The earliest people to leave their traces on the island could have walked dryshod to England from the continent over plains where the Channel and North Sea now roll.
After the great series of Ice Ages, which came to an end c12,000 BC, the climate improved and the seas rose, severing the British Isles from Europe. Finally, c10,000 years ago, the seas breached the ridge of chalk and sandstone that connected the island to the coast of Dorset.
The National Trust was given St Boniface Down, above Ventnor, in 1922 and now owns over 4,000 acres, including:
The Needles Headland
With its towering white cliffs, magnificent sea views and Victorian battery, the Needles Headland is perhaps the most recognised area on the island and is certainly one of the Trust's most dramatic landscapes. The Battery is a strategically sited Palmerstonian fort built in 1860 against the threat of French invasion. It has a 200ft tunnel leading to searchlight position with dramatic views and two original gun barrels mounted in the parade ground. The headland was bought from the Ministry of Defence in 1975 with funds from the Trust's Neptune Coastline Campaign.
Elsewhere on the headland is a Rocket Testing Site, used in the 1950s and '60s.
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Mottistone Manor Garden and Estate
The village of Mottistone lies in the centre of the 650-acre estate that was bequeathed to the Trust by the 2nd Lord Mottistone in 1965. Mottistone derives its name from the Long Stone on the hill above the Manor, which was known in earlier times as the Meeting or Moot Stone. The Manor's existence was recorded before the Norman Conquest (1066) and in the Doomsday Book (1086) when it was valued at six pounds. The present house dates largely from the 15th-century apart from the West Wing which is about a hundred years later. Major restoration work took place in 1926 due to subsidence. The estate of 263 hectares extends from Mottistone Down in the north to the coast at Sudmoor.
The delightful hillside garden at Mottistone is set alongside the Manor House (leased privately) and contains an organic kitchen garden that has recently been restored. Much of the present layout of the garden was achieved through the hard work of Sir John and Lady Vivien Nicholson, who lived at Mottistone from 1947. In the garden there is a 1930s former architect's office which belonged to John Seely, 2nd Lord Mottistone, and his co-partner Paul Padget. This is known as The Shack. Rather like a 'shepherd's hut on stones', it was originally built and housed in Freshwater and was moved to Mottistone in 1938. It was donated to the Trust in 1987.
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Newtown Old Town Hall and Estuary
By the middle of the 14th century, Newtown was a thriving community. About 60 families lived in the town and in 1344 the borough was assessed at twice the value of Newport. The present Town Hall was built in 1699 on the foundations of an earlier building. The stone walls and windows of the basement formed part of the previous building, while the Gothic fenestration and four-columned portico on the North front were probably added around the end of the 18th-century. The Town Hall was given to the Trust in 1933, after which it was used as a Youth Hostel until the start of WWII, when the basement rooms made useful quarters for the Civil Defence. The basement contains an exhibition about the anonymous 1930s 'Ferguson's Gang', renowned for their extraordinary gifts of sackfuls of cash to the National Trust, in order to renovate properties that otherwise might not have survived.
Newtown Estuary is a National Nature Reserve for its rare and threatened wildlife. It is a significant feeding and over-wintering ground for waders and other wildfowl. The Estuary came under the Trust's protection in 1965 through private subscriptions.
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Bembridge Windmill
Bembridge Windmill, the last remaining on the island, is a fascinating 18th-century mill with wooden machinery and sweeps still intact. The windmill was last used in 1913 to grind barley for cattle feed. There are artefacts displayed across three floors of the windmill.
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Brighstone
The Trust owns most of the terrace of 18th-century cottages that includes the Post Office and shop. The cottages are constructed of chalk blocks and ironstone, both available within a mile of the village.
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Headon Warren
This is the largest area of heathland on the island, with impressive limestone cliffs which tumble into the sea at Totland Bay. It was purchased in 1974 with Neptune funds.
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Tennyson Down
This stunning down is named after Alfred Lord Tennyson, who regularly walked there in the 1870s. The grassland is rich in flowers, while the cliffs are home to many sea birds. It was given to the Trust in 1927 by the second Lord Tennyson in memory of his father.
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Compton Bay
One of the most popular beaches on the island, Compton Bay offers soft sand, rock pools and safe bathing water. Fossils and dinosaur foot casts are constantly revealed by the crumbling cliffs. The Bay was purchased in 1961, thanks to bequests.
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St Catherine's Point
The most southerly tip of the island is set amidst the wild scenery of Knowles Farm. The area was purchased in 1967 with Neptune funds.
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St Helen's Duver
This sand and shingle spit is overlooked by the wooded St Helen's Common. The short turf is emblazoned with sea pinks in May and June, and autumn squill in September. It was given to the National Trust in 1961 by the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club.
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Ventnor Downs
Acquired with a series of bequests, the site is the most southerly outcrop of chalk in Britain. The downs rise to form the highest point of the island, at 235 metres. It is grazed by wild goats, New Forest ponies and cattle.
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