Osbourne Bay & House

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House and its estate from Lady Isabella Blachford in 1845. In 1848 the old house was demolished and a new three-storey pavilion with flagtower and household wings were built.

The 19th century estate totalled over 800 hectares and included numerous cottages and lodges for estate workers and members of the household. Prince Albert's planting scheme was partially dictated by the already well-established late 18th century landscape that surrounded Osborne House.

Also, just around the corner towards Cowes is Norris Castle, that was built in the Norman style by James Wyatt in 1790. It was built to look like a castle, but this was only for show as there are no actual fortifications. Queen Victoria stayed at the castle when she was young, and this led her to purchase nearby Osbourne House.

Osbourne Bay is simply one of the best anchorages around the Isle of Wight when the wind is coming from the south or west. We often drop our hook and put the kettle on.