Local historian John Blythe Smart has just published two volumes covering Isle of Wight Historic Sites as detailed below.
We have copies in our library at the Heritage Resource Centre at Northwood Cemetery.
They can be obtained from most booksellers - Waterstones in Newport has stock, priced as below
Isle of Wight Historic Sites Volume I: Buildings John Blythe Smart
ISBN 9781-9998540-2-7 334 pp 372 b/w illustrations £17.99
12 chapters by region Appendix: Domesday Manors, Lords and Governors
The Isle of Wight is a resplendent jewel located in between the Solent and the English Channel, and is isolated from the more urban environments of the South Coast. The consequence of this separate geography is a unique landscape, where historic buildings sit timeless in unchanging and unspoilt vistas, ones still familiar to our ancestors of the past. The book catalogues all the historic sites including castles, forts, manors, villas, cottage orné, stations, lighthouses, mystic ruins, and deserted towns, thus enabling the reader to explore this intriguing history for themselves. Indeed the island’s landscape was so attractive that it became a Royal residence.
Isle of Wight Historic Sites Volume II: Churches John Blythe Smart
ISBN 9781-9998540-3-4 258 pp 284 b/w illustrations £16.99
12 chapters by region Appendix: Churches 1284, Bells and Organs, Architects
There are a large variety of historic churches on the Isle of Wight, which like its buildings have been preserved due to the isolation created by the Solent. St. Wilfrid converted the island in 686, but there were few churches when the Normans arrived. They ruled the island as a separate kingdom and built many new edifices with 28 ancient parishes. These were supplemented in the Victorian era and architects such as Gilbert Scott left their mark. The book details every church with their architecture, history, ministers and memorials, and provides a unique record, allowing the reader to explore this rich ecclesiastical heritage for themselves.
Posted 31 July 2024