Wight

The Isle of Wight lies off England's southern coast, separated from Hampshire by the Solent. Its central hills and coastal harbours have made the island both a defensive outpost and a place exposed to attack. Carisbrooke Castle, set inland above the town of Newport, long served as a principal stronghold for the island's lords and governors.

Fear of invasion led to the construction of an artillery fort around Carisbrooke in the late 1590s. During the Civil War Charles I came to the island and was confined in the castle. His attempts to escape failed, and he was eventually taken to the mainland for trial and execution. Carisbrooke remained associated with the government of the island after the monarchy was restored.