Isle of Wight - Guide to the Isle of Wight

United Kingdom Resorts - Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight, quick guide to the Isle of Wight, one of the UK's popular holiday destinations.

Isle of Wight - Map - Information - Weather - History - Holidays

Isle of Wight:

An island and county located in the English Channel off the south coast of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Wight has a population of around 140,000 (2007) and an area of 380 square kilometres.

Separated from mainland England by a stretch of water known as the Solent, the Isle of Wight is accessed by way of ferries operating out of Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington.

Originally part of the county of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight became an independent county in 1974, the smallest county in England (at high tide).

The Isle of Wight has a long and rich history and also boasts some of the finest dinosaur fossil sites in Europe. Known as Vectis by the Romans, the first mention of the Isle of Wight was by Claudius Ptolemaeus ("Geography").

These days a popular holiday destination due to its fine sandy beaches (such as Shanklin and Sandown), and exceptional climate (for England!), the Isle of Wight is also the location of the famous Isle of Wight Festival, a huge rock festival that first took place in 1970.

The Isle of Wight is also well known among the sailing fraternity for its Cowes Week, the longest running annual sailing regatta, first held in 1826, which takes place every August and attracts many thousands of visitors to the island.

View a larger, more detailed street map of the Isle of Wight here - Isle of Wight Map and see the latest weather here - Isle of Wight Weather.

Check out the latest Isle of Wight jobs here: Isle of Wight Jobs.

More Weather: Shanklin Weather - Sandown Weather

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