Carisbrooke Castle

Isle of Wight


Charles I was imprisoned here before his execution in 1649. Today you can clamber the sturdy ramparts and play bowls on the very green the doomed monarch used.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Isle of Wight attractions

1. Osborne House

4.77 MILES

Lemon-frosted and Italianate, Osborne House is pure Victorian pomp. Built in the 1840s at the behest of Queen Victoria, the monarch grieved here for many…

2. St Catherine's Oratory

6.48 MILES

Known locally as the Pepperpot, this 34ft, octagonal, 14th-century tower constitutes England's only surviving medieval lighthouse.

3. Brading Roman Villa

7.1 MILES

The exquisitely preserved mosaics here (including a famous cockerel-headed man) make this one of the finest Romano-British sites in the UK. Wooden…

5. St Catherine's Lighthouse

7.74 MILES

A crenellated 19th-century navigational aid that marks the island's southernmost point. Tours climb the 90-odd steps up to the lantern room, revealing…

6. Buckler's Hard Story

9 MILES

The hamlet's fascinating Maritime Museum and heritage centre chart the inlet's shipbuilding history and role in WWII, and feature immaculately preserved…

7. St Helens Duver

9.4 MILES

At this idyllic sand-and-shingle spit bordering the mouth of the River Yar, trails snake past swathes of sea pink, marram grass and rare clovers. It's…

8. HMS Alliance at the Submarine Museum

10.99 MILES

Taking a trip deep into the bowels of the WWII-era sub HMS Alliance is compelling, thanks to the lights, sounds and even smells used to create a sense…