I always try and visit the car park on Afton Down between Compton Bay and Freshwater as it is a "hotspot" for butterflies. So we stopped off on our way to Yarmouth - we saw several Stonechats, a few unidentified blue butterflies in the distance and several "whites".
We drove through Freshwater and
onto Yarmouth where we parked as there were still several hours before we had to catch the ferry.
In the past we have enjoyed rides on the Breezer Needles and also the Breezer Downs Tours. It is a novel way of exploring parts of the island and you can get on and off at points of interest as often as you like.
D spotted another jellyfish in the harbour.
For many years I have wanted to visit Yarmouth Castle but usually we look round the shops and I visit the church and find we have run out of time. So this year we visited the Castle first!
By breaking with the Roman Catholic church in 1533 and divorcing Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII became an enemy of the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France and he had alienated the pope. In 1538 Henry was concerned that France and the Holy Roman Empire had signed a truce meaning France could invade England with papal support. New coastal forts were built, men called up and a system of beacons prepared although the invasion never occurred. Forts, such as Yarmouth Castle, were sited to protect natural harbours. The castle was constructed in 1547. It is square in design and surrounded by the sea on two sides. The other two sides used to be moated. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries the original castle design was abandoned and it was converted into a fort. During the Civil War the Isle of Wight was Royalist and Oliver Cromwell kept a large garrison here. The castle was occupied by the military until 1901 and it has been in the care of English Heritage since 1984.
Three rooms housed a very good exhibition on the early history of Yarmouth Castle, Yarmouth Town and the nearby Yarmouth shipwrecks.
We were due to meet B and E at 1.00 to move the car to the ferry terminal so I had to rush past my three favourite Yarmouth shops - hoping I would still have time visit them.
But B had already moved the car to the ferry queue and the ferry was in so sadly I only had time for lunch and no time to return to the shops.
Yarmouth Castle from the ferry
Au Revoir to the Isle of Wight
We drove off the ferry at about 2.45 p.m. and it took about four hours to get home. Roads were very congested!!
*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
The rest were taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera - I hadn't used the Olympus dslr all holiday!
Reference: Guidebook to Yarmouth Castle
