et in five acres of land, nestled in the chalk-based Arreton Downs three miles from Newport, the manor was first mentioned in Alfred the Great’s will in 885 when he left it to his youngest son Etherward. Historical records in 1050 say it was owned by Edward the Confessor and the manor was mentioned 36 years later in the Domesday Book.

n 1156 it was given to monks belonging to the Convent of Quarr who were thrown out in the 1530s by Henry VIII during his dissolution of the monasteries. Incidentally the monks still have a presence on the island.

he manor was largely rebuilt between 1595 and 1612 on top of some of the existing foundations. Although parts of the property are Jacobean, it still possesses many Tudor designs and features. During his exile from London, Charles I stayed secretly at the manor. Because the doomed king was on the run and hosts could be prosecuted for putting him up, a secret room was built in the west bedroom – the entrance still exists. Arreton Manor changed hands over the next few centuries. Among the visitors was Queen Victoria who regularly stayed at nearby Osborne House in Cowes. She planted a conifer on the south lawn that still stands.