Isle of Wight County Press celebrates 140 years of news

The newspaper began in 1884 and has served the Island community by delivering trusted news ever since.

It was originally founded by George Brannon and Edwin Fradd, and soon became a company run by local businessmen with strong links retained to the Brannon family. 

By 1904 the newspaper enjoyed a circulation of 13,000.

County Press staff in a centenary photo from 1984. How many do you recognise? (Image: IWCP) In 1910 the company purchased 29 High Street, Newport, as a base.

By 1952, the circulation had risen to 29,000.

In 1960 George Moth was appointed as general manager and Richard Bradbeer as works manager. 

In 1960 Ernest Ash was appointed editor.

In 1971, on the death of George Moth, Richard Bradbeer was appointed general manager.

In 1973 Ernest Ash was replaced as editor by Stephen Rea. That same year, the County Press bought the Isle of Wight Times for £3,000.

The County Press' former High Street base (Image: County Press) Richard Bradbeer became managing director in 1973, and the circulation was 35,000.

Up until 1974, the front page was nothing but advertisements, but this changed with the addition of news items on the cover.

Phototypesetting was introduced in 1978.

In 1981 the County Press switched its print day from Saturday to Friday.

The very first County Press, in 1884 (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

The same year, Robin Freeman was appointed general manager.

In 1985 the printing of the County Press finished at Pyle Street and the operation moved to new premises on the Riverway industrial estate.

In December 1987, editor Stephen Rea retired, and Peter Hurst was appointed as replacement.

The following year, Robin Freeman was appointed managing director.

George Brannon (Image: IWCP)

In 1988 the circulation was 37,000.

In 1990 the County Press took over Newport print business, Crossprint.

In 1992, the County Press moved from the High Street to the purpose-built Brannon House in Pyle Street.

Brannon House in Pyle Street (Image: Hose Rhodes Dickson.)

In 1997 Peter Hurst retired, and Brian Dennis was appointed editor.      

Printing of the County Press was moved to the The News at Hilsea, Portsmouth in 1997 and has been printed off the Island ever since - due to its large pagination and the size of its print run. 

In 1988 the County Press embraced the beginning of a digital age for the company and a website was launched.

The black and white newspaper was printed in colour for the first time in 2006.

In 2007, Alan Marriott was appointed editor, and the next year took the paper from broadsheet to tabloid - moving into the modern age.

In 2017, the County Press was taken over by Newsquest Media Group.

Emily Pearce took the helm as editor in 2019, with Alan Marriott becoming publisher. In 2020, Alan Marriott resumed his editorship.

In March that year, he guided the newspaper through the Covid pandemic, when home-working meant the paper was produced outside a newsroom for the first time in its history - with staff working from home.

In 2023 Alan Marriott retired after a 39-year career at the paper.

Former CP editor Alan Marriott

Lucy Morgan and Lori Little took over as co-editors, with Lori taking over the sole editorship in July 2024.

Brannon House was sold in 2024 and the County Press moved to modern offices at the Innovation Centre, at St Cross Business Park in Newport.

These days, most County Press readers are online and the paper reaches a bigger audience than its founders could ever have imagined!

In August, the newsroom recorded its best month yet for both page views and page visits - meaning more readers than ever before are reading countypress.co.uk for trusted local news.

Not only is the County Press the most visited news website on the Isle of Wight, but is also the highest in page views too, recording an incredible 3.08 million visits in August.

County Press editor Lori Little (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

As well as the website, in print the circulation is around 9,500 and this makes it the biggest selling local weekly newspaper in the country.

• Read more: County Press shortlisted at prestigious Newspaper Awards

The statistics speak for themselves as to how important the newspaper is to readers today - with thousands of Islanders going out each Friday to buy the latest copy.

A digital version of the paper is available online to website subscribers, which means the paper can be read in full from all over the world.

Improvements continue apace at the paper, with a refreshed front page look and more to come in 2025, a 20-page Weekender pull-out full of new features, and an emphasis on exclusive stories and special reports.

The newspaper employs the Island's biggest team of professionally trained journalists and prides itself on being shortlisted two years running for the prestigious Weekly Newspaper of the Year award at the Newspaper Awards.

County Press staff pictured in 2009, the company's 125th anniversary. (Image: IWCP)

County Press staff pictured in the year 2000, with then editor Brian Dennis front centre (Image: IWCP)