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| Isle of Wight | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Status: | Ceremonial & Unitary County |
| Region: | South East England |
| Area: - Total - District | Ranked 46th 380 km² Ranked 122nd |
| Admin HQ: | Newport |
| ISO 3166-2: | GB-IOW |
| ONS code: | 00MW |
| NUTS 3: | UKG11 |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density - District | Ranked 46th 134,876 355 / km² Ranked 126th |
| Ethnicity: | 98.7% White |
| Politics | |
| Flag (in detail) | Arms (in detail) |
| Motto: All this beauty is of God | |
| Isle of Wight Council http://www.iwight.gov.uk/ | |
| Executive: | Liberal Democrat & Independents |
| MP: | Andrew Turner |
The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England opposite Southampton. Colloquially, it is know as The Island by residents.
Its population was 132,731 in the 2001 census (and 126,600 in 1991). The island has a single MP (currently Andrew Turner), and is therefore the most populated constituency in the UK.
The Isle of Wight, along with the adjoining regions of Hampshire and Kent, was invaded and settled in the late fourth century onwards by the Jutes, who (some believe) became victims of a policy of ethnic cleansing by the West Saxons. Today, the Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archæological sites dating from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Saxon periods onwards.
Queen Victoria made the Isle of Wight her home for many years, and as a result it become a major holiday resort for members of European royalty, whose many houses could later claim descent from her through the widely flung marriages of her offspring.
The famous boatbuilding firm of J. Samuel White was established on the Island in 1802.
In 1904 a mysterious illness began to kill honeybee colonies on the island, and had nearly wiped out all hives by 1907 when the disease jumped to the mainland, and decimated beekeeping in the British Isles. Called the Isle of Wight Disease, the cause of the mystery ailment was not identified until 1921 when a tiny parasitic mite, Acarapis woodi was first described by J. Rennie. The mite inhabited the tracheae of individual bees, and greatly shortened their lifespan, causing eventual death of the colony. The disease (now called Acarine Disease) frightened many other nations because of the importance of bees in pollination. Laws against importation of honeybees were passed, but this merely delayed the eventual spread of the parasite to the rest of the world.
Often thought of as part of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight was briefly included in that county when the first county councils were created in 1888. However, a "Home Rule" campaign led to a separate county council being established for the Isle of Wight in 1890, and it has remained seperate ever since. Like inhabitants of many islands, Islanders are fiercely jealous of their real (or perceived) independence, and confusion over the Island's separate status is a perennial source of friction.
It was planned to merge the county back into Hampshire as a district in the 1974 local government reform, but a last minute change led to it retaining its county council. However, since there was no provision made in the Local Government Act 1972 for unitary authorities, the Island had to retain a two-tier structure, with a county council and two boroughs, Medina and South Wight.
The borough councils were merged with the county council on April 1, 1995, to form a single unitary authority. The only significant present-day administrative link with Hampshire is the the police service, which is joint between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Isle of Wight has a school system which is seen in only a few other areas of the UK; for more info see the article Isle of Wight School System.
People born on the Island are known as Caulkheads, although the term more correctly applies to those who can also claim they are of established Isle of Wight stock (usually meaning they are at least third generation inhabitants from both parents' lineage). One theory as to the origin of this name is that the term is derived from the once prevalent local industry of caulking boats; a process of sealing the seams of wooden boats with oakum. In local folklore a test can be conducted on a baby by throwing it into the sea from the end of Ryde pier whereupon a true caulkhead baby will float unharmed. Thankfully there is no record of the test ever being carried out.
Another theory - just as unlikely - is that a group of armoured Island horsemen were chased into the sea by the marauding French, and took refuge on a sandbank when the tide came in, thus appearing to float in the sea despite their heavy armour, hence the name Cork- i.e. Caulk-, -heads.
It is approximately diamond in shape and covers an area of 147 square miles (381 square km). Nearly half this area, mainly in the west of the Island, is designated as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The landscape of the Island is remarkably diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature". The West Wight is predominently rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the famous chalk downland ridge, running across the whole Island and ending in The Needles stacks - perhaps the most photographed aspect of the Isle of Wight.
The main form of access is either by boat or hovercraft from the mainland, regular ferry services being available from Lymington, Southampton and Portsmouth. The island is also served by airports for light aircraft at Bembridge and Sandown.
The island is the home of the smallest Train Operating Company in Britain's National Rail network, the Island Line, running some 8½ miles from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The island also has a steam operated heritage railway, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which connects with the Island Line at Smallbrook Junction.
However the rest of the Island landscape has great diversity, with perhaps the most notable habitats being the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are spectacular features as well as being very important for wildlife, and are internationally protected. The River Medina flows north into the Solent, whilst the other main river, the Eastern Yar flows roughly north-east, emerging at Bembridge Harbour on the eastern end of the Island. Confusingly, there is another entirely seperate river called the Western Yar which flows from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth. The south coast adjoins the English Channel.
Island wildlife is remarkable, being the only place in England where the red squirrel is flourishing, with a stable population. Unlike the rest of England, no grey squirrels are to be found on the Island, nor are there any wild deer, but instead rare and protected species such as the dormouse, and many rare bats can be found.
The principal towns on the island are:
Other places of interest include:
Because of its accessibility and closeness to the mainland, the Isle of Wight is a popular destination for British holidaymakers, especially the seaside towns of Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Freshwater and Yarmouth, as well as other smaller towns and villages in different parts of the island.
A renowned annual event is the world-famous international sailing regatta, Cowes Week, which is held every August and attracts over a hundred thousand visitors to the island. Other major sailing events are held at Cowes, including the Admirals Cup in July and the Commodores' Cup in August.
A large rock festival took place near Tennyson Down, West Wight in 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. The 1970 show was notable for being the last public performance of Jimi Hendrix in the UK. The festival was revived in 2002 and is now an annual event - with a other, smaller popular musical events across the Island becoming associated with it. For a history of the festival see: http://www.isleofwightfestival.com
Famous residents (past and present) include:
For a good all-round summary of the famous persons connected with the Island, with an emphasis on music and the Festivals, see
Literary references:
Technology:
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