The Needles
The Needles are a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30 metres (98 ft) out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, United Kingdom, close to Alum Bay and Scratchell's Bay, and part of Totland, the westernmost civil parish of the Isle of Wight. The Needles Lighthouse stands at the outer, western end of the formation. Built in 1859, it has been automated since 1994.[1] The waters and adjoining seabed form part of the Needles Marine Conservation Zone and the Needles along with the shore and heath above are part of the Headon Warren and West High Down Site of Special Scientific Interest.[2][3]
The formation takes its name from a fourth needle-shaped pillar called Lot's wife, which collapsed in a storm in 1764.[4] The remaining rocks are not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck.
The Needles were featured on the BBC Two TV programme Seven Natural Wonders (2005) as one of the wonders of Southern England.
During Storm Eunice on 18 February 2022, the highest recorded wind gust in England was provisionally recorded at The Needles, at 122 miles per hour (196 km/h).[5]
LB&SCR H2 class 4-4-2 no. 423 (later no. B423 and 2423) was named The Needles after this landmark.
Tourism
The Needles lie just to the southwest of Alum Bay, and are a tourist draw. Scenic boat trips operate from Alum Bay that offer close-up views of the Needles. The rocks and lighthouse have become icons of the Isle of Wight, often photographed by visitors, and are featured on many of the souvenirs sold throughout the island.
The main tourist attractions of the headland itself are the two gun batteries, the experimental rocket testing station, and the four
Military use
The Needles were a site of a long-standing artillery battery, from the 1860s to 1954, which was eventually decommissioned.[citation needed]
A nearby site on
In 1982,
Access
The batteries are accessible by car, foot, bicycle, and bus.[10][11] Though there is a paved road up to The Old and The New batteries, access is on foot, from a car park.[12] The battery site becomes dangerous in high winds and is closed to the public in winds above force 8.
In the spring and summer, the
The
Geology
The Needles' pointed shape is a result of their unusual geology. The
The shape of the lost Lot's Wife stone column, recorded as collapsing in 1764, is subject to some speculation. A drawing of The Needles by Dutch landscape artist
Just off the end of The Needles formation is the Shingles, a shifting shoal of pebbles just beneath the waves. The Shingles is approximately three miles in length. Many ships have been wrecked on the Shingles[22] and three notable vessels on The Needles themselves: HMS Assurance in the 18th century,[23] HMS Pomone in the 19th,[24] and SS Varvassi in 1947.[25]
See also
- Palmerston Forts
- Palmerston Forts, Isle of Wight
References
- ^ "Needles Lighthouse". Trinity House. n.d. Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ "The Needles MCZ". Natural England. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Headon Warren and West High Down SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. 1984. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ a b "The History of The Needles at Alum Bay". The Needles Park. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
- ^ Lee, Joseph (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice: Three people killed as strong winds sweep across UK". BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ High Down Rocket Test Site Archived 18 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine,The Needles Battery website Archived 9 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Black Knight Testing at The Needles Archived 27 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ When Britain Joined the Space Race, Civil Service Motoring Association Motoring & Leisure magazine, May 2006, p130
- National Trustwebsite.
- National Trust. Archived from the originalon 15 August 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- National Trust. Archived from the originalon 14 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ^ The car park is located at grid reference SZ307853.
- ^ "The Needles Breezer". Southern Vectis. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ^ "One Inch Maps". University of Portsmouth.
- ^ "Geography Department website". University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007.
- ^ "Taylor's Hampshire 1759, Martin and Jean Norgate". University of Portsmouth.
- ^ "Geography Department website". 2004. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007.
- ^ Ian West, MSc PhD FGS (2005). "Geology of the Isle of Wight – Field Trip Guide". Geology of the Wessex Coast, Southern England. Retrieved 30 May 2006.
- ^ a b "The Needles: Tall Rock or Tall Story?". Archive of Monthly News Items, As previously featured in the History Centre, Isle of Wight History Centre. November 2002.
- ^ a b Earliest Known Scenes of the Isle of Wight, Archived version of page from Isle of Wight History Centre
- ^ The Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem Archived 2 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Peter van der Krogt and Erlend de Groot, HES & De Graaf publishers BV 't Goy-Houten, the Netherlands, 1996–2006
- ^ The Spithead-Solent Shore, Isle of Wight Shipwrecks, BBC h2g2
- ISBN 0-946020-15-9.
- ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 26, pp. 320–321.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.needles.shalfleet.net. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
General information
Pictures and video
- Page 1- The Needles, Steve Shafleet, pictures of the Needles, from "Alum Bay and the Needles", Isle of Wight Historic Postcards, 24 June 2007.
- Pictures of the Needles Rocket Test Site
- Video of Microlight flight over the needles