequently demolished, and
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Solent


The Solent ( ) is the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay to just over . The Solent is a major shipping lane for passenger, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight and has a complex
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John Giddings


, 2018 ILMC 30 Arthur Awards - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018 UK Festival Awards - Best Festival Production, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018 UK Festival Awards - Best Major Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018 UK Festival Awards - Line-Up of the Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018 Pollstar Awards - UK Booking Agent of the Year, John Giddings, 2017 ILMC 29 Arthur Awards - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2017 ILMC 28 Arthur Awards - Liggers'
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Politics of the Isle of Wight


South Wight. The borough councils were merged with the county council on 1 April 1995 to form a single unitary authority, the Isle of Wight Council, as recommended by the Local Government Commission for England. The only significant present-day administrative link with Hampshire is the police service, which is joint between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight forms a single constituency of the House of Commons, with an electorate of 110,697 (as of 2017). This is by far the largest electorate in the country
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Isle of Wight Festival 1970


it was the last event of its kind on the Isle of Wight for thirty-two years. The opposition to the proposed 1970 festival from the residents of the Isle of Wight was much better coordinated than it had been in previous years. The Isle of Wight was a favourite retirement destination of the British well-heeled, and a haven of the yachting set, and many of the traditional residents deplored the huge influx of "hippies" and "freaks". This led to the introduction of sections to the "Isle
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John Giddings


Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016 Won Live Music Business Awards Best Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016 Outstanding Contribution, John Giddings, 2016 Family Traveller Awards Best Family Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016 Festival Baby Awards Best Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2015 Isle of Wight Visitor Attraction Association Awards Best Event, 2015 International Live Music Conference - Arthur Awards ILMC 29 - Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2017 ILMC 24 – Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2012 ILMC 22 –
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Isle of Wight Council


The Isle of Wight Council is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight near the South coast of England. It is currently made up of 40 seats. Since the 2017 election, the Conservatives have held a majority of 25 and appointed Cllr Dave Stewart as leader of the council. The council was formed on 1 April 1995, replacing the Isle of Wight County Council and Medina and South Wight Borough Councils. Prior to 1998, the Liberals and then Liberal Democrats had dominated the Council. Between 1998 and 2005, it was
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Vectis National Party


The Vectis National Party was a minor political party operating on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. Formed in 1967, the party sought Crown dependency status for the Isle of Wight, on a similar model to certain other islands including the Isle of Man. They were motivated by a belief that the sale of the Isle of Wight to the English crown in 1293 was unconstitutional. The party contested the Isle of Wight constituency in the 1970 general election when candidate R. W. J. Cawdell, a councillor for
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John Richmond Webb


this point onwards Webb became the centre of Tory agitation against Marlborough. In 1709, Webb served at the Battle of Malplaquet, where he was severely wounded; he was awarded a substantial pension and returned to England, seeing no further active service. In 1710 he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight, a military post which among other advantages gave substantial influence in choosing the Members of Parliament who sat for the island's three boroughs; he took advantage of this by sitting as MP for Newport (Isle of Wight)
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Meonwara


as military overlord, to put eastern Hampshire and the Isle of Wight under South Saxon overlordship, a threatening course of action to the West Saxons. The West Saxons. led by Caedwalla, carried out a brutal takeover of the Jutish areas in Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight) in the late 680s, a campaign in which Caedwalla received a serious wound which may ultimately have led to his death. The subsequent establishment of the very large trading settlement of Hamwic suugests that control over the Solent was a further factor motivating the
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Hurst Castle


on the Isle of Wight to provide supporting fire. The old inn was first reused as the garrison canteen and then demolished. The 1852, the Isle of Wight Electric Company laid a specially-armoured telegraph cable to link the castle with Keyhaven on the mainland and Sconce Point on the island; two years later, the Electric Telegraph Company linked the castle to Southampton. Hurst used flags to pass on telegraphic messages to and from shipping entering the Solent. Rapid advances in military technology made the new defences obsolete before the end of
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Grange Chine and Marsh Chine


Grange Chine and Marsh Chine form a geological feature on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight, England. They lie to the south of the village of Brighstone. These two chines form the largest chine feature on the Isle of Wight. Grange Chine starts at the southern edge of Brighstone and runs south-west, crosses under the A3055 Military Road at the hamlet of Marsh Green then continues for about 500m to reach the beach at Brighstone Bay. Marsh Chine starts to the east of Marsh Green alongside the A3055
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Royal Rifle Volunteers


The Royal Rifle Volunteers is a former regiment of the British Territorial Army. It was, for most of its existence, the TA infantry in the counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight. The regiment was formed on 1 July 1999 by the amalgamation of elements of the 6th/7th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets
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Education on the Isle of Wight


two separate campuses. In September 2009, Christ the King College took another step towards becoming a secondary school, with its year 9 being retained rather than transitioning to high school. The Isle of Wight College provides a selection of courses, mostly offered on its campus in Newport. However, there are many other providers of adult education on the Isle of Wight including libraries, museums, Leisure Centres, West Wight Training Centre, Learning Links, Ventnor Community Projects, Quay Arts, Platform One and the Isle of Wight Council.
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List of hills of the Isle of Wight


This is a list of hills on the Isle of Wight. Many of these hills are important historical, archaeological and nature conservation sites, as well as popular hiking and tourist destinations on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The table is colour-coded based on the classification or "listing" of the hill. The types that occur on the Isle of Wight are Marilyns, HuMPs and TuMPs, listings based on topographical prominence. "Prominence" correlates strongly with the subjective significance of a summit. Peaks with low prominences
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Politics of the Isle of Wight


local council elections were held on 5 May 2005, the same date as the general election of that year. A local referendum on the issue of a directly-elected mayor of the Isle of Wight was held at the same time as the local elections - this failed to pass, with 37,097 against to 28,786 for. "Prior to 1995, these results are for Isle of Wight County Council." The Isle of Wight voted 62% to leave the European Union in the 2016 EU referendum, compared with 52% nationally
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Isle of Wight Rifles


. Losses in each of the Battalions involved were counted in the high 300's including missing and wounded. The Rifles lost 89 men killed in action once the missing men were reclassified "presumed killed in action". In September 1915 they were moved back to Anzac Cove and evacuated in November. The 1st Battalion sailed to Alexandria and to an acclimatisation camp at Sidi Bish, then to Mena Camp by the Pyramids of Giza. They moved into deployment at the Bitter Lakes on the Suez Canal. In January 1917 they marched to
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Isle of Wight Rifles


with three batteries based at Ryde, Newport and Cowes with RHQ at Newport. They were armed with 3.7 HAA Guns and associated radars and predictors. The term 'Mixed' in the title indicated that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps were integrated into the unit. They were briefly responsible for the manning of the 5.25 gun sites on the Island. After the demise of Anti-Aircraft Command and the reduction in air defence units in 1955, the Rifles were once again renamed, now becoming P (Princess Beatrice's
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Ray Foulk


was unnecessary. Ray Foulk is a regular contributor to radio and television programmes about the Isle of Wight Festivals, including: "Return to Rock Island", BBC South, 2003. "Festival Britannia", BBC Four, 2010. Tom Stroud's "1970 Isle of Wight Festival", Isle of Wight Radio, August 2010. "John Hannam Meets Ray Foulk", Isle of Wight Radio, 30 August 2015. "People's History of Pop Music Festivals", BBC Radio Solent, 7 February 2016. "
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Isle of Wight Festival 2003


The Isle of Wight Festival 2003 was the second revived Isle of Wight Festival to take place on the Seaclose Park site in Newport on the Isle of Wight. It was the first to take place on the second weekend in June, which would be then set as the Festival's annual date. A follow up to Rock Island 2002, the event was taken over by promoters 'Solo' and was thus the first curated by John Giddings. Camping facilities near the site were increased, available from Thursday to Monday. Attendance was
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Isle of Wight Festival 2004


The Isle of Wight Festival 2004 was the third revived Isle of Wight Festival held at the Seaclose Park site in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The festival capacity, 35,000, was a significant increase on the previous years capacity, and represented its burgeoning status as a force in the United Kingdom festival circuit. It was the first year of Nokia sponsorship, and attracted talents such as The Who and David Bowie. The Libertines were scheduled to perform but pulled out due to sickness of Peter Doherty. Being the first year of
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