The Isle of Wight in Brief

The Isle of Wight is an island and a county four miles off of Portsmouth in the English Channel. This separation or body of water between it and the mainland is called the Solent. In former times the IOW was the part of Hampshire, however in 1890 it was administratively separated and in 1974 received its own set of Post Codes. Nowadays, Newport is the administrative capital of the Isle. The origin of the island`s name is still somewhat unknown; there are many hypotheses however some of them are highly improbable but some really deserve our attention and seem likely to be true. The main one being the Roman for Wight being that of "Vectis".

This island, being an area of outstanding natural beauty, became popular in the Victorian times due to its fine health resorts. Also the island is known because of the world-famous yacht club in Cowes and yearly regatta. Sailing activities are considered to be the main local sport. Besides that local ice-hockey team "Wightlink Raiders" plays in English premier league. Moreover beach football enjoys wide popularity on the island, almost several members of British teams for example are Wight`s players.

A few words about history
The island has a rich history; in the 5th century the IOW was considered to be nominally independent kingdom. Latterly it is famous for such things as being the home of Lord Alfred Tennyson and Queen Victoria, her regent Prince Albert built here their favourite summer residence and their haven - the famous Osborne House in East Cowes. Marine and industrial history of the island involves shipbuilding, sail making, production of seaplanes and even space rocket designing and testing.

Show must go on
The Isle has housed over the years an array of music events. Since 2005 it holds a yearly international jazz festival, and a music festival called "Bestival" and recently restored rock music festival known as "Isle of Wight Festival". To be more exact and tell you more about the latter music event, let us look back in the '70s of the twentieth century when not far from Afton-Down on the western part of the Isle of Wight, there was one of the largest spectacular event of all times, in addition it was noteworthy that it was one of the last public appearance of Jimmy Hendrix. Only recently in 2002 this festival was restored and since then has become a yearly celebration.

Rural economy and tourism
As for the IOW current economics it is obvious that the biggest sector of it is tourism now, however historically the rural economy thrived, including crops, sheep breeding and dairy. Because of the high transportation cost the island farmers and growers found it difficult to market the agricultural produce on the mainland; however they eventually found a way out, as they fixed high prices on a number of specialised products that thrived in the growing conditions that were available to them on the Island and this move covered off more than the transportation expenses. This successful range of products includes tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables for salads that can be as indicated be easily grown and are favoured within the island`s climate.

Also lavender and vineyard are cultivated on the IOW, by the way here you can find one of the oldest vineyards of Great Britain. The dairy business has gradually fallen into decay because of the low price and tough requirements now imposed by the British laws. The connection between the IOW and the mainland are realised with the help of ferries and hovercrafts. In spite of the evident benefits the suggestion to build a railway or an ordinary bridge was constantly rejected mainly because of the apprehension that inrush of outsiders could wreck the local culture and ecosystem. One of the most convenient features of the place is that you can find the most appropriate and affordable Isle of Wight accommodation there.

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