When travelling around the Island or indeed out walking how many historic artefacts go unnoticed?

Sometimes even if we notice them the question may arise “what is that?”

Pictured here are some historical artefacts that you may or may not have seen, and a brief description of their history.

Scroll through our photos above

A decorative lamp standard adorns the junction at the top of Oakhill Road near Ryde, where it meets Pondwell Hill.

Dating from around late 1890s to early 1900 it belonged to the St Helens Electric Light Co Ltd, founded by a man with the interesting name of Edmond Ironside Bax.

This has been listed as a Grade 2 artefact.

Also in Ryde, a building that most people pass everyday has many a tale to tell, this being The Prince Consort.

Have you ever wondered how it got its name? When Queen Victoria lived at Osborne her husband Prince Albert applied to join the Royal Yacht Squadron.

However, so the story goes, he was refused membership, mainly because he was German, so what did Victoria do? 

She built him his own rival yacht club, thus named The Prince Consort Yacht Club.

It proved to be very prestigious, having many influential people of the time as members.

Walking along the beach at Bembridge you may notice a building fronting the beach. On the front elevation you will notice an old faded sign scripted on the wall stating The Garland Club.

It records that here in 1894 a Colonel Moreton founded the Garland as a ladies' private bathing club.

Unsubstantiated rumour had it that it later became the private haunt of a group of top Hollywood actors, but that appears to be more of Isle of Wight folklore.

Driving along the south coast of the Island you come to Brook. As you pass the turning to the village, on the seaward side you will notice, near the cliff edge, an old stone shed.

This was the old Brook Lifeboat Station.

Opened in 1890, it was instrumental in many heroic rescues.

The lifeboats stationed there saved more than 150 lives.

The lifeboat, which would have been a very large open boat, would be rowed by the crew. It would have been hauled down a cut in the cliffs by horse power, and upon recovery a winch would have been operated to pull the boat back to the station shed.

The station closed in 1915.

Perhaps one now for the walkers. As is widely known, the Second World War pipe line P.L.U.T.O. ran across the Island, eventually ending in France and aiding the war effort by the delivery of fuel.

The route it took across the Island was a closely guarded secret, which helped the avoidance of any sabotage attempt.

The pipeline was secretly marked for the repair workers should any maintenance be needed, but how was it marked? By fake stiles with upright concrete posts, crossed by wooden slats and concealed in hedgerows.

A few of these markers can still be found across the Island.