ABOUT GHOST ISLAND

The Isle of Wight is without doubt the world's most haunted island. This diamond shaped island off England's south coast, a covering just 147 square miles, has some 130,000 'living' residents who share their home with hundreds of ghosts.

By day the Isle of Wight is renowned for sunshine, spectacular countryside, beaches and great choice of sporting and leisure activities, making it a popular holiday destination for visitors of all nationalities.

Known as Vectis by the Romans who built villas here, the Isle of Wight has a wealth of historic houses, ancient churches and castles. Queen Victoria made her home at Osborne House; King Charles I was imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle, and writers including Keats, Dickens, Tennyson and Longfellow stayed here.

The Island has some of the best fossils and dinosaur remains in Europe, together with Neolithic and Bronze Age remains. It boasts historic forts, mills, manor houses, thatched cottages, picturesque pubs and even a steam railway.

For lovers of the outdoor life there are 800 kilometres of public paths and cycle trails and it's perfect for walking, windsurfing, fishing, mountain biking, hang gliding and golf. However the Island is best known for sailing, and Cowes, the world's premier yachting venue hosts many international regattas and events. Music fans all around the world also know the Isle of Wight for its world-famous pop festivals.

But this magical island has a darker side. Ghosts and spirits abound and the Isle of Wight has a supernatural energy that's particularly evident in some very haunted hotspots.

Strong energy or 'ley lines' running under the Island may be responsible for charging the earth's electro-magnetic vibrational field here, so increasing the psychic potential for ghost sightings.

With the Island's rich historical heritage, its violent and colourful past, it's not surprising that ghostly goings-on and haunting echoes of those turbulent times still reverberate in the 21st century. Unquiet and restless souls have been reported everywhere from hotels to hospitals, manor houses, pubs, churches, and shops. The spirits of smugglers and shipwrecked seamen walk lonely beaches. Undead soldiers haunt old fortresses, there are ghost trains - and there's even a haunted police station - and one phantom convict is still serving time, locked away in notorious Parkhurst Prison.