Why not explore some local history on your Isle of Wight holiday? The island’s unique position has given it a rich and diverse heritage and a number of important 
historic sites.
The Beaker people, known for their pottery, first came and settled in the Isle of Wight around 1900BC. Over 240 Bronze Age Round Barrows dot the island, and the Ashey Down group has ten visible barrows, two of which have been excavated. Neolithic monuments include The Longstone, near Mottistone, which is thought to be a burial mound. Two impressive blocks of unusual green sandstone mark the what used to be the entrance.
The Romans arrived in 43 AD and ruled over the island peacefully for 400 years. The area has been subjected to Saxon and Norman invasions, seen off French attacks and Spanish threats in the 16th Century and was transformed by the coming of the railways and the industrial age. There is an Iron Age monument at Chillerton Down Hill Fort and seven Roman Villas have been found across the island. One in Newport has a well preserved bath house and hypocaust, and the villa at Brading houses some excellent mosaics.
Carisbrooke Castle is the main medieval monument on the island and was re-built by the Normans. The second oldest lighthouse in Britain can be seen on St Catherine’s Hill and also dates back to medieval times.
Post medieval forts can also be seen at West Cowes, and Yarmouth Castle is a good representation of a Tudor fortification. Holidaymakers catching Isle of Wight ferries are advised to stop off on their way to the port.
