The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest and second-most populous island in England. It is in the English Channel, between two and five miles off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. The island has resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times, and is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, downland and chines. The island is part of the historic county of Hampshire. It is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Newport is the county town of the Isle of Wight, an island county off the south coast of England. It forms with Carisbrooke a civil parish with a population of 23,957 at the time of the 2001 census, rising to 25,496 at the 2011 census, and estimated at 25,926 in 2018. The town is slightly north of the centre of the island. It has a quay at the head of the navigable section of the River Medina, which flows northwards to Cowes and the Solent.
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, eleven miles (18 km) from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. The higher part is referred to as Upper Ventnor ; the lower part, where most amenities are located, is known as Ventnor. Ventnor is sometimes taken to include the nearby and older settlements of St Lawrence and Bonchurch, which are covered by its town council. The population of the parish in 2016 was about 5,800.
Education on the Isle of Wight is provided by local education authority-maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and independent schools. As a rural community, many of these schools are small, with average numbers of pupils lower than in many urban areas. It was decided on 19 March 2008, in a Whole Council Meeting, that the three-tier system would change into a two tier system. A report into the report on the re-organisation with proposals as to which schools would close was published in May 2008. There is also a college on the Isle of Wight and other less formal educational venues.
The Isle of Wight Council is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight near the South coast of England. It is currently made up of 39 seats. Since the 2021 election, there has been an 'Alliance' coalition administration of Independents, Greens, Island Independent Network, and Our Island councillors, who together with the Liberal Democrat and Vectis Party councillors voted to elect Independent Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox as leader of the council, with the Labour councillor being absent. The Conservative group is the principal opposition party, and the single councillors from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Vectis Party also sit outside the Alliance group.
The Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites, from prehistoric fossil beds with dinosaur remains, to dwellings and artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman periods.
Carisbrooke is a village on the south western outskirts of Newport, Isle of Wight and is best known as the site of Carisbrooke Castle. It also has a medieval parish church. St Mary's Church, began life as part of a Benedictine priory, established by French monks about 1150. The priory was dissolved by King Henry V of England in 1415 during the French Wars. Neglect over the centuries took its toll, but in 1907 the church was restored to its full glory. Its most striking feature is the 14th century tower, rising in five stages with a turret at one corner and a battlemented and pinnacled crown.
Isle of Wight County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan English county of the Isle of Wight from 1890 to 1995.
Seaclose Park is a large parkland site situated to the North East of Newport on the Isle of Wight. It lies on the eastern banks of the River Medina. It has a variety of features which are available free to the community of the Island and to visitors. The features of the park include a skate park, three tennis courts, one cricket pitch and wicket, one bowling green, three netball courts and two five-a-side pitches. The park is along Fairlee Road, linking Newport to East Cowes and Ryde.
Medina College is a foundation secondary school in Newport on the Isle of Wight, formerly Medina High School.
Wightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, established and owned by the Isle of Wight County Council. It operated a network of thirteen local bus services running across the island, mostly services which would not have been viable for the island's dominant commercial operator, Southern Vectis, to operate.
Gunville is a small settlement on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. It largely comprises housing, although there are also a small number of shops, a couple of charity shops, some retail warehouses, a snooker hall, Methodist Church and a fishing lake. The settlement seems to date from some time after 1800, although the vast majority of the buildings currently standing in Gunville date from after 1900.
Newport Roman Villa was a Romano-British farmhouse constructed in 280 AD. It is located near to Newport, Isle of Wight.
Carisbrooke Priory was an alien priory, a dependency of Lyre Abbey in Normandy. The priory was situated on rising ground on the outskirts of Carisbrooke close to Newport on the Isle of Wight.
Island Innovation Sixth Form Campus is a joint provision Sixth Form Center between Carisbrooke College and Medina College on the Isle of Wight. It is located in the building previously occupied by Nodehill Middle School. It is controlled by the Island Innovation Trust.
Carisbrooke College is a foundation trust-supported secondary school in Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight, formerly Carisbrooke High School. Sixth form students are based at the Island Innovation sixth form Campus, in Newport, a shared sixth form with Medina College.
Newport Guildhall is a municipal structure in the High Street in Newport, Isle of Wight, England. The guildhall, which was the headquarters of Newport Borough Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
