112-594: The River Yar on the Isle of Wight , England , rises near the beach at Freshwater Bay, on the south coast, and flows only a few miles north to Yarmouth where it meets the Solent . Most of the river is a tidal estuary . Its headwaters have been truncated by erosion of the south coast. The estuary from Freshwater to Yarmouth is part of the island's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . It contains important habitats, including saltmarsh, reedbeds, mud flats and sand dunes. These host
224-544: A heretic and illegitimate ruler of England. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Henry had never officially divorced Catherine, making Elizabeth illegitimate. Philip supported plots to have Elizabeth overthrown in favour of her Catholic cousin and heir presumptive , Mary, Queen of Scots . These plans were thwarted when Elizabeth had Mary imprisoned in 1567. Mary was forced to abdicate the crown of Scotland in favour of her son James VI . The first documented suggestion of what
336-471: A changing room and a WC with plumbing. The refurbished machine is now displayed at the beach. On 14 January 1878, Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated an early version of the telephone to the queen, placing calls to Cowes, Southampton, and London. These were the first publicly-witnessed long-distance telephone calls in the UK . The queen tried the device and considered the process to be "quite extraordinary" although
448-496: A cognate of both Latin vectis ("lever," or literally "the act of lifting") and Old English wiht ("weight"). It may mean 'place of the division,' since the island divides the two arms of the Solent. In Old English , inhabitants of the Isle were known as Wihtware . During Pleistocene glacial periods sea levels were lower than at present, and the area that today forms the Solent
560-642: A global empire which became the source of her wealth. It championed the Catholic cause and its global possessions stretched from Europe , the Americas and to the Philippines . This was expanded further in 1580 when Portugal was annexed thus forming the Iberian Union , greatly expanding the empire. Philip became the first monarch who ruled over an empire upon which the sun did not set , and he did so from his chambers in
672-770: A large army from the Low Countries crossing the English Channel. The appointed commander of the naval forces of the Armada was the highly experienced Marquis of Santa Cruz while Alexander Farnese would be in command of the invasion forces. Unfortunately, Santa Cruz died in February 1588 and the Duke of Medina Sidonia, a high-born courtier, took his place. While a competent soldier and distinguished administrator, Medina Sidonia had no naval experience. He wrote to Philip expressing grave doubts about
784-602: A major difficulty for the expedition, and the Spanish found themselves vulnerable as night drew on. The Dutch enjoyed an unchallenged naval advantage in these waters, even though their navy was inferior in naval armament. Because Medina Sidonia did not attempt to break the Dutch blockade and Parma would not risk attempting the passage unescorted, the Army of Flanders escaped the trap that Van Nassau had in mind for them. Late on 7 August, Howard
896-558: A new wave of migrations from continental Europe, linked to the Bell Beaker Culture . Bell beaker migrants are typically thought to have introduced metal-working to Britain marking the beginning of the Bronze Age . Evidence of early Bronze Age occupation on the Isle of Wight include distinctive bell beaker pots, flint tools, occupation sites and finds of bronze weapons and tools, occurring either individually or in hoard deposits such as
1008-486: A number of strategic marriages to retain the alliance. There were many causes of jealousy between the two royal houses over the years, but the " French Wars of Religion " was the ultimate cause of the alliance breaking between Philip II and Elizabeth I , and this led to war between the two countries. By the mid sixteenth century Habsburg Spain under King Philip II was a dominant political and military power in Europe, with
1120-583: A political exercise over his desire to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon . Over time, England became increasingly aligned with the Protestant reformation taking place in Europe, especially during the reign of Henry's son, Edward VI . Edward died childless, and his half-sister Mary ascended the throne in 1553. Three years later Mary married Philip II, becoming queen consort of Spain and began to reassert Roman Catholic influence over church affairs. Her attempts led to more than 260 people being burned at
1232-407: A rich abundance of wildlife, particularly over-wintering wildfowl and waders. The Yar estuary is also a 132.4-hectare (327-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest . In addition the upper reaches of the river are designated an SSSI called Freshwater Marshes, and a large part of Freshwater Marshes are also a Local Nature Reserve called Afton Marshes. During World war two it was used as
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#17328523714091344-645: A single Member of Parliament until 2024. The Isle of Wight constituency covered the entire island, with 138,300 permanent residents in 2011 , being one of the most populated constituencies in the United Kingdom (more than 50% above the English average). In 2011 following passage of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act , the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies
1456-400: A unique character. The highest point on the island is St Boniface Down in the south east, which at 241 m (791 ft) is a marilyn . The most notable habitats on the rest of the island are probably the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are scenic features, important for wildlife, and internationally protected. The island has three principal rivers. The River Medina flows north into
1568-513: Is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. Since the abolition of its two borough councils and restructuring of the Isle of Wight County Council into the new Isle of Wight Council in 1995, it has been administered by a single tier Island Council which has the same powers as a unitary authority in England. There have been small regionalist movements: the Vectis National Party and
1680-550: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( /waɪt/ WYTE ) is an island, English county and unitary authority in the English Channel , 2 to 5 miles (3 to 8 kilometres) off the coast of Hampshire , across the Solent . It is the largest and second-most populous island in England. Referred to as "The Island" by residents,
1792-517: Is evidence even marriage between Philip & Elizabeth was explored, but the question of faith, and the unequal relationship between the two Kingdoms made this extremely unlikely. Up until now Spain & England had remained in an alliance – one that had lasted for over 70 years. Mary's death in 1558 led to her half-sister Elizabeth taking the throne. Unlike Mary, Elizabeth was firmly in the reformist camp and quickly re-implemented many of Edward's reforms. Philip, no longer co-monarch, deemed Elizabeth
1904-505: Is from Spanish : armada , which is cognate with English army . It is originally derived from Latin : armāta , the past participle of armāre , 'to arm', used in Romance languages as a noun for armed force , army , navy , fleet . Armada Española is still the Spanish term for the modern Spanish Navy . England had been strategically in alliance with Spain for many decades prior to England and Spain entering into war. In
2016-433: Is now the Isle of Wight is found close to Priory Bay . More than 300 acheulean handaxes have been recovered from the beach and cliff slopes, originating from a sequence of Pleistocene gravels dating approximately to MIS 11 - MIS 9 (424,000–374,000 years ago). Reworked and abraded artefacts found at the site may be considerably older however, closer to 500,000 years old. The identity of the hominids who produced these tools
2128-584: Is now the site of the Marconi Monument. In 1898 the first paid wireless telegram (called a "Marconigram") was sent from this station, and the island was for some time the home of the National Wireless Museum near Ryde. Queen Victoria died at Osborne House on 22 January 1901 at 81. During the Second World War , the island was frequently bombed. With its proximity to German-occupied France,
2240-582: Is reflected in the current residents' genetic makeup. As the Iron Age began, tin value likely dropped sharply, greatly changing the Isle of Wight's economy. Trade, however, continued, as evidenced by the local abundance of European Iron Age coins. Julius Caesar reported that the Belgae took the Isle of Wight in about 85 BC and recognised the culture of this general region as "Belgic" but made no reference to Vectis. The Roman historian Suetonius mentions that
2352-508: Is the Longstone at Mottistone , the remains of an early Neolithic long barrow . Initially constructed with two standing stones at the entrance, only one remains upright today. The site would have likely served as a communal tomb and ritual site for nearby farming communities. A Neolithic mortuary enclosure has also been identified on Tennyson Down near Freshwater . From c. 4,400 – c. 4,200 years ago Britain experienced
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#17328523714092464-511: Is unknown. However, sites and fossils of the same age range in Europe are often attributed to Homo heidelbergensis or early populations of Neanderthals . A Middle Palaeolithic Mousterian flint assemblage, consisting of 50 handaxes and debitage, has been recovered from Great Pan Farm in the Medina Valley near Newport. Gravel sequences at the site have been dated to the MIS 3 interstadial during
2576-629: The Santa Ana , the Nuestra Señora del Rosario collided with a number of ships, losing her bowsprit and setting in motion a series of mishaps. She began to drift, and was taken off by the current in the opposite direction to the fleet and closer to the English. Drake in the Revenge sailed to the Rosario during the night and she was taken in action; Admiral Pedro de Valdés [ es ] (commander of
2688-661: The Bay of Biscay along the Galician coast forced four galleys commanded by Captain Diego de Medrano and one galleon to turn back, and other ships had to put in to A Coruña for repairs, leaving 137 ships that sailed for the English Channel. Nearly half of the ships were not built as warships and were used for duties such as scouting and dispatch work, or for carrying supplies, animals and troops. It included 24 purpose-built warships, 44 armed merchantmen, 38 auxiliary vessels and 34 supply ships. In
2800-515: The Dutch Revolt against Spain, as well as funding privateers to raid Spanish ships across the Atlantic. She also negotiated an enduring trade and political alliance with Morocco . In retaliation, Philip planned an expedition to invade England to overthrow Elizabeth and, if the Armada was not entirely successful, at least negotiate freedom of worship for Catholics and financial compensation for war in
2912-725: The Enterprise of England , Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada , lit. 'Great and Most Fortunate Navy') was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia , an aristocrat without previous naval experience appointed by Philip II of Spain . His orders were to sail up the English Channel , join with the Duke of Parma in Flanders , and escort an invasion force that would land in England and overthrow Elizabeth I . Its purpose
3024-577: The Escorial Palace by means of written communication. In comparison, England was only a minor European power with no empire, and it could exercise little influence outside of its shores – although, in alliance with Spain, it had gone to war three times against France during Henry VIII 's reign. The last of these conflicts was the Siege of Boulogne . King Henry VIII began the English Reformation as
3136-513: The Huguenots . Secrecy couldn't be maintained which made the enterprise vastly more complicated. Philip ultimately combined Parma's plan with that of Santa Cruz, initially entertaining a triple attack, starting with a diversionary raid on Scotland, while the main Armada would capture either the Isle of Wight or Southampton to establish a safe anchorage in The Solent . Farnese would then follow with
3248-591: The Low Countries . Through this endeavour, English material support for the United Provinces , the part of the Low Countries that had successfully seceded from Spanish rule, and English attacks on Spanish trade and settlements in the New World would end. Philip was supported by Pope Sixtus V , who treated the invasion as a crusade , with the promise of a subsidy should the Armada make land. Substantial support for
3360-548: The Palmerston Forts , The Needles Batteries , and Fort Victoria , because of fears about possible French invasion. The future Queen Victoria spent childhood holidays on the island and became fond of it. When she became queen, she made Osborne House her winter home. Subsequently, the island became a fashionable holiday resort for many, including Alfred, Lord Tennyson , Julia Margaret Cameron , and Charles Dickens (who wrote much of David Copperfield there), as well as
3472-719: The Seven Years' War , the island was a staging post for British troops departing on expeditions against the French coast, such as the Raid on Rochefort . During 1759, with a planned French invasion imminent , a large force of soldiers was stationed there. The French called off their invasion following the Battle of Quiberon Bay . In the spring of 1817, the twenty-one year old John Keats spent time in Carisbrooke and Shanklin, where he found inspiration in
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3584-403: The Siege of Antwerp . Three were intercepted by pataches and towed away, but the remainder bore down on the fleet. Medina Sidonia's flagship and the principal warships held their positions, but the rest of the fleet cut their anchor cables and scattered in confusion. No Spanish ships were burnt, but the crescent formation had been broken, and the fleet found itself too far leeward of Calais in
3696-574: The Solent , the Eastern Yar flows roughly northeast to Bembridge Harbour, and the Western Yar flows the short distance from Freshwater Bay to a relatively large estuary at Yarmouth . Without human intervention the sea might well have split the island into three: at the west end where a bank of pebbles separates Freshwater Bay from the marshy backwaters of the Western Yar east of Freshwater, and at
3808-484: The Solent , the strait separating the Isle of Wight from the English mainland, it could wait there for word from Parma's army; Farnese did not get news of this until 6 August. However, in a full-scale attack, the English fleet broke into four groups with Martin Frobisher of the ship Aid given command over a squadron, and Drake coming with a large force from the south. Medina Sidonia sent reinforcements south and ordered
3920-559: The last glacial period ( c. 50,000 years ago). These tools are associated with the late Neanderthal occupation, and evidence of late Neanderthal presence is seen across Britain at this time. No significant evidence of Upper Palaeolithic activity exists on the Isle of Wight. This period is associated with the expansion and establishment of populations of modern human ( Homo sapiens ) hunter-gatherers in Europe, beginning around 45,000 years ago. However, evidence of late Upper Palaeolithic activity has been found at nearby sites on
4032-583: The 150-ton "Bark Bond". Six other ships, of between 90 and 200 tons, were volunteered. These ships were filled with whatever pitch, brimstone and tar was immediately available. Because of the haste, the loaded guns and stores were left aboard. In the middle of the night of 7–8 August, the English set these fireships alight and cast them downwind among the closely anchored vessels of the Armada. The Spanish feared that these uncommonly large fireships were " hellburners ", specialised fireships filled with large gunpowder charges that had been used to deadly effect at
4144-698: The 5th and 6th centuries saw groups of Germanic -speaking peoples from Northern Europe crossing the English Channel and gradually set about conquering the region. During the Early Middle Ages , the island was settled by Jutes as the heathen kingdom of the Wihtwara . In Asser ’s Life of Alfred , he states that the West Saxon kings Cerdic and Cynric granted lordship of Wight to two brothers, Stuf and Wihtgar, said to be of Jutish and Gothic origin and cousins of Cynric. The brothers then set about exterminating
4256-510: The 605 ton Maria Juan , a carrack which had been part of Don Diego Flores de Valdes' Castile Squadron which had attempted to surrender to Captain Robert Crosse of the Hope , sank off Blankenberge with the loss of 275 men – the Spanish only managing to rescue a boatload of survivors. The galleass San Lorenzo , the flagship of Don Hugo de Moncada which had been holed below the waterline,
4368-740: The 7th century BC, during the Late Iron Age , the Isle of Wight, like the rest of Great Britain, was occupied by the Celtic Britons , in the form of the Durotriges tribe, as attested by finds of their coins, for example, the South Wight Hoard, and the Shalfleet Hoard. The island was known as Ynys Weith in Brittonic Celtic . Southeastern Britain experienced significant immigration, which
4480-446: The Armada back to open sea to avoid the Owers shoals . There were no other secure harbours further east along England's south coast, so the Armada was compelled to make for Calais , without being able to wait for word of Parma's army. Starting on 1 August, Sidonia began sending Farnese messages detailing his position and movements. It was not until the following day that Alexander received
4592-429: The Armada set sail from Lisbon and headed for the English Channel. When it left Lisbon, the fleet was composed of 141 ships, with 10,138 sailors and 19,315 soldiers. There were also 1,545 non-combatants (volunteers, officers' servants, friars, artillerists etc.) The fleet carried 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns. The full body of the fleet took two days to leave port. The Armada was delayed by bad weather. Storms in
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4704-423: The Armada to sail on to the east and towards the Isle of Wight. As the tide turned, 55 English ships set out to confront the Armada from Plymouth under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, with Sir Francis Drake as vice admiral. The rear admiral was John Hawkins. On 30 July, the English fleet was off Eddystone Rocks with the Armada upwind to the west. To execute its attack, the English tacked upwind of
4816-451: The Armada's formation by sending fireships against it. Walsingham had already sent orders to Dover that fishing smacks and faggots and pitch were to be collected for this purpose. However, the English commanders felt that they could not wait for proper fireships and therefore sacrificed eight of their own warships. Drake, who was a substantial shipowner, offered one of his own ships, the 200-ton "Thomas". Hawkins also offered one of his ships,
4928-486: The Armada, thus gaining the weather gage , a significant advantage. At daybreak on 31 July, the English fleet engaged the Armada off Plymouth near the Eddystone Rocks. The Armada was in a crescent-shaped defensive formation, convex towards the east. The galleons and great ships were concentrated in the centre and at the tips of the crescent's horns, giving cover to the transports and supply ships in between. Opposing them,
5040-476: The Channel; the four galleys , one nao , five pataches and the 10 Portuguese caravels had left the fleet before the first encounter with the English fleet. An additional 5 pataches, dispatched to deliver messages to Parma, should be deducted which brings the number to 117 Spanish ships facing the roughly 226-strong English fleet. The Spanish fleet outgunned that of the English with 50% more available firepower than
5152-570: The Dutch Republic. This problem seems to have been overlooked by the Armada commanders, but it was insurmountable. Communication was more difficult than anticipated, and word came too late that Parma's army had yet to be equipped with sufficient transport or to be assembled in the port, a process that would take at least six days. As Medina Sidonia waited at anchor, Dunkirk was blockaded by a Dutch fleet of 30 flyboats under Lieutenant-Admiral Justinus van Nassau . The Dutch flyboats mainly operated in
5264-452: The English and Spanish ships to exchange musket fire. A couple of hours into the battle, a few more Armada warships closed in to form wings on either side of the five ships already under attack. After eight hours, the English ships began to run out of ammunition, and some gunners began loading objects such as chains into their cannons. Around 4 pm, the English fired their last shots and pulled back. Five Spanish and Portuguese ships were lost:
5376-497: The English were in two sections, with Drake to the north in Revenge with 11 ships, and Howard to the south in Ark Royal with the bulk of the fleet. Given the Spanish advantage in close-quarter fighting, the English kept beyond grappling range and bombarded the Spanish ships from a distance with cannon fire. The distance was too great for the manoeuvre to be effective and, at the end of
5488-460: The English who quickly left to join the rest of the fight. The next day, the severely crippled galleon San Mateo ran aground in between Sluis and Ostend; it was taken by a combination of Dutch ships and English troops led by Francis Vere . The captain, Don Diego Pimmental, surrendered along with the survivors of his crew. Later that day, the equally crippled San Felipe , commanded by Maestre de Campo Don Fransico de Toledo, drifted away as she
5600-563: The English. The English fleet consisted of the 34 ships of the Royal Fleet, 21 of which were galleons of 200 to 400 tons, and 163 other ships, 30 of which were of 200 to 400 tons and carried up to 42 guns each. Twelve of the ships were privateers owned by Lord Howard of Effingham , John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake. In the beginning of June, Parma had sent Captain Moresin with some pilots to Admiral Sedonia. Upon Moresin's return on 22 June,
5712-465: The French painter Berthe Morisot and members of European royalty. Until the queen's example, the island had been rural, with most people employed in farming, fishing, or boat-building. The boom in tourism, spurred by growing wealth and leisure time and by Victoria's presence, led to the significant urban development of the island's coastal resorts. As one report summarises, "The Queen's regular presence on
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#17328523714095824-628: The Isle of Wight Party; but they have attracted little support at elections. The Isle of Wight is situated between the Solent and the English Channel , is roughly rhomboid in shape, and covers an area of 150 sq mi (380 km ). Slightly more than half, mainly in the west, is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The island has 100 sq mi (258 km ) of farmland, 20 sq mi (52 km ) of developed areas, and 57 miles (92 km) of coastline. Its landscapes are diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description as "England in miniature". In June 2019
5936-442: The Isle of Wight has resorts that have been popular holiday destinations since Victorian times . It is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, downland , and chines . The island is historically part of Hampshire . The island is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve . With a land area of 380 km (150 sq mi), it is about half the size of Singapore . The island has been home to
6048-647: The Lizard in Cornwall . The news was conveyed to London by a system of beacons that had been constructed along the south coast. The same day the English fleet was trapped in Plymouth Harbour by the incoming tide. The Spanish convened a council of war , where it was proposed to ride into the harbour on the tide and incapacitate the defending ships at anchor. From Plymouth Harbour the Spanish would attack England, but Philip explicitly forbade Medina Sidonia from engaging, leaving
6160-670: The Roman Empire. It was called Vectis or Vecta in Latin and Iktis or Ouiktis in Greek. Latin Vecta, Old English Wiht, and Old Welsh Gueid and Guith were recorded from the Anglo-Saxon period. The Domesday Book called the island Wit. The modern Welsh name is Ynys Wyth ( ynys meaning island). These are all variants of the same name, possibly sharing a Celtic origin with Welsh gwaith 'work',
6272-409: The Solent and occupy the Isle of Wight , but he refused to deviate from his instructions to join with Parma. Although the Armada reached Calais largely intact, while awaiting communication from Parma, it was attacked at night by English fire ships and forced to scatter. The Armada suffered further losses in the ensuing Battle of Gravelines and was in danger of running aground on the Dutch coast when
6384-527: The Spaniards, but there is no evidence for the success of that plan. The Prince of Parma was initially consulted by Philip II in 1583. Alexander stressed that three conditions would need to be met to achieve success; absolute secrecy, secure possession and defense of the Dutch provinces, and keep the French from interfering either with a peace agreement or by sowing division between the Catholic League and
6496-475: The Spanish Netherlands, Alexander Farnese had mustered 30,000 soldiers and ordered hundreds of flyboats built to carry them across the channel while awaiting the arrival of the Armada. Since the element of surprise was long gone, the new plan was to use the cover of the warships to convey the army on barges to a place near London. In all, 55,000 men were to have been mustered, a huge army for that time. On
6608-420: The Spanish gunners fired once and then transferred to their main task, which was to board enemy ships, as had been the practice in naval warfare at the time. Evidence from Armada wrecks in Ireland shows that much of the fleet's ammunition was unused. Their determination to fight by boarding, rather than employing cannon fire at a distance, proved a disadvantage for the Spanish. The manoeuver had been effective in
6720-508: The Squadron of Andalusia) surrendered along with his entire crew. On board, the English seized supplies of much-needed gunpowder and 50,000 gold ducats . Drake had been guiding the English fleet by means of a lantern, which he snuffed out to slip away from the Spanish ships, causing the rest of his fleet to become scattered and disarrayed by dawn. At one point, Howard formed his ships into a line of battle to attack at close range, bringing all his guns to bear, but he did not follow through with
6832-447: The basis of the Yar stop line which was fortified in part with Type 22 pillboxes. The Yar is one of two rivers of that name on the Isle of Wight. It is referred to as the Western Yar if it is necessary to distinguish between them with the other river being known as the Eastern Yar . 50°42′07″N 1°30′06″W / 50.70194°N 1.50167°W / 50.70194; -1.50167 This Isle of Wight location article
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#17328523714096944-501: The battles of Lepanto and Ponta Delgada earlier in the decade, but the English were aware of it and sought to avoid it by keeping their distance. While Medina Sidonia was gathering the Armada ships together into their traditional crescent formation the English fleet moved in, and at dawn the flagship with four other ships found themselves facing the entire English fleet. The English provoked Spanish fire while staying out of range. The English then closed, firing damaging broadsides into
7056-418: The countryside and coast, and worked on his long poem Endymion . In the mid-1840s, potato blight was first found in the UK on the island, having arrived from Belgium. It was later transmitted to Ireland. In the 1860s, what remains in real terms the most expensive ever government spending project saw fortifications built on the island and in the Solent, as well as elsewhere along the south coast, including
7168-413: The day the Armada set sail, Elizabeth's ambassador in the Netherlands, Valentine Dale , met Parma's representatives in peace negotiations. The English made a vain effort to intercept the Armada in the Bay of Biscay . On 6 July, negotiations were abandoned, and the English fleet stood prepared, if ill-supplied, at Plymouth, awaiting news of Spanish movements. Only 122 ships from the Spanish fleet entered
7280-534: The early Holocene the Solent flooded, submerging the site. From c. 6,000 years ago migrations of farming populations to Britain from northwest Europe brought the onset of the Neolithic , largely replacing and assimilating previous mesolithic hunter-gatherer populations. On the Isle of Wight neolithic occupation is attested to by flint tool finds, pottery and monuments. The Isle of Wight's neolithic communities were agriculturalists, farming livestock and crops. The Isle of Wight's most recognisable neolithic site
7392-574: The east end where a thin strip of land separates Sandown Bay from the marshy Eastern Yar basin. The Undercliff between St Catherine's Point and Bonchurch is the largest area of landslip morphology in western Europe. Spanish Armada Total Spanish Netherlands Total Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe East Indies Western Europe European waters Americas East Indies The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada , or
7504-410: The enemy ships, all the while maintaining a windward position, so the heeling Armada hulls were exposed to damage below the water line when they changed course later. Many of the Spanish gunners were killed or wounded by the English broadsides, and the task of manning the cannon often fell to foot soldiers who did not know how to operate them. The ships were close enough for sailors on the upper decks of
7616-413: The famous Arreton hoard. Highly visible evidence of early Bronze Age activity on the Isle of Wight comes in the form of the barrow monuments present across the island's chalk downland. It is likely these barrows were high-status burial sites, and often occur in 'cemeteries' a notable example being Five Barrows near Brook. Bronze Age Britain had large tin reserves in Cornwall and Devon areas, which
7728-423: The first day's fighting neither fleet had lost a ship in action. The English caught up with the Spanish fleet after a day of sailing. The English fleet and the Armada engaged once more on 1 August, off Portland . A change of wind gave the Spanish the weather gage , and they sought to close with the English, but were foiled by the smaller ships' greater manoeuvrability. While the Spanish center manoeuvred to support
7840-413: The first engagements and had, after the Isle of Wight, been forced to conserve their heavy shot and powder for an anticipated attack near Gravelines. During all the engagements, the Spanish heavy guns could not easily be reloaded because of their close spacing and the quantities of supplies stowed between decks, as Drake had discovered on capturing the Nuestra Señora del Rosario in the Channel. Instead,
7952-415: The first report from the Admiral. On 7 August, the Armada anchored off Calais in a tightly packed defensive crescent formation, not far from Dunkirk (Farnese only learned of this on that same afternoon) where Parma's army, reduced by disease to 16,000, was expected to be waiting, ready to join the fleet in barges sent from ports along the Flemish coast. An essential element of the plan of invasion, as it
8064-483: The growing affordability of holidays led to significant urban development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The island was historically a part of Hampshire, but became a separate administrative county in 1890. It had continued to share the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire until 1974, when it was made a ceremonial county in its own right. The island no longer has administrative links to Hampshire. However,
8176-630: The invasion was also expected from English Catholics, including wealthy and influential aristocrats and traders. A raid on Cádiz , led by privateer Francis Drake in April 1587, had captured or destroyed about 30 ships and great quantities of supplies, setting preparations back by a year. There is also evidence that a letter from Elizabeth's security chief and spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham , to her ambassador in Constantinople, William Harborne , sought to initiate Ottoman Empire fleet manoeuvres to harass
8288-427: The island helped put the Isle of Wight 'on the map' as a Victorian holiday and wellness destination ... and her former residence Osborne House is now one of the most visited attractions on the island." While on the island, the queen used a bathing machine that could be wheeled into the water on Osborne Beach; inside the small wooden hut, she could undress and then bathe, without being visible to others. Her machine had
8400-497: The island hosted observation stations, transmitters, and the RAF radar station at Ventnor . Adolf Hitler personally suggested an invasion of the Isle of Wight as a supplementary operation for Operation Sealion , and the possibility of an invasion was incorporated into Fuhrer Directive 16. Field Marshal Alan Brooke , in charge of defending the UK during 1940, was sceptical about being able to hold
8512-400: The island in the face of an invasion, instead considering that British forces would retreat to the western side of the island rather than commit forces against what might be a diversionary landing. In the end no invasion of the island was carried out as German naval commanders feared any invasion force might be cut off by British naval forces, particularly Royal Navy submarines. The island was
8624-559: The island was captured by the commander Vespasian . The Romans built no towns on the island, but the remains of at least seven Roman villas have been found, indicating the prosperity of local agriculture. First-century exports were principally hides, enslaved people, hunting dogs, grain, cattle, silver, gold, and iron. There are indications that the island had vast trading links, with a port at Bouldnor , evidence of Bronze Age tin trading, and finds of Late Iron Age coins. Starting in AD 449,
8736-591: The island was under the control of the English Crown and its Lordship a royal appointment. The island continued to be attacked from the continent: it was raided in 1374 by the fleet of Castile and in 1377 by French raiders who burned several towns, including Newtown . Under Henry VIII , who developed the Royal Navy and its Portsmouth base, the island was fortified at Yarmouth , Cowes, East Cowes, and Sandown . The French invasion on 21 July 1545 (famous for
8848-478: The island's Solent coastline has yielded an internationally significant mesolithic archaeological site. The Bouldnor Cliff site exhibits evidence of seasonal occupation by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers dating to c. 6050 BC . Finds include flint tools, burnt flint, worked timbers, wooden platforms, and pits. The worked wood shows evidence of splitting large planks from oak trunks, interpreted as being intended for use as dug-out canoes. DNA analysis of sediments at
8960-420: The mainland is the hovercraft ( Hovertravel ) from Ryde to Southsea . Three vehicle ferries and two catamaran services cross the Solent to Southampton , Lymington , and Portsmouth via the island's largest ferry operator, Wightlink , and the island's second-largest ferry company, Red Funnel . Tourism is the largest industry on the island. The oldest records that give a name for the Isle of Wight are from
9072-654: The mainland, notably Hengistbury Head in Dorset, dating to just before the onset of the Holocene and the end of the last glacial period c. 11,700 years ago. Evidence of Mesolithic hunter-gatherer occupation on the island is generally found along the river valleys, particularly along the Solent coastline of the island and in the former catchment of the western Yar. Other key terrestrial sites are found at Newtown Creek, Werrar, and Wootton-Quarr. A submerged escarpment 11 metres (36 feet) below sea level off Bouldnor Cliff on
9184-452: The manoeuvre and little was achieved. During a lull in battle, San Salvador 's gunpowder magazine exploded, lighting a portion of the ship on fire. The Spanish attempted to scuttle the ship, but this failed when the Golden Hind came up. The Spanish evacuated the vessel and the Golden Hind promptly captured her. If the Armada could create a temporary base in the protected waters of
9296-405: The mid to late 15th century, France under Louis XI was the strongest power in western Europe. England still had possessions in what today is called Northern France, and Spain was under constant threat. Henry VII of England therefore formed a strategic relationship with Ferdinand II , of Spain. Whilst the threat from France remained, England & Spain enjoyed many decades of peace which included
9408-474: The native Britons , either killing them or driving them into exile. According to Bede , in 685, Wight was invaded by King Cædwalla of Wessex , who attempted to violently replace the Jutish inhabitants with his own followers. In 686, the native King Arwald was killed in battle, and the island became the last part of English lands to be converted to Christianity . It suffered especially from Viking raids and
9520-463: The planned campaign, but his message was prevented from reaching the King by courtiers on the grounds that God would ensure the Armada's success. Prior to the undertaking, Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences . The blessing of the Armada's banner on 25 April 1588, was similar to the ceremony used prior to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. On 21 July 1588 (N.S),
9632-424: The poets Algernon Charles Swinburne and Alfred, Lord Tennyson . Queen Victoria built her summer residence and final home, Osborne House , at East Cowes on the Isle. It has a maritime and industrial tradition of boat-building , sail-making, the manufacture of flying boats , hovercraft , and Britain's space rockets . The island hosts annual music festivals, including the Isle of Wight Festival , which in 1970
9744-452: The report he made to Farnese caused him distress. Medina Sedonia was under the impression that Farnese could simply sail out into the channel with his barges filled with troops. Parma had continually informed the king that his passage to the channel was blocked by English and Dutch ships, and the only way he could bring his boats out was if the Armada cleared the blockade. The fleet was sighted in England on 29 July (N.S), when it appeared off
9856-408: The rising southwesterly wind to recover its position. The English closed in for battle. Farnese learned of this the following day. The small port of Gravelines was part of Flanders in the Spanish Netherlands close to the border with France, and was the closest Spanish territory to England. Before dawn on 8 August, Medina Sidonia struggled to regather his fleet after the fireships scattered it, and
9968-433: The shallow waters off Zeeland and Flanders where larger warships with a deeper draught, like the Spanish and English galleons, could not safely enter. Parma expected the Armada to send its light pataches to drive away the Dutch, but Medina Sidonia would not send them because he feared he would need these ships for his own protection. There was no deep-water port where the fleet might shelter, which had been acknowledged as
10080-654: The sinking of the Mary Rose on the 19th) was repulsed by local militia . On 1 May 1647, Swedish and English ships clashed in a brief skirmish off the island , ending in the Swedish fleet being able to escape. During the English Civil War , King Charles I fled to the Isle of Wight, believing he would receive sympathy from Governor Robert Hammond . Still, Hammond imprisoned the king in Carisbrooke Castle. During
10192-617: The site yielded wheat DNA, not found in Britain until 2,000 years after the occupation at Bouldnor Cliff. It has been suggested this is evidence of wide-reaching trade in Mesolithic Europe; however, the contemporaneity of the wheat with the Mesolithic occupation has been contested. Owing to lower sea levels during the mesolithic the hunter-gatherer site was located on a river bank surrounded by wetlands and woodland. As sea levels rose throughout
10304-579: The sound was "rather faint". She later asked to buy the equipment that was used, but Bell offered to make "a set of telephones" specifically for her. The world's first radio station was set up by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897, during her reign, at the Needles Battery , at the western tip of the island. A 168-foot (51 m) high mast was erected near the Royal Needles Hotel as part of an experiment on communicating with ships at sea. That location
10416-530: The stake , earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary". Philip now persuaded Mary to enter into a disastrous war against France. England landed forces in the Low Countries and with the failing support of Spain, won the Battle of St. Quentin . Though this brought victory for Spain, England had neglected her French defenses, and France took English Calais in the Siege of Calais (1558) . Thus England lost her last possession in France, which she had held for over 500 years. This
10528-611: The starting point for one of the earlier Operation Pluto pipelines to feed fuel to Europe after the Normandy landings . The Needles Battery was used to develop and test the Black Arrow and Black Knight space rockets, which were subsequently launched from Woomera , Australia. The Isle of Wight Festival was a large rock festival near Afton Down , West Wight, in August 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. The 1970 show
10640-458: The two counties continue to share their police force and fire and rescue service , and the island's Anglican churches belong to the Diocese of Portsmouth (originally Winchester ). A combined local authority with Portsmouth and Southampton was considered as part of a regional devolution package but was subsequently rejected by the UK government in 2018. The quickest public transport link to
10752-556: The whole island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve , recognising the sustainable relationships between its residents and the local environment. West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the chalk downland ridge, running across the whole island and ending in the Needles stacks. The southwestern quarter is commonly referred to as the Back of the Wight , and has
10864-471: The wind changed, allowing it to escape into the North Sea . Pursued by the English, the Spanish ships returned home via Scotland and Ireland . Up to 24 ships were wrecked along the way before the rest managed to get home. Among the factors contributing to the defeat and withdrawal of the Armada were bad weather conditions and the better employment of naval guns and battle tactics by the English. The expedition
10976-519: Was called the Enterprise of England was in the summer of 1583 when, flushed with pride of his victory in the Azores, Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz addressed the suggestion to Philip II of taking advantage of it to attack England. Elizabeth finally had Mary executed in February 1587, due to constant plots against the queen carried out in Mary's name. Elizabeth also retaliated against Philip by supporting
11088-403: Was eventually implemented, was the transportation of a large part of Parma's Army of Flanders as the main invasion force in unarmed barges across the English Channel. These barges would be protected by the large ships of the Armada. However, to get to the Armada, they would have to cross the zone dominated by the Dutch navy, where the Armada could not go due to the ongoing Eighty Years' War with
11200-445: Was forced to run aground at Calais to avoid sinking. On sight of this, Howard ordered a flotilla of ship's boats to carry her by boarding. Moncada was killed during an exchange of small arms fire, a shot to his head from an arquebus. The ship was then taken after murderous fighting between the crew, galley slaves and the English. The French meanwhile could do little except to watch as the ship was plundered, but they opened fire to ward off
11312-572: Was necessary to smelt bronze . At that time, the sea level was much lower, and carts of tin were brought across the Solent at low tide for export, possibly on the Ferriby Boats . Anthony Snodgrass suggests that a shortage of tin, as a part of the Bronze Age Collapse and trade disruptions in the Mediterranean around 1300 BC, forced metalworkers to seek an alternative to bronze. From
11424-512: Was often used as a winter base by Viking raiders when they could not reach Normandy. Later, both Earl Tostig and his brother Harold Godwinson (who became King Harold II) held manors on the island. The Norman Conquest of 1066 created the position of Lord of the Isle of Wight ; the island was given by William the Conqueror to his kinsman William FitzOsbern . Carisbrooke Priory and the fort of Carisbrooke Castle were then founded. Allegiance
11536-617: Was one of the last public performances by Jimi Hendrix and attracted somewhere between 600,000 and 700,000 attendees. The festival was revived in 2002 in a different format and is now an annual event. On 26 October 2020, an oil tanker, the Nave Andromeda, suspected to have been hijacked by Nigerian stowaways, was stormed southeast of the island by the Special Boat Service . Seven people believed to be Nigerians seeking UK asylum were handed over to Hampshire Police. The island had
11648-763: Was part of the valley of the now extinct Solent River . The river flowed eastward from Dorset, following the course of the modern Solent strait. The river travelled east of the Isle of Wight before flowing southwest towards the major Channel River system. At these times, extensive gravel terraces associated with the Solent River and the forerunners of the island's modern rivers were deposited. During warmer interglacial periods, silts, beach gravels, clays, and muds of marine and estuarine origin were deposited due to higher sea levels, suggesting similar marine or estuary conditions to those experienced today. The earliest clear evidence of Lower Palaeolithic archaic human occupation on what
11760-610: Was reinforced by a squadron under Lord Edward Seymour and William Wynter , which had been stationed in the Downs as a reinforcement for the Dutch should Parma make any independent move. His arrival gave Howard a total of 140 ships. He also received a small amount of powder and shot, which the Earl of Sussex had collected from fortresses and garrisons on the South Coast, and some victuals. The wind and currents were favourable for an attempt to break
11872-447: Was reluctant to sail further east than Gravelines, knowing the danger of running aground on the shoals off Flanders, from which his Dutch enemies had removed the sea marks . The English learned of the Armada's weaknesses during the skirmishes in the English Channel, and concluded it was possible to close in to within 100 yards (90 m) to be able to penetrate the oak hulls of the Spanish warships. They had spent most of their gunpowder in
11984-536: Was sworn to FitzOsbern rather than the king; the Lordship was subsequently granted to the de Redvers family by Henry I after his succession in 1100. For nearly 200 years the island was a semi-independent feudal fiefdom, with the de Redvers family ruling from Carisbrooke. The final private owner was the Countess Isabella de Fortibus , who, on her deathbed in 1293, was persuaded to sell it to Edward I . Subsequently,
12096-406: Was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War . The following year, England organized a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, known as the " English Armada ", and sometimes called the "counter-Armada of 1589", which failed. Three further Spanish armadas were sent against England and Ireland in 1596 , 1597 , and 1601 , but these likewise ended in failure. The word armada
12208-514: Was the largest rock music event ever held. It has well-conserved wildlife and some of Europe's richest cliffs and quarries of dinosaur fossils . The island has played an essential part in the defence of the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth and has been near the front line of conflicts through the ages, having faced the Spanish Armada and weathered the Battle of Britain . Being rural for most of its history, its Victorian fashionability and
12320-509: Was to have changed this, but this was deferred to no earlier than October 2022 by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 . Thus the single constituency remained for the 2015 , 2017 and 2019 general elections. However, two separate constituencies, Isle of Wight East and Isle of Wight West were created for the island under the 2022 review, and were first contested in the 2024 general election . The Isle of Wight
12432-545: Was to reinstate Catholicism in England, end support for the Dutch Republic , and prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas . The Spanish were opposed by an English fleet based in Plymouth . Faster and more maneuverable than the larger Spanish galleons , its ships were able to attack the Armada as it sailed up the Channel. Several subordinates advised Medina Sidonia to anchor in
12544-658: Was undoubtedly a huge blow to Mary's prestige, who is reported as stating "When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Calais' lying in my heart." England's wealth further suffered, not just from the cost of the war, but also from the reduced revenues from Alum and the Antwerp Cloth Trade, caused by the loss of the port. The Kingdom of Spain had strengthened its hold on the Low Countries, weakening France with no cost to itself, but at great cost to England. Just before Mary's death, Philip and Elizabeth looked to come to an alliance & settlement, between England & Spain, and there
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