Isle of Wight Timeline
Key events from c. 43-410 AD to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Isle of Wight. Explore the events that define our community.
c. 43-410 AD
Roman Vectis
The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD, and the Isle of Wight, known to them as Vectis, was conquered early in the campaign by the Second Legion under th...
c. 530 AD
Jutish Settlement of the Island
After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the early fifth century, the Isle of Wight was settled by Jutes, a Germanic people from the Jutland peninsu...
686 AD
Conversion to Christianity
The Isle of Wight was one of the last parts of England to be converted to Christianity. In 686 AD, Caedwalla, King of Wessex, invaded the island and a...
c. 787-1000 AD
Viking Raids on the Island
The Isle of Wight suffered repeated Viking raids from the late eighth century onwards. The island's position in the Solent, close to wealthy trading p...
c. 1100
Carisbrooke Castle Built
Carisbrooke Castle was built by the Normans in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries on the site of an earlier Saxon fortification. The castle...
1377
French Raid on the Isle of Wight
In August 1377, a large French raiding fleet attacked the south coast of England, and the Isle of Wight was among the worst affected areas. French tro...
1539-1547
Henry VIII's Coastal Fortifications
Following his break with Rome, Henry VIII faced the threat of invasion from Catholic France and Spain. Between 1539 and 1547, he built a chain of coas...
1647-1648
Charles I Imprisoned at Carisbrooke
During the English Civil War, King Charles I fled to the Isle of Wight in November 1647, hoping to negotiate with Parliament from a position of relati...
1826
First Cowes Week Regatta
The first organised regatta at Cowes was held in 1826, although yacht racing in the Solent had been taking place informally for years before that. The...
1845-1851
Queen Victoria Builds Osborne House
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased the Osborne estate near East Cowes in 1845, seeking a private seaside retreat away from the formality of co...
1864
Island Railway Opens
The Isle of Wight's first railway line opened in 1864, running between Cowes and Newport. Further lines followed rapidly: Ryde to Shanklin in 1864, Sa...
1897-1898
Marconi's Radio Experiments
Guglielmo Marconi conducted some of his earliest and most important radio experiments on the Isle of Wight. In 1897, he transmitted radio signals from...
1939-1945
Second World War Coastal Defences
During the Second World War, the Isle of Wight was heavily fortified as part of the defence of the Solent and the south coast. Anti-aircraft batteries...
1959-1960s
Hovercraft Development on the Island
The hovercraft was invented by Sir Christopher Cockerell, and the first full-sized hovercraft, the SR.N1, made its maiden crossing of the English Chan...
1970
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, held at Afton Down near Freshwater on 26-31 August, was one of the largest music events in history. An estimated 600,...
2019
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Designation
In June 2019, the entire Isle of Wight and its surrounding waters were designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, recognising the island's outstanding nat...