Isle of Wight

Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight  The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat.  Albert designed the house himself, in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. The builder was Thomas Cubitt, the London architect and builder whose company built the main facade of Buckingham Palace for the royal couple in 1847.  An earlier smaller house on the Osborne site was demolished to make way for the new and far larger house, though the original entrance portico survives as the main gateway to the walled garden. Get an intimate glimpse into royal life as you explore the grand house, complete with beautiful works of art and furnishings from the Royal Collection. Or wander among flower-filled gardens, discover the quirky museum in the Swiss Cottage and relax on the beach where the royal children learnt to swim.  

Ventnor Botanic Garden lies at the heart of a remarkable microclimate on the south coast of the Isle of Wight.  Surrounded by the chalk downs of the Ventnor Undercliff, the garden boasts an impressive collection of rare and exotic plants and trees. The unique microclimate, averaging around 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the UK, has enabled us to grow a wide variety of plants considered too tender for much of mainland Britain, plants that are native to countries all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and many more. The garden is unrivalled for its collections of sub-tropical plants grown unprotected out of doors, including the National Collection of half-hardy and hardy Puya, comprising over 20 species in 77 accessions.  In addition to the outdoor space, there is a large Tropical House where some of the biggest specimens of Giant Amazonian Waterlilies in the world are grown. The leaves of these giant varieties can grow over 8 feet across, and the flowers can grow up to 12 inches wide!  As well as plants and trees, the warmer climate has attracted some of the most amazing wildlife that you would not usually see in this part of the world, including wall lizards, slow worms, and more recently Iberian ants, native to Spain, soaking up the Isle of Wight sun. The tranquillity of the garden also attracts lots of beautiful red squirrels, our 22 acres of plants and trees creates the perfect environment for them to explore.