Portal:Isle of Wight/Intro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Isle of Wight is an English island and county in the English Channel three miles from the south coast of Great Britain. It is situated south of the county of Hampshire and is separated from mainland England by the Solent. Popular since Victorian times as a holiday resort, the Isle of Wight is known for its natural beauty and for its world-famous sailing based in Cowes.
The Island has a rich history including its own brief status as a nominally independent kingdom in the fifteenth century. It was home to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Queen Victoria built her much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes. The Island's maritime and industrial history encompasses boat building, sail making, the manufacture of flying boats, the world's first hovercraft and the testing and development of British space rockets. It is home to the Bestival and the recently revived Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was one of the largest rock music events ever held.[1] The island has some exceptional wildlife and is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe.
