Editing Isle of Wight

{{short description|County and island of England}}
{{Other places}}
{{redirect|IoW|other uses|IOW (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{infobox English county
| official_name = Isle of Wight
| image_main = [[File:IsleOfWightFromTheISS.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = An image of the Isle of Wight from the [[International Space Station|ISS]]<ref>{{cite tweet|number=318103662197096448|user=Cmdr_hadfield|title=There may never be a clearer picture of the Isle of Wight from space.|access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref>
| flag_link = Flag of the Isle of Wight
| arms_link = Coat of arms of the Isle of Wight
| Anthem = "Our isle"
| locator_map = [[File:Isle of Wight UK locator map 2010.svg|200px|The Isle of Wight in England]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|50|40|N|1|16|W|region:GB_type:isle|display=title, inline}}
| region = [[South East England|South East]]
| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight
| lord_lieutenant_name = Susan Sheldon<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen appoints new Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/queen-appoints-new-lord-lieutenant-of-the-isle-of-wight |website=GOV.UK |access-date=9 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
| high_sheriff_office = High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight
| high_sheriff_name = Graham Biss (2024/25)
| area_total_km2 = 384
| area_total_rank = 46th
| ethnicity =
 {{Collapsible list
 | 97.0% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 1.2% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 1.2% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 0.3% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 0.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 }}
| ethnicity_year = [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]
| ethnicity_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021|id=E06000046|title=Isle of Wight Local Authority|access-date=16 June 2024}}</ref>
| unitary_council = [[Isle of Wight Council]]
| executive = Alliance Coalition<ref>{{cite news |title=New Alliance of councillors take control of Isle of Wight council |url=https://onthewight.com/new-alliance-of-councillors-take-control-of-isle-of-wight-council/ |access-date=23 December 2021 |work=Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight |date=26 May 2021}}</ref>
| admin_hq = [[Newport, Isle of Wight|Newport]]
| iso_code = GB-IOW
| ons_code = 00MW
| gss_code = E06000046
| nuts_code = UKJ34
| MP = {{ubl|[[Joe Robertson (politician)|Joe Robertson]] ([[Isle of Wight East (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight East]])|[[Richard Quigley]] ([[Isle of Wight West (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight West]])}}
| police = [[Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary]]
|website= {{URL|https://iow.gov.uk}}
 <!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Ethnicity <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021|id=E06000046|title=Isle of Wight Local Authority|access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1    = [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|Ethnic groups]]
| demographics1_info1     =
 {{Collapsible list
 | 97% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 1.2% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 1.2% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 0.3% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 0.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 }}
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = Religion <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2021)</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis"/>
| demographics2_title1    = [[Religion in England|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1     = 
 {{Collapsible list
 | 47.7% [[Religion in England#Christianity|Christianity]]
 | 43.9% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
 | 6.5% not stated
 | 0.8% [[Religion in England|other]]
 | 0.4% [[Islam in England|Islam]]
 | 0.4% [[Buddhism in England|Buddhism]]
 | 0.2% [[Hinduism in England|Hinduism]]
 | 0.1% [[History of the Jews in England|Judaism]]
 | 0.1% [[Sikhism in England|Sikhism]]
 }} 
|flag_image=Flag of the Isle of Wight.svg}}

The '''Isle of Wight'''  ([[Help:IPA/English|/waɪt/]] [[Help:Pronunciation respelling key|''WYTE'']]) is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and [[Skerry|skerries]], is also a [[ceremonial county]]. The county is bordered by [[Hampshire]] across [[the Solent]] strait to the north, and is otherwise surrounded by the [[English Channel]]. Its largest settlement is [[Ryde]], and the administrative centre is [[Newport, Isle of Wight|Newport]]. 

Wight has a land area of {{convert|380|km2|abbr=on}} and had a population of 140,794 in 2022, making it the [[List of islands of England#Largest islands|largest]] and [[List of islands of England#Most populous islands|second-most populous]] English island. The island is largely rural, with the largest settlements primarily on the coast. These include Ryde in the north-east, [[Shanklin]] and [[Sandown]] in the south-east, and the large villages of [[Totland]] and [[Freshwater, Isle of Wight|Freshwater]] in the west. Newport is located inland at the point at which the [[River Medina]] broadens into its estuary, and [[Cowes]] and [[East Cowes]] flank the estuary on the northern coast. For [[Local government in England|local government]] purposes the island is a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] area. It was [[Historic counties of England|historically]] part of Hampshire.

The island is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, [[downland]], and [[chine]]s. It has been designated a [[UNESCO Biosphere Reserve]]. The distance between Wight and Great Britain is between {{convert|2 and 5|miles|0|abbr=off}}. The island also contains dinosaur [[fossil]]s.

The island has played an essential part in the defence of the ports of [[Southampton]] and [[Portsmouth]] and has been near the front line of conflicts through the ages, having faced the [[Spanish Armada]] and weathered the [[Battle of Britain]]. From the Victorian era significant urban development took place as the island developed into a tourist destination; it was home to the poets [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]] and [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson]], and [[Queen Victoria]] built her summer residence and final home, [[Osborne House]], at East Cowes. It has a maritime and industrial tradition of [[#Neolithic Isle of Wight|boat-building]], sail-making, the manufacture of [[flying boat]]s, [[hovercraft]], and Britain's [[British space programme|space rockets]]. The island hosts annual music festivals, including the [[Isle of Wight Festival]], which in 1970 was the largest rock music event ever held.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/island-guide/isle-of-wight-music-festivals-and-concerts/isle-of-wight-festival/iow-festival-history |title=Isle of Wight Festival history |publisher=Redfunnel.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=28 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128100610/http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/island-guide/isle-of-wight-music-festivals-and-concerts/isle-of-wight-festival/iow-festival-history |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Name==
The oldest records that give a name for the Isle of Wight are from the Roman Empire. It was called ''Vectis'' or ''Vecta'' in Latin and ''Iktis'' or ''Ouiktis'' in Greek. Latin ''Vecta,'' Old English ''Wiht,'' and Old Welsh ''Gueid'' and ''Guith'' were recorded from the Anglo-Saxon period. The [[Domesday Book]] called the island ''Wit.'' The modern Welsh name is ''Ynys Wyth'' (''ynys'' meaning island). These are all variants of the same name, possibly sharing a Celtic origin<ref>[[A. L. F. Rivet]], Colin Smith, ''The Place-Names of Roman Britain'' (Batsford, 1979) pp. 487–489</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://romanrepublic.org/bibliotheca/index.php?title=VECTIS|title=VECTIS – Roman Republic|website=romanrepublic.org|access-date=28 January 2018|archive-date=13 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213140612/http://romanrepublic.org/bibliotheca/index.php?title=VECTIS|url-status=dead}}</ref> with Welsh ''gwaith'' 'work', a cognate of both [[Latin]] ''vectis'' ("lever," or literally "the act of lifting") and [[Old English]] ''wiht'' ("weight").{{sfn|Reaney|1969|p=71}} It may mean 'place of the division,' since the island divides the two arms of the Solent.{{sfn|Ekwall|1960|p=518}}

In [[Old English]], inhabitants of the Isle were known as ''Wihtware''.{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|pp=740-741}}

==History==
{{Main|History of the Isle of Wight}}

===Stone Age ===
During [[Pleistocene]] [[glacial period]]s sea levels were lower than at present, and the area that today forms the Solent was part of the valley of the now extinct [[River Solent|Solent River]]. The river flowed eastward from Dorset, following the course of the modern Solent strait. The river travelled east of the Isle of Wight before flowing southwest towards the major Channel River system. At these times, extensive gravel terraces associated with the Solent River and the forerunners of the island's modern rivers were deposited. During warmer interglacial periods, silts, beach gravels, clays, and muds of marine and estuarine origin were deposited due to higher sea levels, suggesting similar marine or estuary conditions to those experienced today. 

[[File:Upper Palaeolithic Flint Handaxe (FindID 402440).jpg|thumb|right|A flint [[hand axe]] from the [[Paleolithic]], {{circa|500,000}} [[Before Present|BP]], found on the island in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/402440 |title= Finds record for: IOW-11AE37 |author= Basford, F |access-date= 29 August 2022 |publisher= The Portable Antiquities Scheme}}</ref>]]
The earliest clear evidence of [[Lower Paleolithic|Lower Palaeolithic]] archaic human occupation on what is now the Isle of Wight is found close to [[Priory Bay]]. More than 300 [[Acheulean|acheulean handaxes]] have been recovered from the beach and cliff slopes, originating from a sequence of Pleistocene gravels dating approximately to [[Marine Isotope Stage 11|MIS 11]]-[[Marine Isotope Stage 9|MIS 9]] (424,000–374,000 years ago).<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wenban-Smith |first=Francis |date=January 2009 |title=The Pleistocene sequence at Priory Bay, Isle of Wight (SZ 635 900) |url=https://www.academia.edu/1794967 |journal=Field Meeting of the Quaternary Research Association |language=en}}</ref> Reworked and abraded artefacts found at the site may be considerably older however, closer to 500,000 years old. The identity of the hominids who produced these tools is unknown. However, sites and fossils of the same age range in Europe are often attributed to ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]'' or early populations of [[Neanderthal]]s.

A [[Middle Paleolithic|Middle Palaeolithic]] [[Mousterian]] flint assemblage, consisting of 50 handaxes and debitage, has been recovered from Great Pan Farm in the Medina Valley near Newport. Gravel sequences at the site have been dated to the [[MIS 3|MIS 3 interstadial]] during the [[Last Glacial Period|last glacial period]] ({{circa|50,000 years}} ago). These tools are associated with the late Neanderthal occupation, and evidence of late Neanderthal presence is seen across Britain at this time.

No significant evidence of [[Upper Paleolithic|Upper Palaeolithic]] activity exists on the Isle of Wight. This period is associated with the expansion and establishment of populations of [[Human|modern human]] (''Homo sapiens'') [[hunter-gatherer]]s in Europe, beginning around 45,000 years ago. However, evidence of late Upper Palaeolithic activity has been found at nearby sites on the mainland, notably [[Hengistbury Head]] in Dorset, dating to just before the onset of the [[Holocene]] and the end of the last glacial period {{circa|11,700 years}} ago. [[File:Neolithic Arrowhead (hollow based) (FindID 453951).jpg|thumb|right|A [[Neolithic]] arrowhead from {{circa|2500|2100}} [[Common Era|BCE]], found on the island in 2011<ref>{{cite web |url= https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/453951 |title= Finds record for: IOW-EF8E93 |author= Basford, F |access-date= 29 August 2022 |publisher= The Portable Antiquities Scheme}}</ref>]]
Evidence of [[Mesolithic]] hunter-gatherer occupation on the island is generally found along the river valleys, particularly along the Solent coastline of the island and in the former catchment of the western Yar. Other key terrestrial sites are found at Newtown Creek, Werrar, and Wootton-Quarr.

A submerged escarpment {{convert|11|metres|abbr=off}} below sea level off [[Bouldnor Cliff]] on the island's Solent coastline has yielded an internationally significant mesolithic archaeological site. The Bouldnor Cliff site exhibits evidence of seasonal occupation by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers dating to {{circa|6050 BC}}. Finds include flint tools, burnt flint, worked timbers, wooden platforms, and pits. The worked wood shows evidence of splitting large planks from oak trunks, interpreted as being intended for use as dug-out canoes. DNA analysis of sediments at the site yielded [[wheat]] DNA, not found in Britain until 2,000 years after the occupation at Bouldnor Cliff. It has been suggested this is evidence of wide-reaching trade in Mesolithic Europe; however, the contemporaneity of the wheat with the Mesolithic occupation has been contested. Owing to lower sea levels during the Mesolithic the hunter-gatherer site was located on a river bank surrounded by wetlands and woodland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/8000-year-old-boat-building-platform-found-coast-britain-180972989/|title=An 8,000-Year-Old Platform in Britain Could Be the Oldest Boat-Building Site Ever Discovered|first=Jason|last=Daley|website=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref> As sea levels rose throughout the early Holocene the Solent flooded, submerging the site.

From {{circa|6,000 years}} ago migrations of farming populations to Britain from northwest Europe brought the onset of the [[Neolithic]], largely replacing and assimilating previous mesolithic hunter-gatherer populations. On the Isle of Wight Neolithic occupation is attested to by flint tool finds, pottery and monuments. The Isle of Wight's neolithic communities were agriculturalists, farming livestock and crops. The Isle of Wight's most recognisable neolithic site is the Longstone at [[Mottistone]], the remains of an early Neolithic [[long barrow]]. Initially constructed with two standing stones at the entrance, only one remains upright today. The site would have likely served as a communal tomb and ritual site for nearby farming communities. A Neolithic mortuary enclosure has also been identified on [[Tennyson Down]] near [[Freshwater, Isle of Wight|Freshwater]].

===Bronze Age and Iron Age===
From {{circa|4,400|4,200 years}} ago Britain experienced a new wave of migrations from continental Europe, linked to the [[Bell Beaker culture|Bell Beaker Culture]]. Bell beaker migrants are typically thought to have introduced metal-working to Britain marking the beginning of the [[Bronze Age]]. Evidence of early Bronze Age occupation on the Isle of Wight include distinctive bell beaker pots, flint tools, occupation sites and finds of bronze weapons and tools, occurring either individually or in [[hoard]] deposits such as the famous [[Arreton]] hoard. Highly visible evidence of early Bronze Age activity on the Isle of Wight comes in the form of the [[Tumulus|barrow monuments]] present across the island's chalk downland.  It is likely these barrows were high-status burial sites, and often occur in 'cemeteries' a notable example being Five Barrows near [[Brook, Isle of Wight|Brook.]]  [[File:Early Bronze Age Developed Flat Axehead (Arreton Down Type) (FindID 441752).jpg|thumb|right|An [[British Bronze Age|early Bronze Age]] axehead from {{circa|2000|1700}} [[Common Era|BCE]], found on the island in 2011<ref>{{cite web |url= https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/441752 |title= Finds record for: IOW-ADA318 |author= Basford, F |access-date= 29 August 2022 |publisher= The Portable Antiquities Scheme}}</ref>]]
[[Bronze Age Britain]] had large tin reserves in Cornwall and Devon areas, which was necessary to [[Smelting|smelt]] [[bronze]]. At that time, the sea level was much lower, and carts of tin were brought across the [[Solent]] at low tide<ref name="Adams 1877">{{cite book|last1=Adams|first1=William Henry Davenport|title=Nelsons' hand-book to the Isle of Wight|date=1877|publisher=Oxford University|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hQoHAAAAQAAJ&q=Cotentin+Peninsula+trade+Isle+of+Wight|access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hawkes 1984"/> for export, possibly on the [[Ferriby Boats]]. Anthony Snodgrass<ref>{{cite book|last1=Snodgrass|first1=A. M.|title=Arms and Armour of the Greeks|date=1966|publisher=Thames & Hudson, London}}</ref><ref name="Snodgrass 1971">{{cite book|last1=Snodgrass|first1=A. M.|title=The Dark Age of Greece|date=1971|publisher=Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh}}</ref> suggests that a shortage of tin, as a part of the [[Bronze Age]] Collapse and trade disruptions in the Mediterranean around 1300 BC, forced metalworkers to seek an alternative to bronze. 

From the 7th century BC, during the [[Late Iron Age]], the Isle of Wight, like the rest of Great Britain, was occupied by the [[Celtic Britons]], in the form of the [[Durotriges]] tribe, as attested by finds of their coins, for example, the South Wight Hoard,<ref>Williams, Jonathan; Hill, J.D.[http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/216933], Portable Antiquities Scheme,  Record ID: IOW-38B400.</ref><ref>The Isle of Wight Ingot Hoard [http://www.artfund.org/what-we-do/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/9645/the-isle-of-wight-ingot-hoard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223307/http://www.artfund.org/what-we-do/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/9645/the-isle-of-wight-ingot-hoard|date=2 December 2013}} The Art Fund</ref> and the Shalfleet Hoard.<ref>Leins, Ian; Joy, Jody; Basford, Frank [http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/267811], Portable Antiquities Scheme, Record ID: IOW-EAAFE2.</ref> The island was known as ''Ynys Weith'' in [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic Celtic]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsBritain/EnglandWight.htm|title=Kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons - Wight (Isle of Wight)|website=www.historyfiles.co.uk}}</ref> Southeastern Britain experienced significant immigration, which is reflected in the current residents' genetic makeup.<ref name="Leslie, et al. 2015">{{cite journal|last1=Leslie, et al. 2015|first1=Stephen|title=The fine-scale genetic structure of the British population|journal=Nature|volume=519|issue=March 2015|pages=309–314|doi=10.1038/nature14230|pmid=25788095|pmc=4632200|year=2015|bibcode=2015Natur.519..309.}}</ref> As the [[Iron Age]] began, tin value likely dropped sharply, greatly changing the Isle of Wight's economy. Trade, however, continued, as evidenced by the local abundance of European Iron Age coins.<ref name="Wellington 2001">{{cite journal|last1=Wellington|first1=Imogen|title=Iron Age Coinage on the Isle of Wight|journal=Oxford Journal of Archaeology|date=February 2001|volume=20|issue=1|pages=39–57|doi=10.1111/1468-0092.00122}}</ref><ref name="Crawford 1912">{{cite journal|last1=Crawford|first1=Osbert Guy Stanhope|title=The distribution of early bronze age settlements in Britain|journal=Geographical Journal|date=1912|volume=1912|issue=2|pages=184–197|doi=10.2307/1778466|jstor=1778466|bibcode=1912GeogJ..40..184C |url=https://zenodo.org/record/2469772}}</ref>

===Roman period===
[[Julius Caesar]] reported that the [[Belgae]] took the Isle of Wight in about 85&nbsp;BC<ref>{{cite book|last1=Adams|first1=William Henry Davenport|title=Nelson's Hand-book to the Isle of Wight|date=1877|publisher=Oxford |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hQoHAAAAQAAJ&q=Cotentin+Peninsula+trade+Isle+of+Wight}}</ref> and recognised the culture of this general region as "Belgic" but made no reference to Vectis.<ref name="Vectis Insvla">{{cite web|title=Roman Vectis|url=https://wiki.imperivm-romanvm.com/wiki/Vectis#Rome|website=Imperivm Romanvm Wiki - Vectis|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref> The Roman historian [[Suetonius]] mentions that the island was captured by the commander [[Vespasian]]. The Romans built no towns on the island, but the remains of at least seven [[Roman villa]]s have been found, indicating the prosperity of local agriculture.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Journal of the British Archaeological Association|date=December 1866|url=http://www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk/friends/pdf/gurnard_1866.pdf|access-date=28 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129021608/http://www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk/friends/pdf/gurnard_1866.pdf|archive-date=29 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> First-century exports were principally hides, enslaved people, hunting dogs, grain, cattle, silver, gold, and iron.<ref name="Vectis Insvla"/>

===Early medieval period===
[[File:IOW-738404 Early-Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) Pin (FindID 482515).jpg|thumb|right|upright|An [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] copper-alloy pin, dating from {{circa|700|900}}, found on the island in 2012<ref>{{cite web |url= https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/482515 |title= Finds record for: IOW-2A1571 |author= Basford, F |access-date=29 August 2022 |publisher= The Portable Antiquities Scheme}}</ref>]]
There are indications that the island had vast trading links, with a port at [[Bouldnor Cliff|Bouldnor]],<ref name="Smith et al. 2015">{{cite journal|last1=Smith|display-authors=etal|first1=Oliver|title=Sedimentary DNA from a submerged site reveals wheat in the British Isles 8000 years ago|journal=Science|date=27 February 2015|volume=347|issue=6225|pages=998–1001|doi=10.1126/science.1261278|pmid=25722413|bibcode=2015Sci...347..998S|hdl=10454/9405|s2cid=1167101|url=https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/bitstream/10454/9405/1/Science_DNA.pdf|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Cunliffe 2008">{{cite book|last1=Cunliffe|first1=Barry |title=A Companion to Roman Britain: Britain and the continent: networks of interaction |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|date=2008|pages=1–11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PPfZCqRytugC&q=Cotentin+Peninsula+trade+Isle+of+Wight|isbn=9780470998854 }}</ref><ref name="Balter 2015">{{cite web|last1=Balter|first1=Michael|title=DNA recovered from underwater British site may rewrite history of farming in Europe|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/dna-recovered-underwater-british-site-may-rewrite-history-farming-europe|publisher=Science|access-date=17 March 2015|date=26 February 2015}}</ref> evidence of Bronze Age tin trading,<ref name="Hawkes 1984">{{cite journal|last1=Hawkes|first1=C.&nbsp;F.&nbsp;C.|title=Ictis disentangled, and the British tin trade|journal=Oxford Journal of Archaeology|date=July 1984|volume=3|issue=2|pages=211–233|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230323962|access-date=16 March 2015|doi=10.1111/j.1468-0092.1984.tb00327.x}}</ref> and finds of [[Late Iron Age]] coins.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Isle of Wight Ingot Hoard|url=http://www.artfund.org/what-we-do/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/9645/the-isle-of-wight-ingot-hoard|publisher=The Art Fund|access-date=24 November 2013|archive-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223307/http://www.artfund.org/what-we-do/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/9645/the-isle-of-wight-ingot-hoard|url-status=dead}}</ref> Starting in AD 449, the 5th and 6th centuries saw groups of [[Germanic languages|Germanic]]-speaking peoples from Northern Europe crossing the English Channel and gradually set about conquering the region.<ref name="McMahon">{{cite web|last1=McMahon|first1=Rob|title=Why Populations|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258343375|website=McMahon|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>

During the [[Early Middle Ages]], the island was settled by [[Jutes]] as the [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|heathen]] kingdom of the [[Wihtwara]]. In [[Asser]]’s [[Life of King Alfred|''Life of Alfred'']], he states that the [[List of monarchs of Wessex|West Saxon kings]] [[Cerdic]] and [[Cynric]] granted lordship of Wight to two brothers, Stuf and Wihtgar, said to be of Jutish and [[Goths|Gothic]] origin and cousins of Cynric. The brothers then set about exterminating the native [[Celtic Britons|Britons]], either killing them or driving them into exile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asser's Life of King Alfred, by Albert S. Cook—A Project Gutenberg eBook |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/63384/63384-h/63384-h.htm |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref> According to [[Bede]], in 685, Wight was invaded by King [[Cædwalla of Wessex|Cædwalla]] of [[Wessex]], who attempted to violently replace the Jutish inhabitants with his own followers. In 686, the native King [[Arwald]] was killed in battle, and the island became the last part of English lands to be [[Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England|converted to Christianity]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=church&book=english&story=christian|title=The English Accept Christianity|website=The Story of England|first=Samuel B.|last=Harding}}</ref>

It suffered especially from [[Vikings|Viking]] raids<ref>{{cite book|title=The Anglo Saxon Chronicle|date=1116|url=http://www.hampshire-history.com/king-alfreds-navy}}</ref> and was often used as a winter base by Viking raiders when they could not reach Normandy.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.h2g2.com/edited_entry/A599691 | title=Anglo-Saxon Isle of Wight: 900 – 1066 AD | date=2012 | access-date=30 November 2016}}</ref> Later, both [[Tostig Godwinson|Earl Tostig]] and his brother [[Harold Godwinson]] (who became King Harold II) held manors on the island.<ref name="british-history.ac.uk1912">{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42066|title=Victoria County History|date=1912|publisher=British History Online, University of London & History of Parliament Trust|access-date=30 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol5/pp156-170#h3-0021| title=Victoria County History|date=1912|publisher=British History Online, University of London & History of Parliament Trust|access-date=30 November 2016}}</ref>

===Norman Conquest to 18th century===
[[File:Carisbrooke front gate.jpg|thumb|[[Carisbrooke Castle]]]]

The Norman Conquest of 1066 created the position of [[Lord of the Isle of Wight]]; the island was given by [[William the Conqueror]] to his kinsman [[William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford|William FitzOsbern]]. [[Carisbrooke Priory]] and the fort of [[Carisbrooke Castle]] were then founded. Allegiance was sworn to FitzOsbern rather than the king; the Lordship was subsequently granted to the [[Richard de Redvers|de Redvers]] family by Henry I after his succession in 1100.

[[File:IOW-778213 Medieval Coin, Penny of Edward I (FindID 432899).jpg|thumb|right|A silver [[penny (English coin)|penny]] of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]], minted 1300-1305, found on the island in 2011<ref>{{cite web |url= https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/432899 |title= Finds record for: IOW-778213 |author= Basford, F |access-date=29 August 2022 |publisher= The Portable Antiquities Scheme}}</ref>]]
For nearly 200 years the island was a semi-independent feudal fiefdom, with the de Redvers family ruling from Carisbrooke. The final private owner was the Countess [[Isabel de Forz, suo jure 8th Countess of Devon|Isabella de Fortibus]], who, on her deathbed in 1293, was persuaded to sell it to [[Edward I of England|Edward I]]. Subsequently, the island was under the control of the English Crown<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval-part-1/isabella-de-fortibus|title=Isabella de Fortibus, "Queen of the Wight" |author=English Heritage|website= English Heritage Story of England |access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref> and its Lordship a royal appointment.

The island continued to be attacked from the continent: it was raided in 1374 by the fleet of [[Crown of Castile|Castile]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Cesáreo |last=Fernández Duro |title=La Marina de Castilla|location=Madrid|isbn=978-84-86228-04-0|date=1995}}</ref> and in 1377 by French raiders who burned several towns, including [[Newtown, Isle of Wight|Newtown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwhistory.org.uk/newtown/   |title=Newtown|publisher=Isle of Wight History| access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>

Under [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], who developed the [[Royal Navy]] and its [[Portsmouth]] base, the island was fortified at [[Yarmouth, Isle of Wight|Yarmouth]], Cowes, East Cowes, and [[Sandown]].

The [[French invasion of the Isle of Wight|French invasion]] on 21 July 1545 (famous for the sinking of the ''[[Mary Rose]]'' on the 19th) was repulsed by local [[militia]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Wight, Isle of |volume= 28 |pages = 626&ndash;627; see page 627, "History" midway down second para|quote=A more formidable raid was attempted in 1545 when a French fleet of 150 large ships, 25 galleys, and 50 smaller vessels drew up off Brading Harbour...}}</ref>

On 1 May 1647, Swedish and English ships clashed in a [[Skirmish at the Isle of Wight|brief skirmish off the island]], ending in the Swedish fleet being able to escape.<ref>{{Cite book |last=B |first=R. |url=https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A76338.0001.001 |title=A true and full relation of the late sea fight, betwixt a squadron of ships belonging to the Parliament of England, and the Queene of Swethlands fleet |publisher=[[University of Michigan]] |year=1647 }}</ref>

During the [[English Civil War]], [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] fled to the Isle of Wight, believing he would receive sympathy from  Governor [[Robert Hammond (English army officer)|Robert Hammond]]. Still, Hammond imprisoned the king in Carisbrooke Castle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/stuarts/ |title=An Introduction to Stuart England (1603–1714) |access-date=20 May 2021 |website=English Heritage}}</ref>

[[File:Osborne-house1.jpg|thumb|[[Osborne House]] and its grounds are now open to the public.]]
[[File:Berthe Morisot - Eugène Manet à l'île de Wight.jpg|thumb|''[[Eugene Manet]] on the Isle of Wight'', 1875 painting by [[Berthe Morisot]]]]
During the [[Great Britain in the Seven Years' War|Seven Years' War]], the island was a staging post for British troops departing on expeditions against the French coast, such as the [[Raid on Rochefort]]. During 1759, with a [[Planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)|planned French invasion imminent]], a large force of soldiers was stationed there. The French called off their invasion following the [[Battle of Quiberon Bay]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Longmate |first=Norman |title=Island Fortress: The Defence of Great Britain, 1603–1945 |location=London |date=2001 |pages=186–188}}{{ISBN missing}}</ref>

===19th century===

In the spring of 1817, the twenty-one year old [[John Keats]] spent time in Carisbrooke and Shanklin, where he found inspiration in the countryside and coast, and worked on his long poem ''[[Endymion (poem)|Endymion]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mapping Keats's Progress: 16-23 April 1817: Endymion, On the Sea, & Eternal Poetry: Picturing Young Keats on the Isle of Wight |url=https://johnkeats.uvic.ca/1817-04-16.html |access-date=31 July 2023 |website=johnkeats.uvic.ca}}</ref>

In the mid-1840s, [[Phytophthora infestans|potato blight]] was first found in the UK on the island, having arrived from Belgium. It was later transmitted to Ireland.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=102367 | title=The Potato Blight - Its Origin Historical Marker }}</ref>

In the 1860s, what remains in real terms the most expensive ever government spending project saw fortifications built on the island and in the Solent, as well as elsewhere along the south coast, including the [[Palmerston Forts]], [[The Needles Batteries]], and [[Fort Victoria (Isle of Wight)|Fort Victoria]], because of fears about possible French invasion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armouries.org.uk/collections/history-of-the-collection/museum-history/fort-nelson-history|title=Fort Nelson History|work=Royal Armouries|access-date=8 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120073521/http://www.armouries.org.uk/collections/history-of-the-collection/museum-history/fort-nelson-history|archive-date=20 November 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The future [[Queen Victoria]] spent childhood holidays on the island and became fond of it. When she became queen, she made [[Osborne House]] her winter home. Subsequently, the island became a fashionable holiday resort for many, including [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson]], [[Julia Margaret Cameron]], and [[Charles Dickens]] (who wrote much of ''[[David Copperfield (novel)|David Copperfield]]'' there), as well as the French painter [[Berthe Morisot]] and members of European royalty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/attractions/history-and-heritage | title=Isle of Wight history and heritage|work=visitisleofwight.co.uk |access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Queen Victoria&#039;s Bathing Machine. - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Queen Victoria's [[bathing machine]], preserved at Queen Victoria's Beach east of [[Osborne House]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/osborne/things-to-do/queen-victorias-beach/ |title=Queen Victoria's Beach |publisher=[[English Heritage]] |access-date=6 February 2021}}</ref>]]

Until the queen's example, the island had been rural, with most people employed in farming, fishing, or boat-building. The boom in tourism, spurred by growing wealth and leisure time and by Victoria's presence, led to the significant urban development of the island's coastal resorts. As one report summarises, "The Queen's regular presence on the island helped put the Isle of Wight 'on the map' as a Victorian holiday and wellness destination ... and her former residence Osborne House is now one of the most visited attractions on the island."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://independenttravelcats.com/visiting-the-isle-of-wight-queen-victoria-trail-victorian-sites/|title=Isle of Wight Travel Guide: Following the Queen Victoria Trail|date=28 November 2017|website=Independent Travel Cats}}</ref> While on the island, the queen used a [[bathing machine]] that could be wheeled into the water on Osborne Beach; inside the small wooden hut, she could undress and then bathe, without being visible to others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/queen-victoria-bathing-machine/|title=Why does the Queen use a "bathing machine" to go swimming in ITV's Victoria?|website=Radio Times}}</ref> Her machine had a changing room and a WC with plumbing. The refurbished machine is now displayed at the beach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.victorianweb.org/history/victoria/7.html|title=The Queen's Bathing Machine at Osborne|website=www.victorianweb.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/victoria-s-plunge-queen-s-beach-open-public-7946869.html|title=Victoria's plunge: Queen's beach to open to public|date=17 July 2012|website=The Independent}}</ref>

On 14 January 1878, [[Alexander Graham Bell]] demonstrated an early version of the telephone to the queen,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.islandecho.co.uk/140-years-since-first-telephone-call-queen-victoria-isle-wight/ |title=140 Years Since First Telephone Call to Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight |date=14 January 2018 |publisher=Island Echo |access-date=14 January 2020 |quote=He made the UK's first publicly-witnessed long distance calls, calling Cowes, Southampton and London from Osborne House. Queen Victoria liked the telephone so much she wanted to buy it.}}</ref> placing calls to Cowes, Southampton, and London. These were the first publicly-witnessed long-distance telephone calls in the [[UK]]. The queen tried the device and considered the process to be "quite extraordinary" although the sound was "rather faint".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/connecting-britain/alexander-graham-bell-unveils-telephone/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/connecting-britain/alexander-graham-bell-unveils-telephone/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Alexander Graham Bell demonstrates the newly invented telephone |date=13 January 2017 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=14 January 2020 |quote=one of the Queen’s staff wrote to Professor Bell to inform him "how much gratified and surprised the Queen was at the exhibition of the Telephone"}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She later asked to buy the equipment that was used, but Bell offered to make "a set of telephones" specifically for her.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/magbell.30000106/ |title=pdf, Letter from Alexander Graham Bell to Sir Thomas Biddulph, February 1, 1878 |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=14 January 2020 |quote="The instruments at present in Osborne are merely those supplied for ordinary commercial purposes, and it will afford me much pleasure to be permitted to offer to the Queen a set of Telephones to be made expressly for her Majesty's use."}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ross |first=Stewart |title=Alexander Graham Bell |series=(Scientists who Made History) |location=New York |publisher=Raintree Steck-Vaughn |date=2001 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/alexandergrahamb00ross/page/21 21–22] |isbn=978-0-7398-4415-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/alexandergrahamb00ross/page/21}}</ref>

The world's first radio station was set up by [[Guglielmo Marconi]] in 1897, during her reign, at [[the Needles Battery]], at the western tip of the island.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Eric|title=How internet radio can change the world: an activist's handbook|date=2005|publisher=iUniversr, Inc. |location=New York |isbn=9780595349654 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Md0aYx9jql8C&q=The+world%27s+first+radio+station+on+the+Isle+of+Wight&pg=PA7 |access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Connected Earth |url=http://www.connected-earth.com/Journeys/Firstgenerationtechnologies/Awirelessworld/Theoriginsofradio/index.htm |access-date=22 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110146/http://www.connected-earth.com/Journeys/Firstgenerationtechnologies/Awirelessworld/Theoriginsofradio/index.htm |archive-date= 2 April 2015 }}</ref> A {{convert|168|ft|adj=on}} high mast was erected near the Royal Needles Hotel as part of an experiment on communicating with ships at sea. That location is now the site of the Marconi Monument.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theneedles.co.uk/landmarks/marconi-statue/|title=The Needles Marconi Statue|website=www.theneedles.co.uk}}</ref> In 1898 the first paid wireless telegram (called a "Marconigram") was sent from this station, and the island was for some time<ref name="vintage-radio.net">{{cite web | url=https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=85074 | title=What happened to the National Wireless Museum? | access-date=19 June 2018}}</ref> the home of the National Wireless Museum near Ryde.<ref name="Miscellany">{{cite book | title=Isle of Wight: A Miscellany | author=Julia Skinner | publisher=Francis Frith Collect | date=2012 |isbn=978-1-84589-683-6}}</ref>

Queen Victoria died at Osborne House on 22 January 1901 at 81.

===20th century and later===

During the [[Second World War]], the island was frequently bombed. With its proximity to German-occupied France, the island hosted observation stations, transmitters, and the [[RAF Ventnor|RAF radar station at Ventnor]]. [[Adolf Hitler]] personally suggested an invasion of the Isle of Wight as a supplementary operation for [[Operation Sealion]], and the possibility of an invasion was incorporated into [[Fuhrer Directive]] 16. Field Marshal [[Alan Brooke]], in charge of defending the UK during 1940, was sceptical about being able to hold the island in the face of an invasion, instead considering that British forces would retreat to the western side of the island rather than commit forces against what might be a diversionary landing. In the end no invasion of the island was carried out as German naval commanders feared any invasion force might be cut off by British naval forces, particularly Royal Navy submarines.<ref name="Harvey 2017">{{cite news |last1=Harvey |first1=Ian |title=Hitler Considered Occupying The Small English Isle of Wight in WWII – It Could Have Changed History |url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/isle-of-wight.html?chrome=1&Exc_D_LessThanPoint002_p1=1 |access-date=26 April 2023 |work=War History Online |date=27 November 2017}}</ref>

The island was the starting point for one of the earlier [[Operation Pluto]] pipelines to feed fuel to Europe after the [[Normandy landings]].<ref name="Ddaymuseum">{{cite web | url=http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/d-dayonyourdoorstep/details/pluto-pumping-station-sandown-isle-of-wight | title=PLUTO pumping station, Sandown, Isle of Wight | publisher=D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery | access-date=16 February 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216215300/http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/d-dayonyourdoorstep/details/pluto-pumping-station-sandown-isle-of-wight | archive-date=16 February 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The [[Needles Battery]] was used to develop and test the [[Black Arrow]] and [[Black Knight (rocket)|Black Knight]] space rockets, which were subsequently launched from [[Woomera Test Facility|Woomera]], Australia.<ref name="Standard">{{cite news | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/welcome-to-britains-secret-cape-canaveral--on-the-isle-of-wight-7255168.html | title=Welcome to Britain's secret Cape Canaveral (... on the Isle of Wight) | newspaper=London Evening Standard | date=31 March 2007 | access-date=16 February 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Jimi Hendrix statue outside Dimbola Lodge.JPG|thumb|upright|Statue of [[Jimi Hendrix]] outside Dimbola Lodge]]

The [[Isle of Wight Festival 1970|Isle of Wight Festival]] was a large [[rock festival]] near [[Afton Down]], West Wight, in August 1970, following two smaller events in 1968 [[Isle of Wight Festival 1969|and 1969]]. The 1970 show was one of the last public performances by [[Jimi Hendrix]] and attracted somewhere between 600,000 and 700,000 attendees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=32552 |title=Movies |publisher=Movies.msn.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109173009/http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=32552 |archive-date=9 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The festival was revived in 2002 in a different format and is now an annual event.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/isle-of-wight-festival-history.html | title=Isle of Wight Festival History 1968 to Today| publisher=isleofwightguru.com| access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>

On 26 October 2020, an oil tanker, the ''Nave Andromeda'', suspected to have been [[Nave Andromeda incident|hijacked by Nigerian stowaways]], was stormed southeast of the island by the [[Special Boat Service]]. Seven people believed to be Nigerians seeking UK asylum were handed over to Hampshire Police.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54687379|title=Tanker stowaways: 'Hijacking' ends after special forces storm ship|work=BBC News|date=26 October 2020|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>

== Governance ==
{{Main|Politics of the Isle of Wight}}
[[File:Arms of Isle of Wight Council.svg|thumb|The coat of arms of the Isle of Wight Council]]
The island had a single [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]] until 2024. The [[Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight constituency]] covered the entire island, with 138,300 permanent residents in [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011]], being one of the most populated [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom|constituencies]] in the United Kingdom (more than 50% above the English average).<ref>{{cite web|date=6 July 2010|title=Turner Will Fight On For 'Unique' Island Status|url=http://iwchronicle.co.uk/2010/07/turner-will-fight-on-for-unique-island-status/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420172305/http://iwchronicle.co.uk/2010/07/turner-will-fight-on-for-unique-island-status/|archive-date=20 April 2013|publisher=Isle of Wight Chronicle}}</ref> Following passage of the [[Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011]], the [[Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies]] was to have changed this,<ref>{{cite web|date=15 February 2011|title=Isle of Wight Set To Have Two MPs in 2015|url=http://iwchronicle.co.uk/2011/02/isle-of-wight-set-to-have-two-mps-in-2015/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104184053/http://iwchronicle.co.uk/2011/02/isle-of-wight-set-to-have-two-mps-in-2015/|archive-date=4 November 2011|publisher=Isle of Wight Chronicle}}</ref> but this was deferred to no earlier than October 2022 by the [[Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013]].  Thus the single constituency remained for the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]], [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]] and [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019]] general elections. However, two separate constituencies, [[Isle of Wight East (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight East]] and [[Isle of Wight West (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight West]] were created for the island under the 2022 review, and were first contested in the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].

The Isle of Wight is a [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial]] and [[metropolitan and non-metropolitan county|non-metropolitan]] county. Since the abolition of its two [[borough]] councils and restructuring of the [[Isle of Wight County Council]] into the new [[Isle of Wight Council]] in 1995, it has been administered by a single tier Island Council<ref>{{Cite legislation UK |type = si |year = 1994 | number = 1210 |si = The Isle of Wight (Structural Change) Order | date = 30 April 1994| accessdate = 13 April 2023}}</ref> which has the same powers as a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] in England.

There have been small regionalist movements: the [[Vectis National Party]] and the Isle of Wight Party; but they have attracted little support at elections.<ref>{{cite book|author=Adam Grydehøj and Philip Hayward|url=http://www.islandstudies.ca/sites/islandstudies.ca/files/ISJ-6-2-2011-Grydehoj+Hayward.pdf|title=Autonomy Initiatives and Quintessential Englishness on the Isle of Wight|date=2011|publisher=Island Studies Journal|page=185|access-date=28 November 2016|archive-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828160304/http://www.islandstudies.ca/sites/islandstudies.ca/files/ISJ-6-2-2011-Grydehoj+Hayward.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Geography and environment ==
[[File:IsleOfWight2022OSM.png|thumb|left|Detailed map of the Isle of Wight]]
The Isle of Wight is situated between the Solent and the [[English Channel]], is roughly [[rhombus|rhomboid]] in shape, and covers an area of {{convert|380|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}}. Slightly more than half, mainly in the west, is designated as the [[Isle of Wight AONB|Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].  The island has {{convert|258|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} of farmland, {{convert|52|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} of developed areas, and {{convert|57|mi}} of coastline. Its landscapes are diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description as "England in miniature".  In June 2019 the whole island was designated a [[Man and the Biosphere Programme|UNESCO Biosphere Reserve]], recognising the sustainable relationships between its residents and the local environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-48692295|date=19 June 2019|access-date=20 June 2019|website=www.bbc.co.uk|title=Isle of Wight joins Unesco's network of biosphere sites}}</ref>

West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the [[chalk]] [[downland]] ridge, running across the whole island and ending in [[the Needles]] stacks.  The southwestern quarter is commonly referred to as the [[Back of the Wight]], and has a unique character. The highest point on the island is [[St Boniface Down]] in the south east, which at {{convert|241|m|ft|abbr=on}} is a [[Marilyn (hill)|marilyn]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Bathurst |first= David |year= 2012 |title= Walking the county high points of England |location= Chichester |publisher= Summersdale |isbn= 978-1-84-953239-6 |pages= 60–64}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=9547|title=St Boniface Down, England |author=Staff writer(s)| date=1987–2012| publisher=Peakbagger.com |access-date=11 December 2012}}</ref> The most notable habitats on the rest of the island are probably the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are scenic features, important for wildlife, and internationally protected.

The island has three principal rivers. The [[River Medina]] flows north into the [[Solent]], the [[Eastern Yar (river), Isle of Wight|Eastern Yar]] flows roughly northeast to [[Bembridge]] Harbour, and the [[Western Yar (river), Isle of Wight|Western Yar]] flows the short distance from [[Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight|Freshwater Bay]] to a relatively large estuary at [[Yarmouth, Isle of Wight|Yarmouth]].  Without human intervention the sea might well have split the island into three: at the west end where a bank of pebbles separates Freshwater Bay from the [[marsh]]y backwaters of the Western Yar east of Freshwater, and at the east end where a thin strip of land separates [[Sandown Bay]] from the marshy Eastern Yar basin.

The [[Undercliff (Isle of Wight)|Undercliff]] between [[St Catherine's Point]] and [[Bonchurch]] is the largest area of landslip morphology in western Europe.

The north coast is unusual in having four high tides each day, with a double high tide every twelve and a half hours.  This arises because the western Solent is narrower than the eastern; the initial tide of water flowing from the west starts to ebb before the stronger flow around the south of the island returns through the eastern Solent to create a second high water.<ref name="Miscellany"/>

===Geology===
{{main|Geology of the Isle of Wight}}

The Isle of Wight is made up of a variety of rock types dating from early [[Cretaceous]] (around 127 million years ago) to the middle of the [[Palaeogene]] (around 30 million years ago). The geological structure is dominated by a large [[monocline]] which causes a marked change in age of strata from the northern younger [[Tertiary]] beds to the older Cretaceous beds of the south. This gives rise to a [[Strike and dip|dip]] of almost 90 degrees in the chalk beds, seen best at [[the Needles]].

The northern half of the island is mainly composed of [[clay]]s, with the southern half formed of the [[chalk]] of the central east–west downs, as well as Upper and Lower [[Greensand]]s and [[Wealden Group|Wealden]] strata.<ref name="Hopson">{{cite journal | url=http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/15996/1/Hopson_IoW_Geo_History_PGEOLA-D-11-00048R1.pdf | title=The geological history of the Isle of Wight: an overview of the 'diamond in Britain's geological crown' | author=Hopson P. | journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association | year=2011 | volume=122 | issue=5 | pages=745–763 | doi=10.1016/j.pgeola.2011.09.007| bibcode=2011PrGA..122..745H }}</ref> These strata continue west from the island across the [[Solent]] into [[Dorset]], forming the basin of [[Poole Harbour]] (Tertiary) and the [[Isle of Purbeck]] (Cretaceous) respectively. The chalky ridges of Wight and Purbeck were a single formation before they were breached by waters from the [[River Frome, Dorset|River Frome]] during the [[last glacial period|last ice age]], forming the Solent and turning Wight into an island. [[The Needles]], along with [[Old Harry Rocks]] on Purbeck, represent the edges of this breach.

All the rocks found on the island are [[sedimentary]], such as [[limestone]]s, [[mudstone]]s and [[sandstone]]s. They are rich in fossils; many can be seen exposed on beaches as the cliffs erode. [[Lignite|Lignitic coal]] is present in small quantities within seams, and can be seen on the cliffs and shore at [[Whitecliff Bay]]. Fossilised [[mollusc]]s have been found there, and also on the northern coast along with [[fossil]]ised [[crocodile]]s, [[turtle]]s and [[mammal]] bones; the youngest date back to around 30&nbsp;million years ago.

The island is one of the most important areas in Europe for [[dinosaur]] [[fossil]]s. The [[Erosion|eroding]] cliffs often reveal previously hidden remains, particularly along the [[Back of the Wight]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/island-guide/isle-of-wight-activities/fossil-and-dinosaur-hunting/ |title=Fossil and Dinosaur Hunting|publisher=redfunnel.co.uk |access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref> [[Dinosaur]] bones and [[ichnite|fossilised footprints]] can be seen in and on the rocks exposed around the island's beaches, especially at [[Yaverland]] and [[Compton Bay]], from the strata of the [[Wessex Formation]]. As a result, the island has been nicknamed "Dinosaur Island" and [[Dinosaur Isle]] was established in 2001.

The area was affected by sea level changes during the repeated [[Quaternary]] glaciations. The island probably became separated from the mainland about 125,000 years ago, during the [[Eemian|Ipswichian]] [[interglacial]].<ref name="Booth&Brayson">{{cite journal | url=https://core.ac.uk/download/files/79/386230.pdf | title=Geology, landscape and human interactions: examples from the Isle of Wight | author=Booth K.A. & Brayson J. | journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association | year=2011 | volume=122 | issue=5 | pages=938–948 | doi=10.1016/j.pgeola.2011.01.004 | bibcode=2011PrGA..122..938B | access-date=10 March 2016 | archive-date=12 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312112130/https://core.ac.uk/download/files/79/386230.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Isle of Wight OS OpenData map.png|[[Ordnance Survey]] map of the island
File:IOW geology.svg|Geological map of the island
File:Blackgang Chine c1910 - Project Gutenberg eText 17296.jpg|[[Blackgang Chine]], circa 1910
File:Isle of Wight coastline.jpg|A view of [[the Needles]] and [[Alum Bay]]
</gallery>

===Climate===
Like the rest of the UK, the island has an [[oceanic climate]], but is somewhat milder and sunnier, which makes it a holiday destination. It also has a longer [[growing season]]. [[Ventnor|Lower Ventnor]] and the neighbouring [[Undercliff (Isle of Wight)|Undercliff]] have a particular microclimate, because of their sheltered position south of the downs. The island enjoys 1,800–2,100 hours of sunshine a year.<ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead |url=http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX1881 |title=Isle of Wight Climate Statistics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421204642/http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX1881 |archive-date=21 April 2008  }}</ref> Some years have almost no snow in winter, and only a few days of hard frost.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/city?WMO=03866&CONT=ukuk&LAND=UK&ART=FRT&LEVEL=162&MOD=tab |title=Frost Days data 2000–2008 St Catherine's Point |author=weatheronline.co.uk|access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref> The island is in [[Hardiness zone]] 9.<ref name="hardinesszones">{{cite web | year = 1999 | url = http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/ | title = Hardiness Zone Map for Europe | publisher = GardenWeb}}</ref>
{{Weather box|location = Shanklin
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 8.5
|Feb high C = 8.3
|Mar high C = 9.8
|Apr high C = 12.1
|May high C = 15.0
|Jun high C = 17.3
|Jul high C = 19.4
|Aug high C = 19.9
|Sep high C = 15.4
|Oct high C = 15.0
|Nov high C = 12.1
|Dec high C = 9.5
|Jan low C = 4.8
|Feb low C = 4.3
|Mar low C = 5.4
|Apr low C = 7.0
|May low C = 9.8
|Jun low C = 12.4
|Jul low C = 14.6
|Aug low C = 15.1
|Sep low C = 13.5
|Oct low C = 11.1
|Nov low C = 8.0
|Dec low C = 5.6
|Jan precipitation mm = 76.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 56.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 47.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 46.8
|May precipitation mm = 44.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 42.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 40.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 50.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 57.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 87.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 87.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 88.1
|unit precipitation days = 1.0
| Jan precipitation days = 12.1
| Feb precipitation days = 10.2
| Mar precipitation days = 9.0
| Apr precipitation days = 8.5
| May precipitation days = 7.5
| Jun precipitation days = 7.0
| Jul precipitation days = 6.6
| Aug precipitation days = 7.8
| Sep precipitation days = 7.9
| Oct precipitation days = 11.8
| Nov precipitation days = 13.5
| Dec precipitation days = 13.2
|Jan sun = 68.2
|Feb sun = 89.8
|Mar sun = 132.9
|Apr sun = 201.4
|May sun = 241.1
|Jun sun = 247.7
|Jul sun = 262.3
|Aug sun = 240.9
|Sep sun = 173.1
|Oct sun = 122.3
|Nov sun = 82.6
|Dec sun = 60.7
|date=1981-2012 averages
|source = Met Office Climate Averages, St Catherines Point, 1991–2020 (Sunshine hours from 1981–2010 stats)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gbzpdrr83 |title=St Catherines Pt. (Isle of Wight) UK climate averages |publisher=Met Office |date= |accessdate=29 June 2022}}</ref>}}

===Flora and fauna===
The Isle of Wight is one of the few places in England where the European [[red squirrel]] is still flourishing, as no competing [[eastern grey squirrel|grey squirrels]] are to be found there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwight.com/living_here/environment/operation_squirrel.asp |title=Operation Squirrel |publisher=Iwight.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628055035/http://www.iwight.com/living_here/environment/operation_squirrel.asp |archive-date=28 June 2009 }}</ref> Other mammalian species on the island include the [[European badger]], [[European hedgehog|hedgehog]], [[least weasel]], [[red fox]] and [[stoat]], with the hedgehogs proving to be quite popular amongst locals and visitors alike; in 2019, a rescue and rehabilitation group was organised to assist them, called '''Save Our Hedgehogs Isle of Wight'''.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 January 2021 |title=2020 WAS RECORD YEAR FOR HEDGEHOG RESCUES ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT |url=https://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/isle-of-wight-news/2020-was-record-year-for-hedgehog-rescues-on-the-isle-of-wight/ |access-date=20 June 2022 |publisher=Isle of Wight Radio}}</ref> The island is also home to several protected species, such as the [[dormouse|European dormouse]] and several rare [[bat]]s, including the [[western barbastelle]].

There are several species of [[deer]] on the island, both [[endemic]] and [[Invasive species|non-native]], all of which are monitored and surveyed annually by the organisation '''Isle of Wight Deer Conservation'''. According to the '''British Deer Society''' (BDS),<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Isle of Wight Deer - a Position Statement from the British Deer Society, October 2017 |url=https://bds.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Isle-of-Wight-Deer.pdf |access-date=4 February 2024 |website=British Deer Society |quote=The British Deer Society understands that the Isle of Wight Biodiversity Group wishes to designate the Island as a ‘deer-free zone’. Red and Roe deer can be considered indigenous to the Island and, despite periods of absence, both species are continually recorded as swimming to the Island from the mainland. Their presence may therefore be considered to be natural and part of a rich biodiversity. Our ancient woodlands were shaped in the presence of deer, and browsing by deer is an important and beneficial factor in creating diverse woodland structure. As wild deer, these species have a clear entitlement to remain within their natural range and it is manifestly inappropriate to write them out of the Island’s natural history. If management is required, then both species are readily managed with human intervention.}}</ref> the '''Isle of Wight Biodiversity Group''' would like to see the island's ecosystems and flora preserved, one method being to keep the island "deer-free"; however, of the five types of deer documented, the [[Red deer|European red deer]] and [[roe deer]] are truly native species, having been known to swim to the island from the mainland. 

The diminutive Chinese [[Reeves's muntjac|Reeve's muntjac]] or barking deer—so-called due to its signature dog-like "bark" when threatened—is one of the smallest deer species on Earth and is present on the island. The Asian [[Sika deer|sika]] (the second-largest species on the island) and [[European fallow deer|Eurasian fallow deer]] also will journey to the island from the mainland, generally seen in very small herds, in pairs, or alone. Ultimately, all five of the deer species seen on the Isle of Wight are adept swimmers, thus any that are observed may or may not be long-term Island residents. Nonetheless, the island deer (that are present at any given time) tend to remain strategically hidden and are generally thought of as being difficult to spot, even on such a small island. Besides deer, there exists a colony of feral [[goat]]s on Ventnor's downs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/deer-could-damage-island-warning-34277.aspx |title=Deer could damage Island warning |publisher=Iwcp.co.uk |date=17 August 2010 |access-date=26 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011074550/http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/deer-could-damage-island-warning-34277.aspx |archive-date=11 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_deer.html |title=Natural History of Red Deer |publisher=Wildlife Online |date=27 April 2010 |access-date=12 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bds.org.uk/index.php/documents/deer-species/12-muntjac-deer-poster/file |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=8 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908145039/http://www.bds.org.uk/index.php/documents/deer-species/12-muntjac-deer-poster/file |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

The [[Glanville fritillary]], a species of butterfly, has a distribution in the United Kingdom largely restricted to the edges of the island's crumbling cliffs.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=cinxia | title=Glanville Fritillary| publisher=UK Butterflies | access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>

A competition in 2002 named the [[pyramidal orchid]] as the Isle of Wight's [[county flower]].<ref name="plantlife">{{cite web | url=http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/pyramidal_orchid/ | title=Pyramidal orchid | publisher=[[Plantlife]] | access-date=10 March 2016 | archive-date=10 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310220230/http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/pyramidal_orchid/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

The occurrence of species and habitats of conservation importance in the island's waters has led to the designation of a suite of [[marine protected area]]s seeking to protect these features, including [[Marine Conservation Zone|marine conservation zones (MCZs)]] and [[Special Area of Conservation|special areas of conservation (SACs)]]. The island's marine environment also forms a component of its UNESCO [[Biosphere Reserve]], and is part of the Western English Channel Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA). 
[[File:Isle of Wight population pyramid.svg|thumb|Population pyramid of the Isle of Wight in 2021]]

===Settlements===
{{Main|List of places on the Isle of Wight}}
[[File:Newport High Street top.JPG|thumb|High Street in [[Newport, Isle of Wight|Newport]], the [[county town]]]]
<!-- Note: don't add more detail to these brief entries, put them in the main entry for the town itself -->
* [[Newport, Isle of Wight|Newport]] is the centrally located county town, with a population of about 25,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newportwight.org.uk/|title=Newport Parish Council, Isle of Wight, Official Website|website=Newport Parish Council – Isle of Wight|language=en-US|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> and the island's main shopping area. Located next to the [[River Medina]], Newport Quay was a busy port until the mid-19th century.
* [[Ryde]], the largest town with a population of about 30,000, is in the northeast. It is [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] with the [[Ryde Pier|oldest seaside pier in England]] and miles of sandy and pebble beaches.
* [[Cowes]] hosts the annual [[Cowes Week]] and is an international sailing centre. 
* [[East Cowes]] is famous for [[Osborne House]], [[Norris Castle]] and as the home from 1929 to 1964 of [[Saunders-Roe]], the historic aircraft, flying boat, rocket and hovercraft company.
* [[Sandown]] is a popular seaside resort. It is home to the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, formerly the [[Isle of Wight Zoo]], the [[Dinosaur Isle]] geological museum and one of the island's two 18-hole golf courses.
* [[Shanklin]], just south of Sandown, attracts tourists with its high summer sunshine levels, sandy beaches, [[Shanklin Chine]] and the old village.
* [[Ventnor]], built on the steep slopes of St Boniface Down on the south coast of the island, leads down to a bay that attracts many tourists. Ventnor Haven is a small harbour.
[[File:Brading Church Graveyard, Isle of Wight.jpg|thumb|Graveyard on the grounds of the church in the town of [[Brading]]]]

==Economy==
{{Advert|section|date=March 2022}}<!-- if "advert" tag is inappropriate for this section, please remove or apply to an appropriate sub section anywhere within the article. This tag was applied to the entire article, and does not seem appropriate for the entire article.  -->

===Socio-economic data===
The table below shows the regional gross value (in millions of [[Pound sterling|pounds]]) added by the Isle of Wight economy, at current prices, compiled by the [[Office for National Statistics]].<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf published] (pp.240–253) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728091019/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |date=28 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/datasets/regionalgvanuts3 | publisher=Office for National Statistics | title=Annual estimates of NUTS3 regional Gross Value Added (GVA) |access-date=29 November 2016 | date=2014}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+Regional gross value in millions of [[Pound sterling|pounds sterling]]
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Regional gross<br>value added{{efn-lr|Components may not sum to totals due to rounding}}
!scope="col"| Agriculture{{efn-lr|includes hunting and forestry}}
!scope="col"| Industry{{efn-lr|includes energy and construction}}
!scope="col"| Services{{efn-lr|includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured}}
|-
!scope="row"| 1995
| '''831'''
| 28
| 218
| 585
|-
!scope="row"| 2000
|'''1,369'''
| 27
| 375
| 800
|-
!scope="row"| 2003
|'''1,521'''
| 42
| 288
| 1,161
|-
!scope="row"| 2008
|'''2,023'''
| 
| 
|
|-
!scope="row"| 2012
|'''2,175'''
| 
| 
| 
|}
{{notelist-lr}}

According to the 2011 census,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk |title=Key census statistics, Isle of Wight Authority area |date=2011 |access-date=16 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106173813/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ |archive-date=6 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the island's population of 138,625 lives in 61,085 households, giving an average household size of 2.27 people.

41% of households own their home outright and a further 29% own with a mortgage, so in total 70% of households are owned (compared to 68% for South East England).

Compared to South East England, the island has fewer children (19% aged 0–17 compared to 22% for the South East) and more elderly (24% aged 65+ compared to 16% for the South East), giving an average age of 44 years for an island resident compared to 40 in South East England.

===Industry and agriculture===
[[File:Newpark Farm Isle of Wight - geograph.org.uk - 70847.jpg|thumb|Fields on the island with the coast of Great Britain in the background]]
The largest industry on the island is tourism, but it also has a significant agriculture  including [[sheep farming|sheep]], [[dairy farming]] and arable [[crop]]s. Traditional agricultural commodities are more difficult to market off the island because of transport costs, but local farmers have succeeded in exploiting some specialist markets, with the higher price of such products absorbing the transport costs. One of the most successful agricultural sectors is now the growing of crops under cover, particularly salad crops including [[tomato]]es and [[cucumber]]s. The island has a warmer climate and a longer growing season than much of the United Kingdom. [[Garlic]] has been grown in [[Newchurch, Isle of Wight|Newchurch]] for many years, and is, in part, exported to France. This has led to the establishment of an annual [[Isle of Wight Garlic Festival|Garlic Festival]] at Newchurch, which is one of the largest events of the local calendar.

A favourable climate supports two [[vineyard]]s, including one of the oldest in the [[British Isles]] at [[Adgestone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.english-wine.co.uk/ |title=Wine for Sale – Vineyard Tours, Isle of Wight |publisher=English Wine |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718094504/http://www.english-wine.co.uk/ |archive-date=18 July 2010  }}</ref> [[Lavender]] is grown for its oil.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lavender.co.uk/ |title=Isle of Wight lavender farm, lavender products, lavender plants, teas |publisher=Lavender.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> The largest agricultural sector has been dairying, but due to low milk prices and strict legislation for UK milk producers, the dairy industry has been in decline: there were nearly 150 producers in the mid-1980s, but now just 24.{{when|date=May 2022}}

Maritime industries, especially the making of [[sailcloth]] and [[boat building]], have long been associated with the island, although this has diminished in recent years. [[GKN plc|GKN]] operates what began as the [[British Hovercraft Corporation]], a subsidiary of (and known latterly as) [[Westland Aircraft]], although they have reduced the extent of plant and workforce and sold the main site. Previously it had been the independent company [[Saunders-Roe]], one of the island's most notable historic firms that produced many [[flying boats]] and the world's first [[hovercraft]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/saunders.htm | access-date=28 November 2016 | title=Saunders-Roe/Westland Aircraft/British Hovercraft Corporation | author=Antony Barton}}</ref>

Another manufacturing activity is in [[composite material]]s, used by boat-builders and the [[wind turbine]] manufacturer [[Vestas]], which has a wind turbine blade factory and testing facilities in [[Newport, Isle of Wight|West Medina Mills]] and [[East Cowes]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-31145066|title=Isle of Wight wind turbine firm Vestas creates 200 jobs|date=5 February 2015|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=18 September 2016}}</ref>

[[Bembridge Airport|Bembridge Airfield]] is the home of [[Britten-Norman]], manufacturers of the [[Britten-Norman Islander|Islander]] and [[Britten-Norman Trislander|Trislander]] aircraft. This is shortly{{when|date=July 2018}} to become the site of the European assembly line for [[Cirrus Design|Cirrus]] light aircraft. The Norman Aeroplane Company is a smaller aircraft manufacturing company operating in [[Sandown]]. There have been three other firms that built planes on the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/iow.html |title=A list of aircraft and airplane manufacturers as well as airfields on the Isle of Wight |publisher=Daveg4otu.tripod.com |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref>

In 2005, Northern Petroleum began exploratory drilling for [[petroleum|oil]] at its Sandhills-2 borehole at [[Porchfield]], but ceased operations in October that year after failing to find significant reserves.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Petroleum-South-Portland-Wight-Basin.htm | title=Petroleum Geology – South of England: The Portland – Isle of Wight Offshore Basin | publisher=Southampton University | author=Ian West | access-date=28 November 2016 | date=2016}}</ref>

====Breweries====
There are three [[Brewery|breweries]] on the island. Goddards Brewery in [[Ryde]] opened in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goddards-brewery.co.uk/aboutus.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010309182704/http://www.goddards-brewery.co.uk/aboutus.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date= 9 March 2001 |title=about us |publisher=Goddards-brewery.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 }}</ref> David Yates, who was head brewer of the Island Brewery, started brewing as Yates Brewery at the Inn at [[St Lawrence, Isle of Wight|St Lawrence]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yates-brewery.co.uk/ |title=Yates' Brewery |publisher=Yates-brewery.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> Ventnor Brewery, which closed in 2009, was the last incarnation of [[Burt's Brewery]], brewing since the 1840s in [[Ventnor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ventnorbrewery.co.uk/1840.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005175720/http://www.ventnorbrewery.co.uk/1840.html|url-status=dead|title=Ventnor Brewery :: Since 1840|archivedate=5 October 2008|website=www.ventnorbrewery.co.uk}}</ref> Until the 1960s most pubs were owned by [[Mews]] Brewery, situated in Newport near [[Newport railway station (IoWCR)|the old railway station]], but it closed and the pubs were taken over by Strong's, and then by [[Whitbread]]. By some accounts Mews beer was apt to be rather cloudy and dark. In the 19th century they pioneered the use of [[screw top]] cans for export to [[British India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.invectis.co.uk/iow/pub_iw.htm |title=Isle of Wight Nostalgia|access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref>

===Services===

====Tourism and heritage====
{{See also|List of tourist attractions in the Isle of Wight}}
The island's heritage is a major asset that has for many years supported its tourist economy. Holidays focused on natural heritage, including wildlife and geology, are becoming an alternative to the traditional British [[seaside resort|seaside]] holiday, which went into decline in the second half of the 20th century due to the increased affordability of foreign holidays.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/isle-of-wight-guide/blog/xa-potted-history-of-isle-of-wight-holidays/ | title=A Potted History of Isle of Wight Holidays | date=2014 | publisher=redfunnel.co.uk | access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> The island is still an important destination for coach tours from other parts of the United Kingdom.
[[File:Isle of Wight.jpg|thumb|left|[[Compton Chine]], looking east towards [[Blackgang Chine|Blackgang]]]]

Tourism is still the largest industry, and most island towns and villages offer hotels, hostels and camping sites. In 1999, it hosted 2.7 million visitors, with 1.5 million staying overnight, and 1.2 million day visits; only 150,000 of these were from abroad. Between 1993 and 2000, visits increased at an average rate of 3% per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investwight.com/useful-info.asp#population |title=A website with Isle of Wight statistics for investors |publisher=Investwight.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327010157/http://www.investwight.com/useful-info.asp |archive-date=27 March 2009 }}</ref>

At the turn of the 19th century the island had ten [[pleasure pier]]s, including two at [[Ryde Pier|Ryde]] and a "chain pier" at [[Seaview, Isle of Wight|Seaview]]. The Victoria Pier in Cowes succeeded the earlier Royal Pier but was itself removed in 1960. The piers at Ryde, Seaview, [[Sandown]], [[Shanklin]] and [[Ventnor]] originally served a coastal steamer service that operated from Southsea on the mainland. The piers at Seaview, Shanklin, Ventnor and [[Alum Bay]] were all destroyed by various storms during the 20th century; only the railway pier at Ryde and the piers at Sandown, [[Totland]] Bay (currently closed to the public) and Yarmouth survive.

[[Blackgang Chine]] is the oldest theme park in Britain, opened in 1843.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/the-worlds-oldest-amusement-parks_n_1891670.html?slideshow=true#gallery/251187/8 | work=Huffington Post | title=The World's Oldest Amusement Parks | access-date=28 November 2016| date=21 September 2012 }}</ref>  The skeleton of a dead whale that its founder Alexander Dabell found in 1844 is still on display.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=85074 | title=Default What happened to the National Wireless Museum? | access-date=19 June 2018}}</ref>

As well as its more traditional attractions, the island is often host to walking<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wight-walks.co.uk |title=Isle of Wight walking holidays |publisher=Wight Walks |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> or cycling holidays through the attractive scenery. An [[Isle of Wight Walking Festival|annual walking festival]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/ |title=Welcome to the official website of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival 2013 |publisher=Isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref> has attracted considerable interest. The {{convert|70|mi|0|abbr=out}} [[Isle of Wight Coastal Path]] follows the coastline as far as possible, deviating onto roads where the route along the coast is impassable.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Isle+of+Wight+Coast+Path | access-date=29 November 2016 | publisher=Long Distance Walkers Association | title=Isle of Wight Coastal Path}}</ref>

The tourist board for the island is Visit Isle of Wight, a [[non-profit company]]. It is the Destination Management Organisation for the Isle of Wight, a public and private sector partnership led by the private sector, and consists of over 1,200 companies, including the ferry operators, the local bus company, rail operator and tourism providers working together to collectively promote the island. Its income is derived from the Wight BID, a [[business improvement district]] levy fund.

A major contributor to the local economy is sailing and marine-related tourism.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/28-9-05/finaltourismdevelopmentplan.pdf | date=2005 | publisher=Isle of Wight Council | title=Draft Tourism Development Plan | access-date=28 November 2016 | archive-date=6 February 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206130222/http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/28-9-05/finaltourismdevelopmentplan.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Summer Camp]] at Camp Beaumont is an attraction at the old [[Bembridge School]] site.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://camps.kingswood.co.uk/camp/whyHere/isle-of-wight | access-date=28 November 2016 | publisher=Kingswood Camps | title=Coastal Adventure: Isle of Wight | archive-date=29 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129144032/http://camps.kingswood.co.uk/camp/whyHere/isle-of-wight | url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Media====
The main local newspaper purchased is the ''[[Isle of Wight County Press]]''.  Its circulation has declined over the years, estimated at 11,575 in 2024, especially after it was taken over by [[Newsquest]] in July 2017. In 2018 a new free newspaper was launched, the ''[[Isle of Wight Observer]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Isle of Wight County Press [Circulation#93; |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/2663-isle-of-wight-county-press |publisher=ABC ([[Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)]]) |access-date=11 April 2024}}</ref>

On-line news websites include ''Island Echo'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islandecho.co.uk/ |title=Island Echo |website=Island Echo |access-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> launched in May 2012, and ''On the Wight''.<ref>{{cite web|title=On the Wight|url=http://onthewight.com/|access-date=7 October 2012|website=On the Wight}}</ref>

The island has a local commercial radio station and a [[community radio]] station: commercial station [[Isle of Wight Radio]] has broadcast in the [[medium-wave]] band since 1990 and on 107.0&nbsp;MHz (with three smaller transmitters on 102.0&nbsp;MHz) [[FM broadcasting|FM]] since 1998, as well as [[Internet radio|streaming]] on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web| access-date=28 November 2016 | url=http://www.internetradiouk.com/mobile/isle-newport/ | publisher=internetradiouk.com |title=Isle of Wight Radio 107.0 Newport}}</ref> Community station [[Vectis Radio]] has broadcast online since 2010, and in 2017 started broadcasting on FM 104.6. The station operates from the Riverside Centre in Newport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vectisradio.com/|title=Vectis Radio|website=www.vectisradio.com}}</ref> The island is also covered by a number of local stations on the mainland, including the BBC station [[BBC Radio Solent]] broadcast from [[Southampton]]. The island's not-for-profit community radio station Angel Radio opened in 2007. Angel Radio began broadcasting on 91.5&nbsp;MHz from studios in Cowes and a transmitter near Newport.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com/ |title="History of Our Station" and "Gallery" |access-date=28 October 2007 |work=Angel Radio Isle of Wight Website |archive-date=4 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904015624/http://www.angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://angelradioisleofwight.com/record-library/4521473818 |title=The Record Library |access-date=20 August 2016 |work=Angel Radio Isle of Wight Website |archive-date=23 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723095914/http://angelradioisleofwight.com/record-library/4521473818 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Important broadcasting infrastructure includes [[Chillerton Down transmitting station]] with a mast that is the tallest structure on the island, and [[Rowridge transmitting station]], which broadcasts the main television signal both locally and for most of [[Hampshire]] and parts of [[Dorset]] and [[West Sussex]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The Big Tower: Chillerton Down | url=http://www.thebigtower.com/live/ChillertonDown/Index.htm | access-date=28 November 2016 | publisher=thebigtower.com}}</ref>

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of the Isle of Wight}}
{{Advert|section|date=March 2022}}<!-- if "advert" tag is inappropriate for this section, please remove or apply to an appropriate sub section anywhere within the article. This tag was applied to the entire article, and does not seem appropriate for the entire article.  -->

===Language and dialect===
[[File:Bonchurch, near Ventnor, Isle of Wight.jpg|thumb|[[Henry Bates Joel|Henry Bates Joel's]] 1895 artwork ''<nowiki/>'Bonchurch, near Ventnor, Isle of Wight''' is a depiction of rural life on the island. It is exhibited in the Milntown Estate. ]]

The local accent is similar to the traditional [[dialect]] of Hampshire, featuring the dropping of some [[consonant]]s and an emphasis on longer [[vowel]]s. It is similar to the [[West Country dialects]] heard in [[South West England]], but less pronounced.<ref>{{cite web|author=University of Leeds|date=1959|title=Survey of English Dialects: Whitwell, Isle of Wight|url=http://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/Survey-of-English-dialects/021M-C0908X0032XX-0200V1|access-date=28 November 2016|publisher=British Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=W Long|url=http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/caws/Dictionary-Of-The-Isle-Of-Wight-1886.pdf|title=A dictionary of the Isle of Wight dialect|date=1886|publisher=Reeves & Turner, London}}</ref>

The island has its own local and regional words. Some, such as ''nipper/nips'' (a young male person), are still sometimes used and shared with neighbouring areas of the mainland. A few are unique to the island, for example ''overner'' and ''caulkhead'' (see below). Others are more obscure and now used mainly for comic emphasis, such as ''mallishag'' (meaning "[[caterpillar]]"), ''gurt'' meaning "large", ''nammit'' (a mid-morning snack) and ''gallybagger'' ("scarecrow", and now the name of a local cheese).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lavers|first=Jack|title=The Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect|publisher=Dovecote Press|year=1988|isbn=978-0-946159-63-5}}</ref>

===Identity===
There remains occasional confusion between the Isle of Wight as a county and its former position within [[Hampshire]].<ref>{{cite news|date=16 January 2008|title=Oiled birds may be linked to Ice Prince sinking|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=UK|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3321933/Oiled-birds-may-be-linked-to-Ice-Prince-sinking.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123112107/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3321933/Oiled-birds-may-be-linked-to-Ice-Prince-sinking.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 January 2009|access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> The island was regarded and administered as a part of Hampshire until 1 April 1890, when its distinct identity was recognised with the formation of [[Isle of Wight County Council]] (see also ''[[Politics of the Isle of Wight]]''). However, it remained a part of Hampshire until the local government reforms of 1974, when it became a full [[ceremonial county]] with its own [[Lord Lieutenant]].<ref>{{cite web|author=UK Government|date=1972|title=Local Government Act 1972|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/contents|access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Flag of the Isle of Wight.svg|thumb|The flag of the Isle of Wight]]

In January 2009, the [[Flag of the Isle of Wight|first general flag for the county]] was accepted by the [[Flag Institute]].<ref>{{cite web|date=6 July 2010|title=Flag institute|url=http://www.flaginstitute.org/index.php?location=10&flagtype=county&flagid=108|access-date=25 September 2010|publisher=Flag institute}}</ref>

Island residents are sometimes referred to as "Vectensians", "Vectians" or, if born on the island, "caulkheads".<ref>{{cite web|title=Why are natives of the Isle of Wight known as 'caulkheads'? – Notes and Queries|url=https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-9551,00.html|access-date=23 September 2016|website=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> One theory is that this last comes from the once prevalent local industry of [[caulking]] or sealing wooden boats; the term became attached to islanders either because they were so employed, or as a derisory term for perceived unintelligent labourers from elsewhere.  The term "overner" is used for island residents originating from the mainland (an abbreviated form of "overlander", which is an archaic term for "outsider" still found in parts of [[Australia]]).<ref>[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0011566.html overlander<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231144021/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0011566.html|date=31 December 2006}}</ref>

Residents refer to the island as "The Island", as did [[Jane Austen]] in ''[[Mansfield Park]]'', and sometimes to the UK mainland as "North Island".<ref>{{cite web|title=Celebrate all things Island on Isle of Wight Day|url=http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/my-isle-of-wight/features/celebrat-all-things-island-on-isle-of-wight-day/|access-date=27 November 2016|website=www.redfunnel.co.uk|archive-date=27 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127220118/http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/my-isle-of-wight/features/celebrat-all-things-island-on-isle-of-wight-day/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=17 November 2023|url= https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/19754170.route-best-mainland-driving-conversation/|title= Which route is best: having that mainland driving conversation|date=4 December 2021|publisher=Isle of Wight County Press}}</ref>

To promote the island's identity and culture, the High Sheriff, Robin Courage, founded an Isle of Wight Day; the first was held on 24 September 2016.

===Sport===
{{Main|Sport on the Isle of Wight}}

Sport plays a key part in the culture of the Isle of Wight. Sports include golf, marathon, cycling and sailing.

The [[motorcycle speedway]] team [[Isle of Wight Warriors]] compete at the [[Smallbrook Stadium]].

Until their folding in 2016, the [[ice hockey]] team [[Isle of Wight Raiders]] played at the [[Ryde Arena]]. They had a feeder team [[Vectis Tigers]] which in turn had a youth feeder team [[Isle of Wight Wildcats]].

In [[association football|football]], the now-disbanded [[Ryde Sports F.C.]], founded in 1888, was one of the eight founder members of the [[Hampshire League]] in 1896. Currently there are several non-league clubs, the most notable of which are [[Brading Town F.C.|Brading Town]], [[Cowes Sports F.C.|Cowes Sports]], [[East Cowes Victoria Athletic A.F.C.|East Cowes Vics]] and [[Newport (IOW) F.C.|Newport IOW]]. There is also an [[Isle of Wight Saturday Football League]] which feeds into the Hampshire League with two divisions and two reserve team leagues.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Isle has produced several high profile players including Kevin "The Hitman" Broderick, now playing for a local Sunday side. Isle Of Wight Rugby Football Club|url=http://www.iwrfc.co.uk/|access-date=25 September 2010|publisher=Iwrfc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Isle of Wight Sport|url=http://www.solent.tv/sports.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513095111/http://www.solent.tv/sports.aspx|archive-date=13 May 2007|access-date=15 May 2007}}</ref>

===Music===
[[File:1970-Isle of Wight Festival- 5.JPG|thumb|The crowd at the [[Isle of Wight Festival 1970]] is believed to have been 600,000.]]

The island is home to the [[Isle of Wight Festival]] and until 2016, [[Bestival]], before it was relocated to [[Lulworth Estate]] in [[Dorset]]. In 1970, the festival was headlined by [[Jimi Hendrix]] attracting an audience of 600,000, some six times the local population at the time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Concerts with Record Attendance|date=20 August 2009 |url=http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/08/concerts-with-record-attendance/|access-date=5 August 2017|publisher=Noiseaddicts.com}}</ref> It is the home of the bands [[The Bees (UK band)|The Bees]], [[Trixie's Big Red Motorbike]], [[Level 42]], and [[Wet Leg]].<ref>{{cite web|date=11 February 2009|title=Trixie's Big Red Motorbike – Discover music, concerts, stats, & pictures at|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Trixie's+big+red+motorbike|access-date=15 March 2012|publisher=Last.fm}}</ref>

== Landmarks ==
{{EngPlacesKey|align=right}}
<!-- Note to editors: this is an alphabetical list. -->
{{columns-list|colwidth=40em|
{{div col}}
* [[Alum Bay]]
* [[Appuldurcombe House]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
* [[Amazon World Zoo]] [[File:Zoo icon.jpg|20 px|zoo]]
* [[Bembridge Lifeboat Station]]
* [[Blackgang Chine]] [[File:Themepark uk icon.png|15 px|Theme Park]]
* [[Brading Roman Villa]] [[File:Museum icon (red).png|Museum]]
* [[Carisbrooke Castle]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]]
* [[Classic Boat Museum]], [[East Cowes]] [[File:Museum icon (red).png|Museum]]
*[[Compton Bay]]
* [[Dimbola Lodge]] [[File:Museum icon (red).png|Museum]]
* [[Dinosaur Isle]] [[File:Museum icon (red).png|Museum]]
* [[Fort Victoria (Isle of Wight)|Fort Victoria]] [[File:CP icon.png|Country Park]]
* [[Godshill]] village and model village
* [[Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum]] [[File:Museum icon (red).png|Museum]]
* [[Isle of Wight Steam Railway]] [[File:HR icon.svg|Heritage Railway]]
* [[Isle of Wight Zoo]], [[Yaverland]] [[File:Zoo icon.jpg|20 px|zoo]]
* Medina Theatre
* [[The Needles]] [[File:NTE icon.png|National Trust]]
* Newport Roman Villa
* [[Osborne House]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]]
* [[Quarr Abbey]] [[File:AP Icon.svg|16px|abbey]]
* [[Robin Hill (theme park)|Robin Hill]] [[File:CP icon.png|Country Park]]
* [[Ventnor Botanic Garden|Botanic Gardens, Ventnor]]
* [[Yarmouth Castle]] [[File:EH icon.svg|English Heritage]] [[File:CL icon.svg|Castle]]
}}
{{div col end}}
{{clear right}}

==Transport==
{{Main|Transport on the Isle of Wight}}
[[File:Wight Ryder II.JPG|thumb|One of the [[Wightlink]] FastCats which provide a high-speed ferry service between [[Portsmouth]] and [[Ryde]]]]
[[File:Southern Vectis 1613 HJ16 HSC.jpg|thumb|A [[Southern Vectis]] [[Alexander Dennis Enviro400]]]]
The Isle of Wight has {{convert|489|mi|0}} of roadway. It does not have a motorway, although there is a short stretch of dual carriageway towards the north of Newport near the hospital and prison.

A comprehensive bus network operated by [[Southern Vectis]] links most settlements, with Newport as its central hub.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southern Vectis bus route map|url=http://www.islandbuses.info/page.shtml?pageid=1263|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129040153/http://www.islandbuses.info/page.shtml?pageid=1263|archive-date=29 November 2016|access-date=28 November 2016|publisher=Southern Vectis}}</ref>

Journeys away from the island involve a ferry journey. Car ferry and passenger catamaran services are run by [[Wightlink]] and [[Red Funnel]], and a hovercraft passenger service (the only such remaining in the world)<ref>{{cite news|date=4 July 2015|title=Summer Southsea-Sandown hovercraft route plans dropped|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-33005639|access-date=9 February 2017}}</ref> by [[Hovertravel]].

The island formerly had [[Railways on the Isle of Wight|its own railway network]] of over {{convert|55|mi}}, but only one line remains in regular use. The [[Island Line, Isle of Wight|Island Line]] is part of the United Kingdom's [[National Rail]] network, running a little under {{convert|9|mi|0|abbr=out}} from {{rws|Shanklin}} to {{rws|Ryde Pier Head}}, where there is a connecting ferry service to {{rws|Portsmouth Harbour}} 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 {{rws|Smallbrook Junction}} is the heritage [[Isle of Wight Steam Railway]], which runs for {{convert|5+1/2|mi}} to the outskirts of {{rws|Wootton}} on the former line to Newport.<ref>{{cite web|title=Isle of Wight Steam Railway|url=http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/|access-date=29 November 2016|publisher=Isle of Wight Steam Railway}}</ref>

There are two airfields for general aviation, [[Isle of Wight Airport]] at Sandown and [[Bembridge Airport]].

The island has over {{convert|200|mi|0|abbr=out}} of cycleways, many of which can be enjoyed off-road. The principal trails are:<ref>{{cite web|title=Isle of Wight Cycle Hire & Cycling Guide - Isle Cycle - Sandown|url=http://www.islecycle.co.uk/|website=www.islecycle.co.uk}}</ref>
* The Sunshine Trail, which is a circular route linking Sandown, Shanklin, Godshill, and Wroxall of {{convert|12|mi|0|abbr=out}};
* The Red Squirrel Trail, a track between Cowes and Sandown that is {{convert|32|mi|0|abbr=out}} in total;
* The Round the Island Cycle Route of {{convert|62|mi|0|abbr=out}}.

== Prisons ==
The Isle of Wight is near the densely populated south of England, yet separated from the mainland. This position led to it hosting three prisons: [[Albany (HM Prison)|Albany]], [[Camp Hill (HM Prison)|Camp Hill]] and [[Parkhurst (HM Prison)|Parkhurst]], all located outside Newport near the main road to Cowes. Albany and Parkhurst were among the few Category A prisons in the UK until they were downgraded in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/isle-of-wight | title=Isle of Wight Prison information | publisher=UK Justice Department | access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> The downgrading of Parkhurst was precipitated by a major escape: three prisoners (two murderers and a blackmailer) escaped from the prison on 3 January 1995 for four days, before being recaptured.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-parkhirst-breakout-fugitives-were-trapped-by-the-sea-1567295.html | publisher=The Independent Newspaper | author=James Cusick | date=10 January 1995 | access-date=29 November 2016 | title=The Parkhirst (sic) Breakout: Fugitives were trapped by the sea}}</ref> Parkhurst enjoyed notoriety as one of the toughest jails in the United Kingdom, and housed many notable inmates including the Yorkshire Ripper [[Peter Sutcliffe]], New Zealand drug lord [[Terrance John Clark|Terry Clark]] and the [[Kray twins]].

Camp Hill is located adjacent but to the west of Albany and Parkhurst, on the very edge of Parkhurst Forest, having been converted first to a [[borstal]] and later to a Category C prison. It was built on the site of an army camp (both Albany and Parkhurst were barracks); there is a small estate of tree-lined roads with the former officers' quarters (now privately owned) to the south and east. Camp Hill closed as a prison in March 2013.

The management of all three prisons was merged into a single administration, under [[Isle of Wight (HM Prison)|HMP Isle of Wight]] in April 2009.

==Education==
{{Main|Education on the Isle of Wight}}

There are 69 [[Local Education Authority|local education authority]]-maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and two [[independent school (UK)|independent schools]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iwight.com/Residents/Schools-and-Learning/ | publisher=Isle of Wight Council | access-date=29 November 2016 | title=Schools and Learning}}</ref> As a rural community, many of these are small and with fewer pupils than in urban areas. The [[Isle of Wight College]] is located on the outskirts of Newport.

From September 2010, there was a transition period from the [[Three-tier education|three-tier system]] of primary, middle and high schools to the two-tier system that is usual in England.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/its-all-change-in-schools-shake-up-28693.aspx | publisher=Isle of Wight County Press | date=25 September 2009 | title=It's all change in schools' shake up | author=David Newbie | access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> Some schools have now closed, such as Chale C.E. Primary. Others have become "federated", such as Brading C.E. Primary and St Helen's Primary. [[Christ the King College, Isle of Wight|Christ the King College]] started as two "middle schools", Trinity Middle School and Archbishop King Catholic Middle School, but has now been converted into a dual-faith secondary school and sixth form.

Since September 2011 five new secondary schools, with an age range of 11 to 18 years, replaced the island's high schools (as a part of the previous three-tier system).

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from the Isle of Wight}}

Notable residents have included:

===17th century and earlier===

* King [[Arwald]], last pagan king in England
* King [[Charles I of England]], who was imprisoned at [[Carisbrooke Castle]]
* Earl [[Tostig Godwinson]], who supported Norwegian king Harald Hardrada's invasion
* Actor, highwayman and conspirator [[Cardell Goodman|Cardell "Scum" Goodman]]
* Soldier and regicide of Charles I [[Thomas Harrison (soldier)|Thomas Harrison]], imprisoned at Carisbrooke with [[John Rogers (Fifth Monarchist)|John Rogers]] and [[Christopher Feake]]
* Soldier [[Peter de Heyno]]
* Philosopher and [[polymath]] [[Robert Hooke]]
* Murderer [[Michal Morey]]

===18th century===

* Marine painter [[Thomas Buttersworth]]
* Explorer [[Anthony Henday]]
* Radical journalist [[John Wilkes]]

===19th century===
{{div col}}
* [[Queen Victoria]] and [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] (monarch and consort), who built and lived at [[Osborne House]]
* Photographer [[Julia Margaret Cameron]], who lived at [[Dimbola Lodge]]
* Irish Republican [[Tom Clarke (Irish republican)|Thomas Clarke]]
* Naval captain [[Jeremiah Coghlan (Royal Navy officer)|Jeremiah Coghlan]], who retired to Ryde
* Writer [[Charles Dickens]]
* Novelist [[Gertrude Fenton]]
* Poet [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]]
* Poet [[John Keats]]
* Inventor and radio pioneer [[Guglielmo Marconi]]
* Philosopher [[Karl Marx]], who stayed at 1, St. Boniface Gardens, Ventnor
* Religious writer and hymnwriter [[Mary Fawler Maude]]
* Poet and hymnwriter [[Albert Midlane]]
* Geologist and engineer [[John Milne]]
* Regency architect [[John Nash (architect)|John Nash]]
* Novelist [[Harriet Parr]]
* Early Hong Kong Government administrator [[William Pedder]]
* Economist [[Arthur Cecil Pigou]]
* New Zealand PM [[Henry Sewell]]
* Poet [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]]
* Poet [[Alfred Tennyson]]
* Writer and poet [[Louisa Murray]]
{{div col end}}

===20th century onwards===
{{div col}}
* Scriptwriter [[Raymond Allen (scriptwriter)|Raymond Allen]]
* [[Concert organist]] [[E. Power Biggs]]
* Darts player [[Keegan Brown]]
* Singer [[Helen Clare (singer)|Helen Clare]]<ref name="kituno">{{cite web |last1=Kituno |first1=Nick |title=Tributes paid to one of television's earliest songstresses who has died at 101 |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/16909762.helen-riddle-tributes-paid-singing-star-died-101/ |website=Your Local Guardian |access-date=21 March 2021 |language=en |date=28 September 2018}}</ref>
* Singer-songwriter [[Sarah Close]]
* Inventor of the hovercraft [[Christopher Cockerell|Sir Christopher Cockerell]]
* Presenter and actor [[Ray Cokes]]
* Actress [[Bella Emberg]]
* Yachtsman [[Uffa Fox]]
* Actor [[Marius Goring]]
* Musician [[Jack Green (musician)|Jack Green]]
* Survival expert and Chief Scout [[Bear Grylls]]
* Actress [[Sheila Hancock]]
* Actor [[Melvyn Hayes]]
* Singer-songwriter [[Lauran Hibberd]]
* Folk-rock musician [[Robyn Hitchcock]]
* Actor [[Geoffrey Hughes (actor)|Geoffrey Hughes]]
* Conspiracy theorist [[David Icke]]
* Actor [[Jeremy Irons]]
* Comedian [[Phill Jupitus]]
* Actor [[Laura Michelle Kelly]]
* Composer [[Albert Ketèlbey]]
* Iranian poet [[Mimi Khalvati]]
* Musician [[Mark King (musician)|Mark King]]
* Band [[Level 42]]
* Yachtswoman [[Ellen MacArthur]]
* BBC ''[[Tonight (BBC television programme)|Tonight]]'' presenter [[Cliff Michelmore]]
* Film director [[Anthony Minghella]]
* Actor [[David Niven]]
* YouTuber [[Adam Pacitti]]
* Cyclist [[Kieran Page]]
* Professor of biochemistry [[Samuel Victor Perry]]
* Musician [[Frederick Riddle]]
* Performance artist [[Nigel Rolfe]]
* Heptathlete [[Kelly Sotherton]]
* Gardener and presenter [[Alan Titchmarsh]]
* Novelist [[Edward Upward]]
* Band [[Wet Leg]]
* Band [[Grade 2 (band)|Grade 2]]
{{div col end}}

==Overseas names==
The Isle of Wight has given names to many parts of former colonies, most notably [[Isle of Wight County]] in [[Virginia]] founded by settlers from the island in the 17th century. Its [[county seat]] is a town named Isle of Wight.

Other notable examples include:
* [[Isle of Wight (Maryland)|Isle of Wight]] – an island off Maryland, United States
* [[Dunnose Head, West Falkland]]
* Ventnor, Cowes on [[Phillip Island]], Victoria, Australia
* [[Carisbrook, Victoria]], Australia
* [[Carisbrook]], a former stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand
* [[Ryde, New South Wales]], Australia
* Shanklin, [[Sandown, New Hampshire]], United States
* [[Ventnor City, New Jersey|Ventnor City]], New Jersey, United States
* [[Gardiners Island]], New York, United States shown as "Isle of Wight" on some of the older maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://palacesforthepeople.com/exhibit/panoramic-views/panoramic-views-bpl/|title=Palaces for the People – Panoramic Views|access-date=29 March 2014|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808194248/http://palacesforthepeople.com/exhibit/panoramic-views/panoramic-views-bpl/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

==Cultural references==
===Film===
{{unreferenced|section|date=May 2024}}
* The film ''[[Something to Hide (film)|Something to Hide]]'' (1972; US title: ''Shattered''), starring [[Peter Finch]], was filmed near [[Cowes]].
* The British film ''[[That'll Be the Day (film)|That'll Be the Day]]'' (1973), starring [[David Essex]] and [[Ringo Starr]], included scenes shot in [[Ryde]] (notably Cross Street), [[Sandown]] (school), [[Shanklin]] (beach) and [[Wootton Bridge]] (fairground).
* ''[[Mrs Brown (film)|Mrs Brown]]'' (1997), with Dame [[Judi Dench]] and [[Billy Connolly]], was filmed at [[Osborne House]] and [[Chale]].
* The film ''[[Fragile (film)|Fragile]]'' (2005), starring [[Calista Flockhart]], is based on the Isle of Wight.
* ''[[Victoria and Abdul]]'' (2017) starring Dame Judi Dench and [[Ali Fazal]], began shooting principal photography at Osborne House in September 2016.

===Games===
* John Worsley's [[Commodore 64]] game ''[[Spirit of the Stones]]'' was set on the Isle of Wight.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warbirdart.demon.co.uk/treasure.html|title=The Lost Talismans of Spirit of the Stones<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207094548/http://www.warbirdart.demon.co.uk/treasure.html|archive-date=7 February 2005}}</ref>

===Music===
* [[The Beatles]]' song "[[When I'm Sixty-Four]]" (1967), credited to [[Lennon-McCartney]] and sung by [[Paul McCartney]], refers to renting a cottage on the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.ru/SONGS/BEAT/beat18.txt |title=Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band |publisher=Lib.ru |date=16 May 1996 |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref>

===Television===
* ''[[Survivors (1975 TV series)|Survivors]]'', the BBC's 1970s post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama set after a worldwide pandemic kills off most of humanity, features an episode in which 500 survivors holed up in London are to be relocated to the Isle of Wight. Though referred to many times in the Series 2 episode "Lights of London – Part 2", the move itself is not shown (nor any footage of the island).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.survivors-mad-dog.org.uk/a-world-away/Basics_Episodes.php|title=Survivors: Episode guide|date=23 December 2020}}</ref>
* ITV's dramatisation of [[Dennis Potter]]'s work ''[[Blade on the Feather]]'' (19 October 1980) was filmed on the island.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080443/?ref_=nv_sr_1 | title=Blade on the Feather (1980) | website=Internet Movie Database | access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref>
* A 2002 ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' feature showed an [[Aston Martin]] being driven around Cowes, East Cowes, and along the Military Road and seawall at Freshwater Bay.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/blog/top-gear-on-the-isle-of-wight-starring-red-funnel-and-the-military-road|title=Top Gear on the Isle of Wight, starring Red Funnel and the Military Road|website=Isle of Wight Guru|access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref>
* The setting for ''[[Free Rein]]'' was based on the Isle of Wight.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yoppul.co.uk/yoppulv1/2017/07/watch-isle-of-wight-writers-netflix-series-free-rein/ |title=Isle of Wight |work=yoppul.co.uk |access-date=10 February 2019}}</ref>
* Portions of the 2021 drama series ''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]'' on [[Channel 4]] were supposedly set in the Isle of Wight, the home of one of the lead characters, although they were actually filmed in [[Rhos-on-Sea]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Kathryn|date=22 January 2021|title=It's A Sin locations: Where is the new Channel 4 drama filmed?|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/its-a-sin-locations-19650081|access-date=20 August 2021|website=WalesOnline|language=en}}</ref> and [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The scenes in Channel 4's 'It's a Sin' that were filmed in Bangor |url=https://www.thebangoraye.com/the-scenes-in-channel-4s-its-a-sin-that-were-filmed-in-bangor/ |website=The Bangor Aye |access-date=21 August 2021 |date=31 January 2021}}</ref> in north Wales.
* The sitcom ''[[The Cockfields]]'' is set on the Isle of Wight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_cockfields/|title=The Cockfields – Gold Sitcom|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|access-date=10 January 2020}}</ref>

=== Novels ===
[[Julian Barnes]]' novel ''[[England, England]]'' broaches the idea of replicating England in a theme park on the Isle of Wight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Julian Barnes: England, England |url=http://julianbarnes.com/books/england.html |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=julianbarnes.com}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|South East England}}
* [[High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight]]
* [[Isle of Wight gasification facility]]
* [[Isle of Wight NHS Trust]]
* [[Isle of Wight Rifles]]
* [[List of civil parishes on the Isle of Wight]]
* [[List of current places of worship on the Isle of Wight]]
* [[List of governors of the Isle of Wight]]
* [[List of hills of the Isle of Wight]]
* [[List of places on the Isle of Wight]]
* [[Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight]]
* [[Yaverland Battery]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|group=n}}

{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
===Books===

*{{cite book|last1=Reaney |first1=P. H. |title=The Origin of English Place Names 
|date= 1969 |publisher= [[Routledge| Routledge & Kegan Paul]] }}

*{{cite book|last1=Ekwall |first1=Eilert |title= The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names, 4th ed. 
|date= 1960 |publisher= [[Oxford University Press]] }}

*{{cite book|last1=Clark Hall|first1=John R.|title=A Concise Anglo−Saxon Dictionary, Second Edition 
|date= 1916 |publisher= [[Macmillan Inc.|The Macmillan Company]] }}

==External links==
{{Commons|Isle of Wight}}
{{Wiktionary|Isle of Wight}}
{{Wikivoyage}}

{{External media
|width=500px
|video1= [http://www.theisleofwightfilm.co.uk "The Isle of Wight Film"]
}}
* [https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk Visit Isle of Wight Official Website]
* [https://www.iow.gov.uk Isle of Wight Council website]
* [https://isleofwight.com Isleofwight.com]

{{Isle of Wight}}
{{England counties}}
{{SE England}}
{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wight, Isle of}}
[[Category:Isle of Wight| ]]
[[Category:Islands of England]]
[[Category:Islands of the English Channel]]
[[Category:Local government districts of South East England|Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:Natural regions of England]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom|Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:South East England]]
[[Category:Unitary authority districts of England|Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in 1974|Isle of Wight]]