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St. Catherine's
Oratory, Above A3055
Niton to
Blackgang road,
0.4mile above Blackgang Chine's roundabout or directly
opposite Blackgang's viewpoint car park.
FREE
also known as 'The Pepper Pot' |
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If you fancy a climb up a
footpath and some fresh air with good views then this FREE medieval
lighthouse is worth a visit. The 'lighthouse' was built in c1312
and it's glazed lantern was of little use shining through small windows
especially during fog, although high enough it is still a fair
distance from the coastal edge. The Oratory was a chantry chapel
adjoined but has not survived.
Approached by a footpath which
is opposite Blackgang Viewpoint car park {Free}- it is one hell of a climb
and it will be windy up there! This is the second highest point on The
Island at 237m {777ft} above sea level.
The stump of another
'lighthouse is nearby 'The Salt Cellar' at the base of the radio mast to the
South East but was never finished {1785}. |
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The Needles Old
Battery,
Above The Needles at Alum Bay
see also
The Needles Pleasure Park |
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Owned by The National Trust
this Battery was first completed in 1863 and has had many additions
constructed throughout the years and two World Wars. A cafe' and
toilets are situated here with fantastic views and plenty of information is
available. I personally would not recommend this for young children
because the cliff fencing is very near to the high cliff edge and this
landmark may not be of enough interest to them. The surrounding
headland is awesome and The Needles look so small from here.
Buses run from Alum Bay
Pleasure Park below up to here at regular intervals or it is a nice walk up.
Sitting upstairs in an open top bus snaking up the cliff road is an
experience in itself. The soldiers stationed here helped in a dramatic
rescue of The Irex which became shipwrecked after hitting rocks and
landed in Scratchells Bay which is directly below the high cliffs of The
Battery. The Battery is closed during bad weather.
View Pictures
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Maritime and Shipwreck Museum,
now at
Arreton Barns Craft Village
{see next page}
All weather attraction
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This small maritime museum
is very reasonably priced and is very interesting. The owner has been
diving and finding unchartered shipwrecks for many years, over 100 of them.
There are lots of information and treasures to see with press
cuttings, maps, old photographs and a video to watch.
There is even a large
Narwahl tusk that was impaled into the hull of a ship many years ago and
was only removed when the ship came into docks and all that was left of the
Narwahl {a.k.a. 'sea monster' or 'sea unicorn'} was its severed head!
Interesting small gift shop
where pretend or even original small treasures may be bought.
Visit:
http://www.iowight.com/shipwrecks/
To be re-evaluated
following a re-location and expansion.
View pictures
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