It was once believed that the name Cowes came from the two forts or 'cow castles' that Henry VIII built at the entrance of the Medina River. John Leland wrote in 1545: 'The two Great Cows that in loud thunder roar, This on the eastern that on the western shore.' Using stone from Quarr and Beaulieu abbeys, Henry's Master Mason.
This battery was built close to the edge of a cliff to the west of Culver Cliff , about 1,000 yds to the east of Yaverland Battery and 150ft above sea level. Problems with slippage were evident for the start. Its original armament was four 7-inch R.B.L guns.
Newport Roman Villa was a Roman - British farmhouse built in 280 AD. It features one of the best preserved Roman bath suites with hypocaust underfloor heating.
Brading Roman Villa is one of the finest Romano-British archaeological sites in the UK. The award-winning Exhibition and Visitor Centre offers a unique insight into Roman life in Britain, from our beautifully preserved mosaic floors to our extensive collection of Roman archaeology, including coins, pottery and tools.
Sandown Barrack Battery, a 19th century Royal Commission coastal battery, situated on the cliff top approximately 2 kilometres south-west of Sandown Fort. Construction began on the battery in 1861 and was completed in 1863. It was rectilinear in plan, with the cliff edge open and the sides and rear enclosed by a dry moat containing a loopholed brick wall.
