Carisbrooke
The Isle of Wight’s royal castle is remarkably complete, with battlements to march across, a keep to climb and a museum to explore. Discover why it was famous as a royal prison to Charles I; see the room from which he tried to escape – twice! The most famous residents today, however, are the Carisbrooke Donkeys. Watch them happily at work on the sixteenth-century tread wheel in the well house and visit them in the donkey centre where you can find more about their personalities! Look out for the fun-packed family events we run every summer, offering one of the best family days out in the South East.
Also close-by is Newport, the Island’s principal town and main shopping centre. Excellent roads and bus services make it easy to reach from anywhere on the Island and the Southern Vectis bus terminus is right in the centre of town. Enjoy browsing in the major chain stores or the many individual and intriguing little shops to be found in the lanes leading off the High Street and two main squares.
At the furthest navigable reach of the Medina river, Newport was a market town with a busy port until the mid nineteenth century. In the 3rd century the Romans built a fine Roman Villa in Cypress Road and in the 11th century the Normans established a stronghold on the site of a Saxon Fort at Carisbrooke, then the Island's capital. Richard de Redvers founded the town of Newport, laying out streets in a grid pattern, with a straight road from Quay to Castle. His grandson Baldwin de Redvers rebuilt Carisbrooke Castle in stone during the reign of King Stephen. Nowadays the castle opens daily to provide visitors with a fascinating living history experience.
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