Bembridge Beach - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

It is the last surviving windmill on the Isle of Wight, Bembridge, which was built around 1700. It last operated in 1913 and it contains much of its original wooden machinery. It has been restored and is open to the public.

Priory Bay is a small privately-owned bay on the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight. The northern part of the bay has a straight coastline and is sandy with some pebbles. The bay is surrounded by woodland known as Priory Woods owned by the National Trust. The seabed is predominantly sandy and the shallow bay shelves gradually to the shore, a shallow sandbank called Gull Bank exists just offshore which keeps a long thin pool of water next to the beach at low tide.

A majestic fort which was situated on top of Bembridge Down. It was built in the 1860s at the same time as the Needles Old Battery but inside it is very different, both in its layout and general condition. You can still see the remains of 19th-century and First World War fortifications and gun emplacements that took advantage of the high and prominent position of the headland. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built around Portsmouth during the period of the Second French Empire.

No Man's Land Fort was one of a chain of four sea forts in the Solent recommended by the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom in 1860 and designed to protect Portsmouth dockyard from seaborne attack. As part of an integrated sea based defensive line the massive structure of No Man's Land fort provides a visual reminder of the strategic importance of the Solent in the late 19th century.

Brading Roman Villa is one of the finest Roman sites in the UK. The award winning Visitor Centre and Museum offers a unique insight into Roman life in Britain from beautifully preserved mosaic floors to an extensive collection of Roman archaeology. Behind the site is a small amphitheatre made from grassy banks. This was recently made from spoil from the building work.

One of the Isle of Wight’s stunning historic houses, set in five acres of tranquil gardens with a stunning historic view overlooking Natural Parkland, Brading Haven, Bembridge Harbour and across the Solent. The house contains family militaria. It was occupied by the Oglander family from Norman times until 1980. Nunwell House is a Grade II* listed building.